Probiotics and Prebiotics for the Microbiome
The following is an excerpt and the article may be read in its entirety here.
“In recent years we’ve seen probiotics become the new buzz word in health related media. This word, like many of its predecessors, has become so widely used and abused that it has come to mean very little. We’ve seen it grace cereal boxes, overly sweetened yogurts, and even children’s artificially colored vitamins.
While mainstream media and commercial labeling have diluted its significance, they have not taken away the cold hard facts: probiotics mean “for life” and are generally considered beneficial microorganisms.
This is significant because whether we want to think about it or not, our bodies are actually largely made of up bacteria. One study found that we are comprised of ten times more bacteria than human cells. So it may even be an understatement to say that paying attention to our microbial makeup is critical. In fact there are studies now being done in which fecal transplants are performed on those with serious health issues. Hopefully we are waking up to the importance of the microbial aspect of our health and the term probiotic is just a part of it.
Gut Dysbiosis: Tipping the Balance in Favor of Health
The human microbiome encompasses the whole of the bacterial population on the skin, in the mouth, and in the gut. When the microbial population of the latter is out of balance – that is, the beneficial bacteria of the gut have been killed off and more harmful bacteria have been allowed to proliferate in their absence – we have a situation known as gut dysbiosis.
Not surprisingly, the two substances that can help us to tip the gut flora towards health – probiotics and prebiotics – are found naturally in traditional whole foods.
Probiotics
Defining probiotics is actually a bit tricky as many see them as a supplement or a pill. Probiotics are not confined to something you have to purchase and swallow. In fact, some are finding that supplemental probiotics are not nearly as effective as naturally occurring beneficial microbes.
Naturally occurring probiotics can be had by:
- Eating living and cultured foods.
- Being in contact with vital and healthy soils.
- Being around animals, especially those in touch with their natural habitat such as pastured farm animals.
There are also ways in which you can help out the bacteria already present in your digestive system. And that is where prebiotics come in.
Prebiotics
Prebiotics are generally constituents of foods that are not easily digested by the body. These come in the form of fibers and starches that can be fermented by those bacteria inhabiting our gut. Interestingly, many of these constituents do not have the effect on blood sugar that we see with other such foods.
A natural diet contains many of these foods already in the form of leaves, roots, stems, and seeds. (Wheat bran is one such food found to have prebiotic qualities.) If your gut is already well-populated with a variety of bacteria, then eating a variety of these foods should ensure a good food supply for your gut microbiome.
A caution about prebiotics is in order, however. If your gut is not well-populated, certain fibers can cause intestinal distress. The idea is that the bacteria will break down the prebiotics for you, making them digestible while feeding your colony of bacteria. If you do not have a significant colony of bacteria or if your colony is not very diverse, eating such foods may cause bloating, gas, etc. This is a good signal that consuming more probiotic foods is in order, and that perhaps diversifying those foods is a good idea as well.
As you can see, probiotics and prebiotics can not only live in harmony, but can be used together to better your microbiome, and give you further information on the state of your gut health. Better still, these foods can be easily and inexpensively prepared in the home kitchen from ingredients grown and raised naturally by you, or farmers mindful of the benefits of naturally raised foods.