Probiotic and Prebiotic Food Can Help You Live a Healthier Life
Probiotic and prebiotic foods are a great way to improve your digestive health. Both probiotics and prebiotics affect the growth and activity of good microorganisms in your body, including beneficial and harmful bacteria. Typically, the microorganisms within the GI tract that are affected by probiotics and prebiotics include both the good and bad bacteria within the GI tract. The most well-known example is in the colon, where probiotics can change the composition of microorganisms in the intestine. Prebiotics occur in foods and can also be found in supplements.
Maintain The Health of Your Intestinal Tract
Both probiotic + prebiotic affect the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), which are essential chemicals that maintain the health of the intestinal tract. Probiotic supplementation can also increase the amount of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) in your body and help to maintain a healthy balance of intestinal bacteria. In addition to helping maintain a healthy balance of microorganisms in your body, probiotic supplementation can also help prevent the development of yeast infections in the GI tract and other ailments. This is because probiotics block the production of yeast by preventing the synthesis of glycogen, one of the sugars that fuel yeast growth. Yeast feeds on glucose, and when your blood sugar levels are low, yeast can grow out of control, causing serious problems like irritable bowels, depression, and more. While many illnesses can be helped by a combination of probiotics and prebiotics, yeast infections are not among them.
Research about prebiotic supplements
As far as the relationship between probiotics and prebiotic fiber boost goes, there has not been enough research done on this topic to draw any firm conclusions. It is a complex interaction and one that only you and your doctor can understand fully. However, some things have been studied, and these include the effect of taking probiotic supplements on cholesterol levels, constipation, diarrhea, and other issues related to digestion. There is no clear indication at this point that taking a probiotic supplement will help anyone to reduce the likelihood of developing a condition like chronic or intermittent constipation, and it’s best to consult with a doctor before taking any supplement.
Probiotic and Prebiotic Fiber Supplements
Probiotic and prebiotic fiber supplements are available in many forms, including capsule and powder. Some powders and pills contain both types of microorganisms. The most popular probiotic supplement is called xylooligosaccharide to give it its full name, xylitol. This substance comes from the root of a tree called the xylem. You may have heard of xylitol being used in candy, but it’s most commonly found as a sweetener in foods such as yogurt and other dairy products. For the benefit of those who are unfamiliar with the root of the tree, xylooligosaccharide is made from hydrogen peroxide and glucose and has a characteristic sweet odor.
The benefits of probiotics and prebiotics
The benefits of probiotics and prebiotics go beyond the digestive health of those who consume them. Once bacteria called probiotics colonize in your gut, they help maintain the proper balance of the good and bad bacteria. This balance is critical to your health because otherwise, you can experience a wide range of problems. Some of the issues that probiotics help resolve are constipation, diarrhea, gas, yeast infections, irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion, and heartburn. Probiotic and prebiotic food + prebiotic inulin (the food supplement) can help you live a healthier life by improving your overall digestive health.
It is common for constipation to be caused by an unhealthy diet or a lack of physical exercise. These factors combine to create a situation where the colon becomes less effective at cleansing the body. When combined with the inability of the colon to use natural intestinal enzymes, along with undigested foods that cannot pass through, constipation is the result.
