September 23, 2020

Wellness Wednesday is here!

Let’s do a gut check! There’s a lot of information available about use of probiotics and prebiotics for digestive health. But what’s the real deal about what they are and why they are helpful?

Probiotics are found in certain foods containing live bacteria (microorganisms) that help to clean out the gut for better health. If you’ve ever heard the terms gut “microbiota” or “flora”, it refers to the types and balance of bacteria in the gut. Initial studies have shown promise that probiotics help the body fight allergens, regulate weight, and protect the heart. But, those are just preliminary and more research is needed to validate and understand how these effects may occur. If you want to incorporate probiotic foods into your menu, choose fermented and aged foods. They are also available in supplement form.

Prebiotics are a type of soluble fiber that feed the probiotics (good bacteria). Consuming sources of probiotics and prebiotics together may enhance the effectiveness of the probiotics. Prebiotics can be found in foods and supplement form. For a list of foods, check out this article.