Probiotics, which are live microorganisms proven to aid gut health, are well-known. Probiotics can be found naturally in foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut, and kimchi, but they are also often taken as supplements to support the digestive system. What about prebiotics, though? Even though prebiotics impacts the health of your digestive system and many other body regions, these nutrients are sometimes disregarded. Let’s talk about prebiotics for a minute.
The collection of these bacteria is called the gut microbiome, which is essential to human functioning and is frequently thought of as a supporting organ in the body. According to research, these beneficial bacteria help your immune system and play a significant part in food metabolism. To further grasp this microbe food, let’s first distinguish between probiotics and prebiotics.
WHAT DO PREBIOTICS DO?
Prebiotics serves as a food supply for the bacteria in your stomach, and they must pass through digestion to reach your colon. The microbes metabolize and ferment the prebiotics. This metabolism and fermentation process is suitable for your gut health because it produces a range of byproducts that benefit you in various ways. When bacteria in your stomach break down prebiotics, various short-chain fatty acids are produced depending on the prebiotic.
As a result, these short-chain fatty acids provide energy to your colon cells, help with mucus production, and aid in inflammation and immunity. Because various microbes employ different prebiotics, not every prebiotic has the same impact.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF PREBIOTICS
Here are the main benefits of including prebiotics in your everyday diet.
Support Gut Health
Prebiotics has been shown to have an essential function in gut health. They feed the good bacteria in your stomach and promote a varied gut flora, which has been linked to a lower risk of chronic health issues. Hundreds of different varieties of bacteria are in the stomach, and they don’t want all to feed on the same nutrients. As a result, prebiotics impacts the development of some bacteria more than others.
They have an impact on the total gut microbiome, which is a complex population of bacteria living in the digestive system. Prebiotics ferment and create helpful chemicals known as Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs). According to the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP), these substances are essential for gut health and help reduce inflammation, which is linked to an increased risk of illness.
May benefit metabolic health
Consuming a prebiotic-rich diet and using prebiotic supplements may improve various elements of metabolic health, such as blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. A 2019 analysis of 33 research discovered that prebiotics known as Inulin-type fructans (ITF) significantly lowered fasting blood sugar, a long-term blood sugar management measure known as glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and fasting insulin levels. The researchers discovered that these outcomes were especially significant in persons with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
They advised people with these diseases to take 10 grams of ITF daily for six weeks or longer to reap these potential advantages. Furthermore, a review of 33 randomized controlled human studies published in 2021 found that ITF supplements effectively lowered blood sugar, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in persons with prediabetes and diabetes. However, not all prebiotic research in these groups has revealed advantages.
They reduces the risk cancer
Healthy prebiotic eating has been demonstrated to reduce the number of free radicals and cancer cells in the body. Colon cancer, in particular, is linked to increased poisons in our systems that are not cleared rapidly enough. Many studies have indicated that those who eat a prebiotic-rich diet have fewer tumors and cancer cells.
May Boost Immune Function
A healthy microbiome, the body’s population of microbes, has improved immunological function. A healthy microbiota boosts immunity and supports the body’s natural defenses. Prebiotics feed the good bacteria in the stomach, which may improve immunological function. Low levels of inflammation are associated with high immunity. Prebiotics help preserve the gut wall’s integrity, which serves as a barrier against dangerous chemicals.
CONCLUSION:
Prebiotics feed beneficial gut bacteria and help maintain a healthy microbiome. A supplement fills in the gaps in your food that your diet may be lacking. Prebiotics should be taken every day regularly that works for you.
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