The Pros of Prebiotics

By now, most people are aware of the many benefits of probiotic supplementation, including improved digestive health. However, a relatively new area of study regarding the digestive system concerns prebiotics, which are non-digestible fibers found in certain foods. These carbohydrates, oligosaccharides, provide a food source for the beneficial gut flora (probiotics such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli) and help promote their growth in the colon. To be classified as a prebiotic, the fibers such as oligofructose or inulin must demonstrate that they are fermented by gastrointestinal microflora, they stimulate the growth of probiotics, they are beneficial to health, and that they are not digested by humans. Benefits of Prebiotics Probiotics have been shown to help conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), bacterial vaginosis, recurrent urinary tract infections, and H. pylori and thus should be maintained at higher levels through the intake of prebiotics. Because the Standard American Diet is high in foods that not only prevent the proliferation of probiotics, but also feed pathogenic bacteria, prebiotics can be an important step in maintaining health in the digestive system and overall, especially for infants. Oligosaccharides are found in human breast milk, and studies have shown they exhibit therapeutic or prophylactic effects against B. pertussis, H. pylori and S. pneumoniae. It stands to reason that prebiotics are an important part of a healthy diet, ...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news