{"id":6691,"date":"2017-11-26T14:23:01","date_gmt":"2017-11-26T21:23:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/?p=6691"},"modified":"2017-11-26T14:53:56","modified_gmt":"2017-11-26T21:53:56","slug":"prebiotics-set-stage-probiotics-get-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/articles\/prebiotics-set-stage-probiotics-get-food\/","title":{"rendered":"Prebiotics Set the Stage for Probiotics: What they are and How to Get Them In Your Food"},"content":{"rendered":"

Probiotics are discussed all of the time.\u00a0 You know the importance of taking probiotics (good bacteria) to strengthen your gut.\u00a0 So then, what is a prebiotic?\u00a0 Let\u2019s straighten this out.<\/p>\n

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You know your gut is an ecosystem.\u00a0 It\u2019s a thriving city of bacteria.\u00a0 There are the creepy alleyways with the nefarious do-gooders and there are the altruistic helpers, too.\u00a0 Many people think of this in terms of a numbers game: keep the good guys outnumbering the bad guys.\u00a0 And antibiotics are the nuclear weapon that kills everything. Because the bad guys reproduce oh-so-much-faster, you get that yeast infection.\u00a0 It might be the kind that isn\u2019t appropriate to talk about in mixed company, or it could be \u201cthrush\u201d that appears on your tongue, but both are totally ewww<\/em>. \u00a0In the spirit of \u201cWe shall rebuild,\u201d you start eating yogurt and fermented foods while cutting out the sugars (bad guy food), and before long, the balance is restored.<\/p>\n

You started eating probiotics.\u00a0 And they won the war.\u00a0 Probiotics are a big deal.<\/p>\n

What Prebiotics Do<\/strong><\/p>\n

Prebiotics are big deal, too.\u00a0 It\u2019s the battleground.<\/p>\n

Pro<\/em>biotics win the war for you.\u00a0 They are your good guys and get all of the glory.\u00a0 Pre<\/em>biotics stimulate the growth of the probiotics.\u00a0 It\u2019s the training camp, the living conditions.<\/p>\n

\"Intestinal<\/a>Newsflash:\u00a0<\/strong>microbiologists have discovered that\u00a0you are what you eat<\/strong>.\u00a0 They know that what you are putting into your body makes all of the difference in the war effort\u00b9.\u00a0 Prebiotics refer to a quality found within specific foods and directly affect the immune system, reducing the risk of infection, improving general well-being, and reducing the risk of allergic reactions such as atopic eczema\u00b9 \u00b2.<\/p>\n

And conversely, negative changes in your gut microbiota composition contribute to inflammation and irritable bowel syndrome.\u00a0 The experts believe that it can even be directly related as a contributing factor to colon cancer. \u00a0I\u2019m not a doctor and don\u2019t think you should quote me on that (after all, I\u2019m quoting smarter people), but I\u2019ll list references below for you to search on your own.\u00a0<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve been getting them since you were a breastfed baby, too; they travel through the mother\u2019s milk.<\/p>\n

What are Prebiotics?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Prebiotics aren\u2019t actually digestible, but result in a natural fermentation process of certain carbohydrate sugars within the gut.\u00a0<\/strong> They have a slightly sweet flavor, and the food has a distinct mouthfeel, according to some.\u00a0 Think asparagus<\/em>.\u00a0 Because the prebiotics are found in inulan-type fructans (ITF) and the Oligosaccharides (a specific carbohydrate sugar within plant material) and these are not fully digestible, it really is possible to eat too much.\u00a0 They support colon health in moderation, but some are concerned that an over-consumption can actually overwork the colon, too.<\/p>\n

This is where it gets a bit tricky, because you\u2019re going to want a list of foods that are prebiotic.\u00a0 While Oligosaccharides and ITF can turn into them, it actually requires a process in your intestines to create a prebiotic effect.\u00a0 Because of this, doctors and other literature hesitate to create a foods list.\u00a0 Along with containing the right type of carbohydrate, the food must also resist gastic acidity, must be fermented by intestinal microflora, and then must selectively encourage the good bacteria to grow (not just any bacteria). Oh, and although it will succumb to fermentation in your stomach, it must still reach your colon intact\u00b9 \u00b2.\u00a0 Mostly.<\/p>\n

Prebiotics: How Much Do I Need?<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is no \u201cdaily dose\u201d of what you should be consuming.<\/strong>\u00a0 It isn\u2019t measured that way.\u00a0 Since everyone\u2019s gut has a different composition, the way the measure it\u2014no joke\u2014is your poop.\u00a0 They measure how much is coming out the other end to determine if you are getting enough.<\/p>\n

Natural Prebiotics in Food<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Garlic<\/a>I just told you that doctors hesitate to make a foods list.\u00a0 Yeah.\u00a0 Well, then there\u2019s the practical side of, \u201cI\u2019ve been fighting a yeast infection and want to improve my digestive health\u201d side of things.\u00a0 So here you go.<\/p>\n

If you are eating whole fruits and vegetables\u2014not just juices or processed foods\u2014then you are probably getting plenty of these. They only appear in trace amounts in most foods; maybe an indication that we do not need to overdo it?<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the bottom line: it isn\u2019t enough to take probiotics, but you must be consuming healthy dietary fiber, too, since that will set the stage for the probiotics to work. <\/strong><\/p>\n

There are some foods with a large concentration\u00a0of what translates to prebiotics in your gut:<\/p>\n