Have you ever heard the word “probiotic?” If not, you need to take the time to listen closely. Probiotics are beneficial to your health and the regulation of your digestive health. Even more so are “prebiotics.” When combining the two, the potency is so great you may never have to worry about the state of your digestive health again.
Importance of Digestive Health
You have many important systems that control your body: your cardiovascular system, your neurological system, your endocrine system. However, most people underestimate the significance of the digestive system. Not only must it absorb all of the nutrients from the food you eat, ensuring your survival, it must also prevent harmful substances from entering your body, preventing disease from occurring. Properly caring for your digestive system is the first line of defense you have against harmful invaders and bacteria that pose a threat to your health and immune system.
Signs of an Unhealthy Digestive System
Your body may seem complex, but in reality is quite simple. You can rely on it to tell you when something is wrong, and if you listen to it, you can fix the problem fairly easy provided you listen to the early signs it gives you. When your digestive system is unbalanced, or unhealthy, you may experience problems such as bad skin, feeling sluggish, inexplicable weight gain, heartburn or indigestion. Amazingly most people suffer from an unhealthy digestive system but fail to listen to the symptoms the body is trying to relay to them. One great misconception people have is that having regular, normal bowel movements means a healthy digestive system. Sadly, this doesn’t mean you are healthy. A great comparison is a woman who weighs 120 pounds. Yes, she may be thin, yet she consumes burgers an fries four out of seven days a week. Perhaps she is blessed with a great metabolism, but what about her cholesterol levels?
What are Probiotics?
Your digestive tract is 25 to 35 feet long and contains more than 400 species of bacteria. There is both good and bad bacteria, and to obtain and maintain a healthy digestive tract–to have a balanced digestive tract–you must have an equal amount of both. Probiotics are organisms that help provide this balance; they make sure the “bad” bacteria does not outnumber the good. This, in turn, ensures you have energy, healthy skin and maintain a healthy weight. Probiotics can do much more, though. They can help prevent recurrence of bladder cancer, treat diarrhea, prevent and treat both vaginal yeast and urinary tract infections, treat irritable bowel syndrome and prevent eczema in kids.
Foods Containing Probiotics
Probiotics are not naturally occurring. In other words, the foods you find them in are fermented, such as yogurt. This is the main food that comes to mind when speaking of probiotics, and you must make certain it contains active cultures to be effective. Fear not, though, if yogurt is not up your alley you can try Buttermilk which contains large amounts of probiotics, and if you do not care for its taste as is, you can make a fruit smoothie with it to cover the taste. Tempeh, a fermented soy product that has a chewy meat texture, contains soybeans that are fermented. Sauerkraut and brewer’s yeast are two more foods you can eat, along with miso, a Japanese seasoning made by fermenting certain grains or beans. You should check with your doctor about the amount of probiotics you should consume.
Click Here to find a list proiotic foods that will help you to include them in your diet.
What Are Prebiotics?
Prebiotics differ from probiotics in that they are naturally occurring–they are not fermented or man-made. Although a fairly new discovery, they are quite popular for improving your digestive health, immune system, heart health and increasing your body’s ability to absorb the nutrients, vitamins and minerals it requires. It also triggers the growth of healthy bacteria your digestive tract needs to balance the bad bacteria, just as probiotics do.
Foods Containing Prebiotics
The most common source of prebiotics is soluble dietary fiber, such as whole grain wheat made from sprouted wheat, onions, leaks, honey, raw apple cider vinegar, tomatoes and fruit. Vegetables such as asparagus and artichokes are also excellent sources. When added to baked goods such as biscuits and bread, prebiotics are just as effective because they are heat resistant. The baking process does not change their metabolic activity. One of the most effective food, though, is the skin of the kiwi fruit.
Your health is nothing to take for granted, and no matter how healthy you believe yourself to be, there is always room for improvement. Preventative health is always the best option; waiting for the heart attack or an episode of colitis is not worth it when you can stop it before it starts. So pick up a kiwi and make your digestive tract happy today.
Or head on over to Xtend Life and learn more about their natural probiotic supplement. I highly recommend this natural supplement because it is the one I take every day.