Your gut microbiota keeps you healthy. And prebiotics keep your gut microbiota healthy. The gut bacteria are especially fond of complex dietary fiber and carbohydrates, so be sure to eat right. This is best for your gut microbiota and therefore also for you!
Your gut microbiota keeps you healthy. And prebiotics keep your gut microbiota healthy. The gut bacteria are especially fond of complex dietary fiber and carbohydrates, so be sure to eat right. This is best for your gut microbiota and therefore also for you!
Compensation
Microbes live everywhere, from the most extreme places on Earth to our bathrooms and kitchens. There’s even hundreds of species living in and on us, particularly in our intestines. This so-called gut microbiotais extremely important for our health. It stimulates our immune system, produces essential vitamins, and breaks down elements of our diet that our own enzymes cannot process. But they don’t do this without reason. They get something in return: prebiotics.
Probiotics and prebiotics?
The word probiotics pops up a lot nowadays. These are bacteria with a health-stimulating effect. The use of medication or antibiotics can destabilize our gut microbiota, which can potentially lead to harmful bacteria getting the upper hand. In these cases probiotics can be taken to restore the balance. A well-known example of probiotics is the fecal transplant , commonly referred to as a ’poop transplant’. Prebiotics, on the other hand, are not living organisms, but molecules which stimulate the growth of probiotics. In other words, food for the good microbes!
How do you obtain prebiotics?
Prebiotics is a collective term used to refer to a variety of molecules, mainly indigestible dietary fiber and carbohydrates. Our own bodies are unable to digest these molecules. Therefor they end up in our large intestine mostly untouched, where they serve as food the bacteria living there. Just as with probiotics, prebiotics can be bought as specially formulated supplements. However, they can also be obtained through a healthy, varied diet. Specifically high-fiber, plant-based foods are a good source of prebiotics. Consider whole-grain products, legumes, cabbage, onions, and basically all fruits and vegetables. The take home message here is to maximize the amount (and variety) of plant-based food in your diet. Not only is this good for your gut microbiota and therefore for you, but additionally it’s also more environmentally friendly.
Want to know more about the different microbes that live in and on you? Come try out the Bodyscanner at Micropia, you’ll be amazed to find out how many microbes you’re carrying with you.