Why You Need Prebiotics with Your Probiotics

Why You Need Prebiotics with Your Probiotics

**This post is sponsored by Family Flora.**

More and more people are hearing about the wonders of probiotics. I’ve talked about them before several times, and have mentioned that my family uses them daily (or as often as I can remember!).

But what about prebiotics? Many people don’t know what those are…or what they have to do with gut health. And actually, they’re really important too.

First, let’s just brush up on what probiotics are.

Probiotics are good bacteria — everyone has a lot of this bacteria in their guts (or they should). However, this bacteria is easily damaged by excess sugar and vegetable oils in the diet, antibiotic use, birth control use, GMOs, and more. In other words, our modern lifestyle is really hard on our gut flora.

While making changes to our diets and lifestyles can help (we’re at least not actively damaging our gut flora daily!), we’re still dealing with potentially years of already-existing damage. Plus, there are some types of damage that are kind of beyond our control — those few times we need medications, or when we eat less-than-optimal foods, or are exposed to pollution in the air or water. You know our water contains remnants of pharmaceutical drugs?

Anyway…we need probiotics. And, we need them daily. Some experts think that there’s no way to re-colonize the gut once damage has occurred, especially long-term damage, and that regular doses of probiotics will be needed indefinitely as they’ll go through your digestive system and be eliminated (after working their magic for a day or so). Others think there are some strains that have the potential to re-colonize, but it’s a long, slow process. Either way, we need probiotics right now!

What Are Prebiotics?

Prebiotics are food for the probiotics. They’re specific kinds of foods that help to feed the healthy gut flora — and not the pathogenic gut flora. This maximizes your benefit, because you’re helping those good bugs “stick.”

Prebiotics are a special type of non-digestible fiber. You know how you’re always being told to eat more fiber? It’s not for you, directly, because your body can’t use it. But it does feed those good bugs, and which helps your gut, which helps you!

Prebiotics include:

• Garlic
• Onions
• Chicory root
• Asparagus
• Leeks
• Under-ripe bananas

Some of these are foods you probably eat fairly often (onions, garlic, and bananas). But some are probably ones you don’t eat often…if at all.

So how do you get enough prebiotics?

Getting Prebiotics in Your Diet

First I need to warn you — if you’re dealing with severe gut damage or bacterial overgrowth, you should talk to your doctor or alternative health care professional first. You may not benefit from prebiotics (they could make things worse), and you may only be able to tolerate very specific strains of probiotics. It’s best, with chronic conditions, to seek advice from a professional so you know what to do for your specific situation. The following information doesn’t apply to you.

But! If you’re relatively healthy and looking for a little boost in your health and diet, then this is just what you need to know.

First, you can simply eat more of the foods listed above. It’s best that they’re raw, in most cases, to reap the benefit. Other than bananas, you probably don’t eat most of those foods raw, which limits their benefit. Including onions and crushed raw garlic in salads is a great idea, if you can stand it — I actually like it, but not everyone does.

Failing more prebiotic foods, there is the option to take a supplement. (Please note, if you are on a low FODMAP diet, or on AIP, you don’t want to do this.)

Family Flora is a probiotic company that has formulated their product with prebiotics included. Their Daily Balance supplement includes Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium Bifidum, along with the prebiotic organic inulin (made from the agave plant). It has 15 billion CFU.

Their supplement comes in an easy-to-use individual serving packet, which can be carried with you if needed and mixed into any kind of liquid. Several people recommend not using plain water for this (I won’t mix any probiotic into just water), but into juice or some other flavored drink is fine. Taking supplements is typically the only time that my family drinks juice!

Family Flora offers a few different varieties. They also have Junior Daily Balance, made just for kids. This version includes Lactobacillus Acidophilus (DDS1), Lactobacillus Rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium Bifidum, and Bacillus Coagulans (Produra) and Prebiotics. It has a total of 10 billion CFU.

All of the formulas are free of GMOs, artificial colors and flavors, and added sugars — making them safe for your whole family. One of my sons was super excited to get to try it!

This is a good way for families to get their probiotics — and their prebiotics! — into healthy diet and lifestyle. It’s easy and it’s a clean product.

Do you take prebiotics and/or probiotics?

Original article and pictures take modernalternativehealth.com site