Tag Archives: probiotics

What Are Prebiotics?

by prebiotics, probiotics,

You may have seen the term prebiotics in the news and thought it was a typo.  After all, at this point almost everyone knows about probiotics, those beneficial bacteria that are supportive for your health.  But what exactly are probiotics?  And what's the difference between the two?

Probiotics are bacteria that you definitely want in your gut for the health benefits they confer. They are contained in foods like yogurt, pickles (the refrigerated ones), olives, some cheeses and a number of exotic foods such as miso and kimchi, as well as food additives. These bacteria help in the treatment of problems like diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome and in keeping your colon healthy.

But probiotics need food to survive and multiple. The cells that line the colon (colonocytes) and the good bacteria work together to protect you from invasion of harmful germs into your body, thereby preventing disease. They depend on the nourishment gleaned from food that is not digested in the stomach and small intestine. That's where prebiotics come in.

Those indigestible foods are the prebiotics, foods that serve as energy sources for the probiotics and good bacteria in the colon. Prebiotics contain indigestible starches and polysaccharides that ferment in the upper gut. The products of this fermentation are the food sources for the probiotics.

 

Health Benefits from Prebiotics

 

  • Improvement in diarrhea, both caused by bacteria and by antibiotics.
  • Relief from the symptoms of both diarrhea and constipation in irritable bowel syndrome.
  • Improvement in the symptoms and decreased inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's and ulcerative colitis.
  • Protection against cancer of the colon by keeping the colonocytes healthy.
  • Aids in lowering cholesterol levels in the blood.
  • Helps absorption of minerals such as calcium and magnesium.

 

Your health depends a lot on what you eat. Even if you are young and healthy, consuming a diet of healthy foods will help to keep your body strong and vigorous. If you have any type of chronic disease, or if you are getting older, your diet becomes even more important. 

They say laughter is wonderful medicine but so is food. Start treating your body to the foods it needs and deserves. 

Prebiotics Foods

 

  • Onions - Both raw and cooked.
  • Bananas - Try to get them slightly unripe.
  • Asparagus - Tasty and good for you.
  • Oats - Whole oats are available in cereals.
  • Apples - They also reduce cholesterol.
  • Wheat bran - Also available in cereals.
  • Chicory root - Sometimes used as a coffee substitute.
  • Leeks - Also an excellent source for vitamin K.
  • Dandelion greens - They make a great salad.
  • Jerusalem artichoke - Either raw or cooked.
  • Radishes - Great in salads.
  • Cabbage - Preferably raw, but also as sauerkraut.
colic probiotics

Colic And Probiotics

by immune system, probiotics,

Previously, I wrote a post about gut health and allergies. In that post, I mentioned a study conducted in Sweden highlighting the benefits of having a diverse bacterial ecosystem in the gut to help protect against future allergies and conditions, including eczema.

The Importance of a Diverse Gut Ecosystem

Strong and diverse gut health does more than protect against allergies. It is also crucial for babies when it comes to colic. Colic is believed to affect as many as 1/3 of all babies. There does not appear to be a difference between those babies that are breastfed and those that are bottle-fed.

There are many different theories as to the cause of colic, and it's important to note that no one knows for certain. Given that we are bio-individual creatures, it's likely that there are multiple reasons. Dietarily, there appears to be some success for a large number of babies when lactose (milk sugar) is removed from their diet.

These babies have what is referred to as lactose overload, or functional lactase insufficiency. In plain English, they are not producing enough lactase (the enzyme which breaks down lactose), and this causes gastric distress. This is not lactose intolerance, but rather the undeveloped digestive system not having enough lactase; this situation does correct itself over time.

Gut Health and Colic

Over the past few years, the health of the intestinal ecosystem has come under scrutiny as a possible reason for colic.

Back in 2009, researchers at the Texas Health Science Center (THSC) in Houston found a connection between gut health and colic. The study seemed to indicate a correlation between bacterial balance and colic. Although the initial study was small, all the colicky infants tested positive for Klebsiella, a bacteria often found in the mouth and intestines of adults.

The study concluded, "Infants with colic, a condition previously believed to be nonorganic in nature, have evidence of intestinal neutrophilic infiltration and a less diverse fecal microflora." (The less diverse microflora theory was shown to be true in the Sweden study mentioned above.)

Benefits of Probiotics

Now another study, published in the journal BMC Microbiology in June 2011, appears to show positive results for inoculating with beneficial bacteria, such as lactobacillus.

In this study, two strains of lactobacillus had positive antimicrobial effects. Studies are continuing to see which strains are best; I assume the studies will also look at how to best deliver probiotics to the infant without overwhelming their system.

I know many mothers add higher levels of probiotic foods to their diet to help their immune systems be as strong as possible. I also know some mothers who have used liquid probiotics and put it on their nipples just before breastfeeding to help the infant get some beneficial effect. If you feel it would be beneficial to add probiotics to the diet of your infant child, it's important to let your healthcare professional know. If you are working with a lactation specialist, let them know as well.

The Mother's Gut Health

One thing that neither of these studies addresses is the gut health of the mother. As I've mentioned before, Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride points out that most gut disturbances tend to be generational disorders.

It is highly beneficial for the mother to have a strong bacterial ecosystem; this is what gets passed along to the infant and what helps to inoculate them during a natural birthing process.

For all of us, having a strong, diverse, healthy gut is important to health. Now it looks like it's even more important to support the health of future generations.

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Klebsiella study: http://www.ei-resource.org/news/irritable-bowel-syndrome-news/klebsiella-bacteria-linked-to-infant-colic-and-irritable-bowel-syndrome/

Lactobacillus study: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2180/11/157/abstract/

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