Prebiotics and Probiotics: A Guide to Gut Health

Prebiotics and probiotics play a vital role in maintaining a balanced existence of trillions of good and bad bacteria in our body’s gastrointestinal (GI) system, particularly in the colon. The healthful bacteria, in producing lactic acid, decrease bodily pH, enabling a slightly acidic environment in the urinary tract and the vagina. Unhealthful bacteria substantially increase in an unbalanced setting, creating urinary tract infections, bacterial vaginosis, and yeast infections. Females have an important requirement for thriving digestive bacteria that have adapted to this acidic climate. Yeast and unhealthy bacteria do not flourish in this situation. An acidic pH in the colon, combined with the proliferation of beneficial bacteria, provides protective effects against colon cancer. This type of cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in North America. It affects both women and men significantly.

Enhance Your Digestive Wellness—Incorporate Gut-Friendly Foods Today

Keeping good bacteria in the gut is a tenuous undertaking in our modern society. Most prominently, the medical establishment’s indiscriminate prescribing of antibiotics ends up killing both good and bad bacteria, which disrupts the presence of healthy bacteria for colon health. Other drugs that cause gastrointestinal irritation, including constipation, are sleeping pills, known as benzodiazepines, and SSRIs of the antidepressant class. Consuming pasteurized foods or chlorinated water reduces the amounts of beneficial bacteria. Similarly, washing with antibacterial soaps has the same diminishing effect.

Discover the Powerful Role of Prebiotics and Probiotics in Overall Health

All of our gut bacteria need proper food to survive, and this is where prebiotics and probiotics play a crucial role in supporting their balance. Without proper nourishment, bacteria will feed on the sugars in the mucus layer surrounding the inside of the colon. This lining acts as a protective wall, shielding our inner tissues from invading bacteria and viruses. If this mucus layer degrades, severe bodily inflammation occurs due to the invasion of unhealthy bacteria and their metabolic byproducts. This inflammation causes “leaky gut syndrome,” which leads to obesity and allergies. It also contributes to chronic diseases such as arthritis, eczema, psoriasis, fibromyalgia, asthma, diabetes, congestive heart failure, cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Consuming probiotic bacteria is essential for improving digestive and urogenital well-being. This is achieved through the enhancement of mucosal immunity in the colon. Probiotics help prevent the previously mentioned conditions and lower blood cholesterol. They also reduce episodes of diarrhea and constipation and manage urinary and vaginal infections. Additionally, probiotics improve irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease that causes fever, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, and weight loss.

These last two gastrointestinal disorders are not managed well by conventional medicine. In particular, treatment for Crohn’s disease starts with standard aminosalicylate drugs and corticosteroids. Continuing treatment includes the latest in immunomodulators and biologic drugs. A study performed by both the Oxford College of Emory University in Georgia and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was published in the April 2017 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. It stated, in regards to Crohn’s disease, that despite these new drugs, there have been decreases in remissions and increases in hospitalizations.

Improve Immunity and Digestion—Add Prebiotics and Probiotics to Your Diet

Probiotics are the healthy bacteria that serve as a side-effect free approach for managing gastrointestinal diseases. Unfortunately, a large amount of probiotic bacteria no longer survive at the time of ingestion due to the inherent problems in their manufacture, transportation, and shelf storage. The remaining probiotics need to enter the colon in a living state, so they can proliferate and improve GI health.

The stomach and small intestine possess inherent abilities to eliminate most bacteria. Hydrochloric acid, produced in the stomach, has a highly acidic pH of 1.5 to 3.5, which effectively destroys bacteria. In the small intestine, powerful digestive enzymes and a substantial increase in pH are both lethal to bacteria that make it past the stomach. Because of stomach acid, digestive enzymes, and sudden changes in pH acidity, it is unlikely that a sufficient amount of probiotics survive to remain active in the colon. This highlights the importance of supplementing with prebiotics and probiotics to maintain a healthy bacterial balance. Additionally, the flourishing bacteria already adapted to the colonic surroundings produce natural antibiotics that destroy newly arriving probiotic bacteria as well as disease-producing microorganisms.

Protect Against Chronic Diseases with a Balanced Gut Microbiome

The solution for ensuring the viability of probiotics in the GI system is to consume a soluble fiber called prebiotics. This consists of fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, kimchi, and whole-grain sourdough breads, and root-type vegetables, including onion, garlic, leaks, chicory, and Jerusalem artichoke. The vegetables should be eaten raw, as cooking decreases their fiber content.

Being largely undigested, prebiotics reach the colon relatively unscathed by the digestive actions of the upper GI tract. A person’s diet that includes prebiotic soluble fiber will nourish probiotic bacteria, so that they can live and flourish while preventing destruction to the mucus lining of the colon. Probiotics activate prebiotics to produce short-chain fatty acids that nourish the cells of the colonic lining. This process reduces inflammatory states and enhances immune function.

Foods Containing Prebiotics and Probiotics

Incorporating a variety of prebiotic and probiotic foods into your diet can significantly enhance gut health by promoting a balanced microbiome. Prebiotics serve as the nourishing fiber for good bacteria, while probiotics are the live beneficial bacteria themselves. Together, these foods support digestion, immunity, and overall well-being.

Foods Rich in Probiotics:

Yogurt: Made from fermented milk, yogurt contains live cultures like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, which aid digestion and boost immunity.
Kefir: A tangy, fermented milk drink packed with a diverse range of probiotics, beneficial for improving gut flora.
Sauerkraut: Fermented cabbage rich in probiotics and enzymes, which help break down food and enhance nutrient absorption.
Kimchi: A Korean fermented vegetable dish, often spicy, containing Lactobacillus kimchii and other beneficial bacteria.
Miso: A Japanese paste made from fermented soybeans, offering probiotics that support digestive health.
Tempeh: Fermented soybeans that provide probiotics along with plant-based protein.
Pickles: Naturally fermented cucumbers that contain probiotics, as long as they are not made with vinegar.
Buttermilk: A traditional cultured dairy product rich in probiotics, especially in its raw form.

Foods Rich in Prebiotics:

Garlic: A natural source of inulin, a prebiotic fiber that feeds beneficial gut bacteria.
Onions: Contain fructooligosaccharides (FOS), a type of prebiotic that promotes healthy bacteria growth.
Leeks: A mild-flavored vegetable high in prebiotic fibers like inulin.
Chicory Root: Extremely high in inulin, making it one of the most potent prebiotic foods.
Jerusalem Artichokes: Also known as sunchokes, these are rich in inulin and great for improving gut health.
Asparagus: A fiber-rich vegetable containing prebiotics that nourish gut bacteria.
Bananas: Especially unripe bananas, which are rich in resistant starch, a type of prebiotic.
Whole-Grain Sourdough Bread: Fermented bread high in prebiotic fiber, supporting a healthy microbiome.
Apples: Contain pectin, a prebiotic fiber that helps feed gut bacteria.
Flaxseeds: Packed with fiber, these seeds act as prebiotics while also offering omega-3 fatty acids.
Oats: Contain beta-glucan, a fiber that functions as a prebiotic and supports heart and gut health.

By consuming a combination of these probiotic and prebiotic foods, you can create a symbiotic relationship that optimizes gut health and improves overall digestion and immune function.

Both prebiotic and probiotic supplementation provide numerous health benefits. These include enhanced digestion and improved absorption of minerals. They also support better waste elimination, refined cholesterol management, and reduced levels of carcinogens in the colon. The resulting positive accumulation of healthy bacteria reduces food-induced hypersensitivity reactions. It also improves the management of autoimmune disorders. Additionally, it strengthens the immune system of our bodies. Prebioti and probiotics are integral for strengthening one’s overall health, regardless of age.