Are probiotics / prebiotics a trend or are they something I should add into my meals?
I initially thought probiotics and prebiotics were just a trend but now that I’ve extensively studied this topic and personally put pro and pre biotic to the test by adding them into my everyday meals they have completely changed my life.
I’m not exaggerating.
First let me explain what probiotics and prebiotics are.
We are not just made up of human cells, we are actually made up of more bacteria than human cells. Sounds crazy but its true! The bacteria that live within us can be our friend or…not, and we want to promote the good bacteria, the ‘friendly’ bacteria being present in our gut (most are in our colon/large intestine). The combination of all the microorganisms in our gut are called our microbiome - we also have oral, nose, eye, ear, vaginal & skin microbiomes!
Good bacteria can help stabilise your mood, control weight, reduce bloating and more.
PRObiotics are either fermented foods that have friendly bacteria/microorganisms in them, or supplements with friendly bacteria (the most common are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria).
PREbiotics are foods that feed your good bacteria: they like to eat certain food products within our gut, and by doing this they can actually MAKE vitamins (vitamin K and some B vitamins) and neurotransmitters for you….they HELP you out!).
→ The reason why you want to promote the goods guys growth is for the health benefits you will receive. The balance of good vs bad guys can easily be disturbed so care needs to be given to keep your microbiome in balance.
→ Right now you cannot take supplements for all the beneficial bacteria, they currently cannot be grown at scale for distribution in pills, so ideally try to get them from a variety of foods.
→ This field of research is thought of as the new frontier in medicine, and studies have shown that a disturbed gut microbiome is implicated in many different disease states: obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, colorectal cancer, Alzheimer’s, and depression. So yes, it’s very important for your health..now and into the future!
→ The high use of antibiotics disturbs your gut microbiome too so its important to take care to repopulate them if you have been taking antibiotics (not during the course in some circumstances - talk to your Dr).
→ There are studies that link certain food addictions like sugar, and influence overeating/not feeling satisfied to the type of microbiome you have. Some scientists have even questioned free will - are we just at the mercy of our microbiome?? A very interesting topic that is being widely discussed in the science and health communities!
Here is what’s changed for me by eating probiotic & prebiotic foods:
✧ Big reduction in bloating: if you feed your beneficial bacteria with prebiotic food and promote their presence with probiotic foods they replace the gas forming species that aren’t beneficial (less gas, trapped wind, farts…)
✧ Less inflammation throughout my body: chronic inflammation is a problem for all sorts of reasons, from promoting cardiovascular disease, to depression, to causing digestive issues, and becoming sick frequently (low immunity).
✧ Healing my gut: beneficial bacteria produce short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) which help maintain the health of your gut lining amongst many other health benefits, like supporting immune function.
✧ Energy levels increased: a healthy gut with beneficial bacteria absorbs the nutrients from your food needed for energy production more efficiently.
✧ Mood stabilisation: this is mind blowing…beneficial bacteria actually make or promote the production of some hormones and neurotransmitters for you. They can make/promote GABA which helps reduce anxiety, serotonin and dopamine, hormones involved in happiness/calm and reward/motivation respectively. There are many other reasons too.
So how do you get prebiotics and probiotics? Eat from the following list daily:
✦ Prebiotic foods:
Chicory root
Dandelion greens
Jerusalem artichoke
Onions
Garlic
Leeks
Asparagus
Bananas
Barley
Oats
Apples
Cocoa
Burdock root
Flaxseeds
Wheat bran
Seaweed
Avocado
Garlic
✦ Probiotic foods:
Yogurt
Kefir
Sauerkraut
Tempeh
Kimchi
Miso
Kombucha
Pickles
Natto
Please tailor the above list for your own needs as pro/prebiotics are not for everyone, especially those with poor functioning immune system and SIBO for example.
If you have a specific health concern going on, you may need more a more tailored approach to picking out a supplemental probiotic strain(s). There is not a one-size-fits-all for taking probiotic supplements! Book a consultation with me to discuss. I offer 1:1 nutrition consultations to develop a personalised nutrition plan for you.
Want to read more on this subject? Here are some lovely papers for you:
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsysb.2022.951403/full
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-gut-bacteria-tell-their-hosts-what-to-eat/