Prebiotics
Having bacteria in the body might sound strange or unsettling to many at first – but probiotic bacteria are actually desirable for our body, especially for our digestive tract!
A healthy gut flora is promoted by the probiotic bacteria that settle there, which are living microorganisms. These have a positive effect, among other things, on digestion and the human immune system. For these bacteria to “work” effectively, they need food, because fundamentally: living beings require nourishment to function well. This applies to us humans just as much as to microorganisms, and thus also to probiotics. This “food” is found in the form of prebiotics. These are dietary fibers. Dietary fibers are a component of plant-based foods, which is why they are also called fiber or plant fibers. Since we lack the necessary enzymes, dietary fibers cannot be digested by humans in the digestive tract.
PREbiotics for PRObiotics
What’s so good about that?, you might ask now. Well, the answer isn’t that complicated. Because what humans cannot utilize “tastes” very good to the aforementioned probiotic “good” bacteria, especially bifidobacteria – once intact in the large intestine, the dietary fibers are eagerly used by the resident gut bacteria, allowing them to multiply. Prebiotics thus promote the growth and activity of the good bacteria as nutrients. They occur, for example, in the form of sugar molecules like inulin or fructooligosaccharides.
The Effect
What exactly is the effect of probiotic bacteria and prebiotics? By taking prebiotics, whether in the form of foods or as capsules, tablets, or powder, the probiotic “good” bacterial strains in your gut will thrive due to the abundance of food sources. This, in turn, ensures that they perform their important work to keep your gut flora balanced. The growth boost of bifidobacteria, a type of "good" bacteria, prevents other "bad" bacterial strains and viruses from spreading in the gut and causing diseases. Examples of such bad bacteria include pathogenic bacteria like certain types of E. coli or clostridia. This happens because the increased growth of good bacteria leads to a higher production of short-chain fatty acids. This results in an acidic pH value of the intestinal wall. This acidic environment allows the gut to better absorb some minerals such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, or phosphorus, which in turn makes it harder for pathogenic germs to overgrow.
Some probiotics have additional abilities that are very useful to us. For example, they produce defense substances against disease-causing bacteria and increase the activity of our immune cells. Furthermore, digestion improves: eating a fiber-rich diet can increase the amount and frequency of your bowel movements, as the digestion time in the gut is normalized – goodbye sluggish bowels, constipation, and diarrhea!
But that’s not all: experts also attribute positive effects of prebiotics on bone density, as they improve the absorption and utilization of calcium.
There is also good news for the growing number of people who struggle with various forms of metabolic syndrome during their lives. This manifests as a combination of high blood pressure, obesity, elevated blood lipid levels, and increased blood sugar levels resulting from insulin resistance. Here too, prebiotics are said to reduce the risk of disease with regular intake, and the same applies to the risk of colon cancer.
Foods
As you can see, incorporating pro- and prebiotics into your diet is definitely worthwhile. But where are dietary fibers found and which should you eat? If you look around the food market, you’ll find many products to which inulin or oligofructose have been artificially added to make them healthier or more nutritious. Such products are often found in categories like fruit juices, dairy products, baked goods, snacks, baby food, or sweets. At first glance, this seems convenient, but it is actually much easier and sometimes healthier to include prebiotics through natural foods in your diet. Fiber-rich foods include cereal products like whole grain bread, pasta, or rolls, cereal flakes, muesli, natural rice, millet, and grains. Basically, almost all vegetables contain dietary fibers. Relatively high amounts are found in artichokes, bananas, chicory, potatoes, cabbage, bell peppers, mushrooms, celery, asparagus, and Jerusalem artichokes. Soy, legumes, as well as fruits (both fresh and dried) and nuts are also rich in dietary fibers. With nuts, it should be noted that they have a high fat content and therefore a high energy content. That’s why you should eat them only in small amounts.
To ensure that probiotics can fully exert their effect in your gut, you should eat enough dietary fiber. As described above, you can get this through your diet. You can also find them in Dailybacs in the natural form of inulin from the chicory root.
In general, up to 30 grams of dietary fiber per day are well tolerated and recommended to improve gut flora. Of course, you can consume more depending on your needs, but you should be aware that higher doses of prebiotics can cause bloating and diarrhea. This threshold varies individually. People with sensitive guts usually tolerate less than ten grams of fiber. For example: 100 grams of whole grain bread contain 7 grams of fiber.
Dietary Fiber Against Constipation
As a small addition: if you generally struggle with constipation, foods like fermented dairy products such as yogurt, kefir, or buttermilk, sauerkraut (juice), apple and pear juice, soaked dried plums, the aforementioned whole grain products, as well as fiber concentrates like flaxseed, wheat bran, or psyllium can help. They all have a laxative effect. At least 30 grams of dietary fiber per day are recommended here to get your gut moving again!
You should also drink plenty of fluids (2-3 liters per day) because dietary fibers need liquid! Additionally, you should gradually adjust your diet step by step rather than making a sudden radical change. Otherwise, you risk bloating and strong feelings of fullness. Regular exercise and occasional abdominal massages complete the wellness program, helping your digestion get back on track!
