What Are Prebiotics?
Many people know all about probiotics. But prebiotics often take the backseat, although they are also essential for optimal health. In the most basic terms, prebiotics are essential to fuel probiotics. That means that prebiotics are the fibrous material your body can’t really digest. But since it arrives in your gut whole, it becomes the primary food source for probiotics (aka your “good” gut bugs).1
The easiest way to distinguish between prebiotics and probiotics is to remember that probiotics are the live yeasts and good bacteria in your body, and prebiotics are the food on which they live.
There are quite a few natural sources of prebiotics including artichokes and green banana.2,3,4
You can also opt to add prebiotic dietary supplements to your daily food regimen. But as always, you’ll need to get your doctor’s approval before making any changes to your diet, including the use of supplements.
History Of Prebiotics
The concept of prebiotics came into play a little over twenty years ago. In 1995, researchers Marcel Roberfroid and Glenn Gibson introduced prebiotics as “nondigestible food ingredients that beneficially affect the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of bacteria in the colon…”.5
Prebiotics: Top Potential Health Benefits For A Healthy Lifestyle
Prebiotics are essential for feeding your beneficial intestinal microbiota. The products of prebiotic degradation within the gut are short-chain fatty acids. When released into your blood circulatory system, these fatty acids may positively affect your gastrointestinal tract.6†
Prebiotics, like galacto-oligosaccharides and fructo-oligosaccharides, have been shown to exhibit varying potential beneficial effects on human health. For instance, in a double-blind clinical trial, 5 grams of prebiotics administered daily showed digestive improvement after just six weeks.7†
Oligosaccharides are the most common prebiotics. They are selectively fermented to allow seemingly positive alterations in gut microflora so as to help support the host’s health and well-being.8†
Prebiotics may also help support:
- Improved mineral absorption (i.e. calcium)†
- Healthy gut bacteria†
- Weight management9†
Which Gundry MD Supplements Include Prebiotics?
Prebiotics are a staple of Gundry MD supplements like Bio-Complete 3 and our premier prebiotic drink, Gundry MD PrebioThrive™. Bio-Complete 3 was thoughtfully designed to help support a healthy gut lining by blending the highest quality prebiotics, probiotics, and post-biotics.† To learn more about where to buy prebiotics and read reviews about Bio-Complete 3, visit the Bio-Complete 3 website. Just make sure to get your doctor’s approval before beginning any new supplement routine.
- Sources
- 1 http://columbiasurgery.org/news/2017/02/09/what-you-need-know-about-prebiotics
- 2 http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/pharmacy/currentstudents/OnCampusPharmDStudents /ExperientialProgram/Documents/nutr_monographs/Monograph-artichoke.pdf
- 3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23609775
- 4 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213453013000311
- 5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4744122/
- 6-7 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6463098/
- 8 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23609775/
- 9 https://columbiasurgery.org/news/2017/02/09/what-you-need-know-about-prebiotics
