Everyone has heard the saying “you are what you eat” at least once, but it wasn’t until the past few years that scientists started taking it seriously. Now, there is ample research that shows how gut health can influence many other aspects of a person’s life. Gut health isn’t just about effective digestion but also building a strong immune system, improving mood, and maintaining heart and brain health.
Having a healthy gut means that the bacteria and microbes in a person’s digestive tract are balanced. That requires stimulating the growth of good bacteria, or probiotics. Lately, though, people have also been discussing the benefits of prebiotics. This begs the question, what are prebiotics and how are they different from the probiotics recommended by healthcare experts?
What Are Probiotics?
Let’s start at the beginning with a more in-depth description of probiotics. The term can either refer to the natural bacteria that live in a person’s gut and help the intestines break down difficult-to-digest food or to a class of supplements taken to improve digestive health. The probiotic supplements produced by reputable companies like BiOptimizers are designed to work with natural probiotic bacteria, improving gut health by making it easier for people’s guts to break down food and absorb nutrients.
When most people mention probiotic bacteria, they’re talking about either Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium. These two essential probiotics can be found naturally in some fermented foods such as yogurt, kimchi, and sauerkraut, but most people don’t get enough of them from dietary sources alone.
What Are Prebiotics?
People have known for a while that probiotic bacteria are good for gut health. The term prebiotics has only gotten the attention of the mainstream in the past few years, but it’s just as important. Prebiotic supplements don’t contain live bacteria. Instead, they help to fuel the growth of beneficial bacteria in a person’s body.
Prebiotics consist of dietary fiber that fuels gut bacteria. This type of fiber, called inulin, can be found in all kinds of food, from bananas to asparagus. Other food-based sources of prebiotics include onions, garlic, artichokes, and most legumes.
Probiotics Work Best With Prebiotics
Most people don’t get enough of either probiotics or prebiotics from dietary sources alone. Instead, health-conscious Americans usually take supplements. Around four million people across the country are already using probiotics as a digestive aid, but what they don’t realize is that those supplements could be working even better with added prebiotics.
People who don’t get enough probiotics from dietary sources rarely consume enough inulin. In fact, most consumers don’t even know what inulin is. Taking a prebiotic supplement alongside probiotics is the best way to maintain gut health without constantly worrying about fitting in the right foods.
The Importance of Finding a Reputable Vendor
The FDA doesn’t regulate dietary supplements, which means it’s up to individual consumers to find trustworthy vendors. Perform some due diligence before purchasing supplements from new sources, and consider ordering them online instead of going to the drug store. Ordering supplements online makes it easier to research different vendors and helps to ensure that the live bacteria in probiotic supplements will still be active.
Place an Order Today
Having a healthy gut is one of several keys to maintaining both physical and emotional wellbeing, but it can be difficult to get all of the probiotics and prebiotics required to maintain beneficial bacteria from food, alone. Taking high-quality probiotic and prebiotic supplements is the best way to make up for any deficits.