When it comes to improving your digestive health, it’s a team effort. You do your part by eating right, avoiding foods that can cause problems and getting enough exercise to keep your entire body healthy. However, even if you take all the right steps, you also need a little help from probiotics. As many people know today, these are microscopic bacteria that live in your gut. Unlike the harmful types that cause infections and disease, probiotics work to maintain a healthier ecosystem inside your body. Researchers continue to examine how exactly they help, but they have been found to have a positive impact on digestion, especially for people who suffer from gastrointestinal disorders. In addition, research has found that they may be beneficial for conditions outside of the digestive system, including asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. It’s for this reason that many consumers today seek out foods and supplements that contain probiotics. In addition to fermented food products such as yogurt, sauerkraut, kombucha and kimchi, they also are available in supplement form. As these become more familiar to those looking to live a healthier lifestyle, many manufacturers have started to market prebiotics alongside or in conjunction with probiotics. The fact that only one letter separates them may confuse shoppers into thinking these two are one and the same, or at least interchangeable. Even though they are very closely connected, this is not the case. Probiotics are microscopic organisms that take up residence in your gut. Like all living things, they require food and an environment in which to grow. Prebiotics provide these essential elements. They are nondigestible fibers that your body can’t process but nonetheless prove invaluable as a food source for the bacteria living there. The main benefit they give you is to serve as a fuel source for the beneficial organisms you have inside you. Without both of them as a part of your diet, there is little chance you will gain the many benefits that have been associated with them. Check out the infographic below a detailed list of benefits.
Infographic provided by PacMoore