Prebiotics are a critical component of a healthy gut

and thankfully they’re now starting to receive the recognition they deserve.

Just like plants and flowers need good soil to grow and flourish, PRO-biotics need PRE-biotics in order to grow and survive and keep the gut balanced and happy.

Probiotics = good bacteria
Prebiotics = food for probiotics

Think of PRE-biotics as the good soil for your garden (your gut), providing it with nutrients and food so the PRO-biotics can thrive as part of a healthy gut microbiome.

Microbiome = bacteria, fungi, viruses etc that live within our gut.

We want our microbiome abundant and diverse with far more of the good guys hanging around.

Unfortunately probiotics don’t last in the gut on their own. They are in fact mostly transient which means they pass through our digestive system within a few days...unless you are also consuming enough prebiotics. If we don’t provide the prebiotics then the bad bugs “the weeds” will take over and the garden will eventually suffer. A few weeds here and there, no problem. A garden overrun with weeds, big problem.

Same with our gut and health - when the bad guys are allowed to thrive or even grow in the wrong spot, commonly due to stress, poor diet (especially sugar), antibiotic use and infections, they disrupt the balance, our immune system suffers, we get easily run down and if this continues, dis-ease eventually creeps in.

EAT THE RAINBOW! When it comes to food sources, eating a variety of plant-based foods of all colours will provide the gut with an array of prebiotics. Top prebiotic foods to get in your diet include:

Asparagus, onion, garlic, leek, chicory root, Jerusalem artichoke, dandelion root, under-ripe bananas and also certain grains.

Aim for a couple of different plant foods per meal - breakfast, lunch and dinner! There are also prebiotic supplements available if you need a helping hand. Some probiotic formulas now include prebiotics too.

BUT if you have gut problems like IBS, maybe find yourself reacting to some of these foods (hello bloated belly), then we need to chat first and get to the bottom of what’s going on.

Happy bugs = healthy you!