You may have wondered what are prebiotics and probiotics when you came across them discussing nutrients. Although prebiotics and probiotics may sound similar, they both play quite different roles in your health.
Prebiotics and probiotics have been around for quite some time and growing as a popular topic when nutrients are discussed. You may have seen them popping up here and there, leading you to wonder what are prebiotics and probiotics. If you are new to prebiotics and probiotics, generally, they are in some of the foods we consume, so you probably have been ingesting them already. Although they both assist the body in maintaining and keeping a healthy amount of bacteria and sound similar, prebiotics and probiotics have quite different roles for your health.
You might be alarmed when bacteria pop up, but not every bacteria play a role in causing a harmful impact on the body. For instance, probiotics are good bacteria that help the body flourish. Overall, probiotics have numerous benefits for the body, but when put together with prebiotics, they can complement each other, making them a great combination. They help maintain a good balance of bacteria to support your body to keep gut flora or microbiota healthy to assist your body for positive gut health.
What Are Probiotics?
Sometimes probiotics and prebiotics are used interchangeably, but they both have quite a different role in keeping your body healthy. Generally, probiotics are known to be one of the good living strains of bacteria that supports the body to keep it healthy, especially the digestive system. When you ingest the probiotics, they make their way to your guts, where various microorganisms like probiotics work to keep your body healthy and provide benefits.
You could consider them as good bacteria reinforcements to your body and guts to perform practical tasks such as reducing inflammation and protecting you from potentially harmful infections. Although the research around probiotics is not conclusive yet, it is known to potentially contribute to providing numerous benefits not limited to supporting gut health but to your overall well-being. For instance, probiotics can improve your mental, digestive, gastrointestinal and general health, such as increased immunity. Therefore, keeping a good diet that contains probiotics would be helpful for overall health, particularly gut health which can be crucial for keeping your body healthy.
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Foods That Contain Probiotics
Various foods we consume contain probiotics, such as yoghurt and miso soup. Also, probiotics are contained in many fermented foods, such as kombucha, kimchi, tempeh, sauerkraut and kefir. As mentioned before, probiotics can be an army of microorganisms like good bacteria to give your body a sufficient amount of them. So, it can be essential to have a well-balanced diet containing probiotics for your gut health and, in turn, your overall well-being.
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What Are Prebiotics?
Suppose you refer to probiotics as living microorganisms like good bacteria that work to keep your body healthy and provide numerous benefits. You could say prebiotics are food for good bacteria. They are substances from types of carbohydrates that are mostly fibre which the good bacteria in your gut eat. Overall, gut bacteria, also known as gut microbiota or flora, carry out numerous vital functions in your body. So, intaking a well-balanced amount of prebiotics and probiotics can be essential in helping your body to have enough bacteria and resources to keep your gut microbiota healthy.
Foods That Contain Prebiotics
Many foods naturally contain prebiotics as they are types of fibre usually found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Some examples could include bananas, berries, garlic, legumes, beans, onions, peas, oats, asparagus, leeks and apple skin. Additionally, some foods like kefir, cheese and sauerkraut are considered synbiotics, meaning they contain both probiotics and prebiotics, fibres for beneficial bacteria to consume.
As mentioned, probiotics act like an army of good bacteria. They can be most optimal with sufficient resources, prebiotics that is sources of fibre for beneficial microorganisms. So, it can be important to have a good balance of probiotics and prebiotics to support your gut health, contributing to your overall well-being.
Are They Probiotics And Prebiotics Supplements?
You may have asked yourself if numerous foods contain prebiotics and probiotics and do they come in the form of supplements. If taking supplements is your preference, numerous supplements are available, but as with different supplements, they have varying types of bacteria and concentrations. Therefore, it would be helpful to research the supplements you are looking to get and see if they fit your needs.
Additionally, it may be helpful to check that the probiotic supplements contain types of fibre for the beneficial microorganisms, especially if you don’t consume many prebiotics for optimal effect. However, the good prebiotic and probiotic supplements that fit your needs can greatly benefit some people. Furthermore, as with other supplements, you may want to consult a medical professional, particularly if you are concerned about health implications.
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Taking care of gut health can be incredibly important for various functions of your body and your overall well-being. Also, having a balanced diet containing prebiotics and probiotics would be essential for helping your body stay healthy. After all, as mentioned, you can consider probiotics as the army of good bacteria that work to keep your gut healthy and, in turn, help your body to have positive health.
At the same time, supporting your beneficial microorganisms with an intake of prebiotics, the types of fibre the good bacteria eat for optimal function. You may have seen that many foods we consume contain probiotics and prebiotics, even synbiotics such as cheese or kefir, which have both prebiotics and probiotics.
So, try to include some probiotics and prebiotics or synbiotics foods in your diet to have a good balance of both to keep your gut healthy and support your body. Additionally, there are multiple supplements for prebiotics and probiotics if that is your preference. However, it would be helpful to research them. Furthermore, as with some of the other supplements, you may want to consult a medical professional before you start trying to take supplements, especially if you have any concerns.