Prebiotics & Probiotics: Essential Tools for a Healthy Gut
Learn why you need to take probiotics and prebiotics together to improve your gut health.
As a growing number of physicians begin to recognize the clear connection between gut health and overall health, probiotics are gaining acceptance and popularity as a means for preventing disease and promoting longevity. But what many probiotic proponents overlook is the importance of prebiotics in enhancing the effectiveness of treatment.
Why We Need Probiotics
Probiotics are designed to replace the healthy gut bacteria that many of us have lost due to various pitfalls of modern life, such as stress, chlorinated tap water, overuse of antibiotics, and a poor diet full of foods that cause “bad” gut bacteria to flourish.
There are two primary types of probiotic products: fermented food products, and probiotic supplements. Probiotic foods, such as kefir, miso, tempeh, sauerkraut, kimchi, and live culture yogurt, naturally contain strains of bacteria that are beneficial to your digestive system. Alternatively, probiotic supplements give you multiple strains of beneficial bacteria in a convenient capsule.
Either way, using probiotics can restore a healthy balance to the digestive system—which should be about 85% “good” bacteria, and 15% “bad” bacteria. This has numerous benefits extending far beyond the digestive system. For example, healthy gut bacteria can:
- Reduce digestive problems like diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating, IBS, and Crohn’s disease
- Improve nutrient absorption, so your body gets the vitamins and minerals it needs to function optimally
- Reduce inflammation to protect against high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and some cancers
- Improve memory and mood by protecting the brain from toxic byproducts released by “bad” gut bacteria
Why We Need Prebiotics
While probiotics are effective in introducing healthy bacteria into your digestive system, these healthy bacteria need help getting established. This is where prebiotics become important.
Prebiotics contain specific types of fiber and natural sugars that will feed the “good” gut bacteria so they can multiply. Common prebiotic foods include asparagus, bananas, onions, garlic, cabbage, beans, lentils, and chickpeas. Prebiotics can also be included in a probiotic supplement.
Keep in mind that supplementing pre- and probiotics is not all you need to do to achieve a healthy balance in your digestive system. Also be sure to cut down on the foods that make “bad” bacteria thrive, like refined grains and sugars.
Try Renew Youth’s™ Probiotic Plus
If you are interested in using a probiotic supplement to support your gut health, Renew Youth’s™ Probiotic Plus is an excellent choice. In addition to nine species of beneficial bacteria, our supplement includes a built-in prebiotic to support probiotic proliferation. To learn more or to place an order, please contact us today.
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