Probiotics Vs Prebiotics: Here's Why You Need Both To Maintain A Healthy Gut

With people taking extra care of their health over the past year, there has been a major shift in diet. More and more people are switching to healthy eating habits for better health. It is crucial to choose foods that boost the immune system, make digestion easier and maintain a healthy BMI. A well-balanced diet has been proven to be effective at promoting general health and preventing diseases. However, many often fail to maintain a healthy, well-balanced diet.

It is of utmost importance to maintain a healthy gut. Your gut is responsible for several body functions. From digestion to immunity, the gut is linked with your overall health in many ways. A healthy diet is responsible for maintaining a healthy gut. Probiotics and prebiotics, particularly play a significant role in maintaining a heathy gut. Here's all you need to know about these.

Probiotics

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Probiotic supplements are found in various forms, including pills, powders, foods, and liquids, and contain high levels of one or more strains of probiotics. The most common probiotic strains found in supplements for diarrhea are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, the two primary types of beneficial bacteria found in the gut.

These are live bacteria found in certain foods which benefit you by boosting the immune system. Probiotic bacteria are known for the process of fermentation.

Prebiotics

Prebiotics are substances derived from various types of carbohydrates, mostly fibre that you cannot digest. The beneficial bacteria in the gut eat this fibre. These types of fibre provide nutrients to the bacteria that support healthy digestion and immune function.

Food sources of probiotics and prebiotics

Eating balanced amounts of both will help ensure that one has the right balance of the good and bad bacteria in the gut.

But finding the best prebiotic and probiotic combination is tough, since everyone's microbiome is unique, there's no best prebiotic and probiotic specifically to address an individual's requirements. Here are some probiotic and prebiotic foods-

Prebiotic foods

Prebiotics can be found in natural foods such as-

Oats, barley, flaxseed, apples, bananas, berries, asparagus, garlic, onions, leeks and cocoa

Probiotic foods

Fermented foods contain beneficial bacteria that thrive on the naturally occurring sugar or fibre in the food. For example: yoghurt, unpasteurized pickled vegetables, various types of unpasteurized pickles, buttermilk, kimchi and some types of cheese

How to take prebiotics?

One must try to consume about 30g of fibre every day from plant foods (of different colours) over a week. Plants are the best prebiotics because they have phytochemicals and nutrients like vitamins and minerals essential for the body.

If you consider taking prebiotic supplements, consult your healthcare expert first.

(Shikha A Sharma is a Nutritionist and Founder of Fat to Slim)

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