Hey Friends,
Today I want to talk a little bit about an often ignored (but very important) "biotic". It's probably ignored because it's actually pretty new in the sense that the term wasn't coined until 1995.
Everyone seems to know about and/or take Probiotics, but what about Prebiotics? I never thought about taking Prebiotics until I stumbled upon some research a while back. Not only did research and science point out that we could ALL benefit from this form of soluble fiber, but it is ESPECIALLY beneficial for those of us with any kind of Gluten/Wheat intolerance! Because of that I have added a specific brand to my DAILY regime.
Before I tell you what brand I have found to be the best, let me explain a little bit about what role Prebiotics play in gut health (and overall health) and why I think we all need to be taking them!
Many people often group probiotics and prebiotics into the same category and while they do work together wonderfully... they are far from the same. In fact, they are VERY different!!
Probiotics are living bacteria and yeast that live in the intestinal track. This good bacteria helps balance out the bad bacteria in the digestive system. You can ingest probiotics from both foods and supplements. Some probiotic foods include: Yogurt, Kefir, Miso and fermented foods such as Sauerkraut, Tempeh and Kimchi.
BUT all by themselves, Probiotics have a limited effect because they are easily destroyed. In order to live, they need something to feed on. That is where PREBIOTICS come into play!
Prebiotics are not live. They are a form of fiber. Think of prebiotics as kind of like fertilizer for probiotics! They allow probiotics to do their work. So if you are taking Probiotics .. but NOT prebiotics .. you aren't really reaping all the digestive rewards! You can ingest prebiotics from both foods and supplements. Some prebiotic foods include: Chicory root, Wheat Products (like Jerusalem) Leeks, Garlic, Artichoke, Peas, Berries, Bananas, Kiwi.
Here is a much more in depth article I highly encourage you to read about the difference between the two and how they work together. It goes into so much detail and is very educational!
Little note on foods. Can you get a good dose of Probiotics and Prebiotics from food alone? The simple answer is yes: the foods mentioned (and many more) all contain various amounts of pre and probiotics. But unfortunately, most people find ingesting enough of these foods difficult, if not impossible, to get the beneficial daily requirements.
Another important note for those that "track" foods. The "fiber" count you see in apps like My Fitness Pal doesn't differentiate between soluble or insoluble fiber. It just lists it as "dietary fiber". So unless you know your foods REALLY well .. you don't really know if you are getting the right amounts of each! So, what is the difference in these two types of fibers? Read THIS article. It has every fiber explanation you could ever need!
Also, for those of us that cannot eat wheat products (where you can get lots of prebiotics), practice a low fod-map diet, or maybe those simply trying to cut calories, supplementing with both pre and probiotis is PERFECT! For me, not only can I not eat wheat due to having Celiac Disease, I don't want to GUESS if I'm getting the RIGHT amount of Prebiotics and Probiotics each day. I'd rather take supplements and KNOW!
I talked on Instagram about the Probiotic I've been taking for about 4-5 months now. I've tried SO MANY brands in the past and 99% of them caused me way too much bloat and gas to even try to continue. The brand I mention in THIS post is the only Probiotic that has NOT caused me discomfort. One of the reasons I'm taking this brand is because it also is a digestive enzyme. So it saves me money because I don't have to buy them separately. That said, I want to add that I haven't really noticed any POSITIVE results from taking this particular brand. Nothing negative .. but nothing positive either. Now that I am in a little mini "off season" from any upcoming shows I am going to try a brand that my doctor has prescribed me. Yes, prescribed. This particular brand requires doctor supervision. It's VERY expensive so I am hesitant to try it, but now that I am almost out of the brand I've been using, I'm going to give it a go for a month or so. I'll do this without any digestive enzyme at first, then add in a digestive enzyme after 4 weeks. If I don't notice improvement (or things remain the same as they did when I took the Gains In Bulk brand) .. I'll just go back to that brand .. as it is much more cost effective! I'll keep you updated on my Instagram and on here!
Like Probiotics, there are so many brands/types of Prebiotics out there. I did a TON of research before I decided on using the Prebiotin brand. The BEST part about PreBiotin Prebiotics (aside from quality, source, etc.) is that it tastes like sugar/stevia!! So you can add it to food or beverages! If you follow me on Instagram and watch my Insta Stories, this is what you see on top of most my food that looks like "white powder". I add it to my breakfast, oatmeal, sweet potato, protein ice cream, coffee, etc. Another reason I like this brand is that other Prebiotic supplements on the market contain only the fibers that fertilize one side of the colon — not both. The Prebiotin brand is said to give your body the nutrients it needs to nourish all of the bacteria in your gut, not just part of it.
I ALWAYS stagger when I try new products. You should do this because starting ONE new thing at a time is the only way to really know what is working and what is NOT. I started taking the Prebiotin after I was already feeling better from taking CBD (you can read thad CBD blog HERE.) Because of that, I'm not sure how much the Prebiotin by itself is helping with bowel regularity, bloat, etc. But as I said in the CBD post .. CBD was NOT helping with my bowel movements (nor was it expected to.)
So, is the Prebiotin Prebiotic helping with the regularity aspect of my gut? Yes .. I do think it is! I've not been taking it very long and I'm still finding MY perfect dosage. Either way, after doing lots of research I'm certain THIS is the brand to use and it is worth taking not only for gut health, but Prebiotin is also great for strengthening your immune system, better absorption of calcium, weight management and many more scientifically validated structure/function claims.
So, like Probiotics, I'm NOT going to STOP taking Prebiotin Prebiotics. Especially since they work together to bring the BEST possible gut health support! Keep in mind that sometimes we don't really "notice" the positive effects supplements have on our bodies ... but that doesn't mean we don't need them!
I was taking 4g of Prebiotin a day. But since I do know that I get in a decent amount of both insoluble and soluble fiber in my diet each day (and like to keep my overall fiber number within a 5g range as this keeps me the most regular) .... I am testing out going back to 2g a day instead of 4g. As of now I think that somewhere between 2-3g may be MY perfect dose! You will need to start with 1g and slowly start adding 1g at a time to see what you tolerate. Like I said, I went up to 4g but then decided to back down to 2-3g. Each person will be different. The people at Preboitin told me some people actually benefit MOST from 8-16g of this prebiotic fiber a day!What is the difference in all the Prebiotin products on the webpage? They have a section of the webpage that should answer that question for you, but they are also wonderful at replying to emails! So if you don't understand the descriptions just contact them! But if you look at INGREDIENTS you will see that many of the products just contain Oligofructose-Enriched-Inulin, or OEI. If that is the ONLY ingredient then the difference is simply marketing/dosage.
All that said, I personally decided to use the Prebiotin Prebiotic Fiber. I have the canister and just measure out 2g instead of 4g. But I also have the 2g single serving stick packs (easier to travel with.) If you find that 4g is your perfect dose they also sell 4g single serving stick packs! Since I am taking for regularity you may wonder why I didn't go with the one marketed for "Regularity". Well the number one reason is obvious .. it IS NOT gluten free because it contains Wheat Bran. But also because as I mentioned .. I get plenty of insoluble and dietary fiber from foods. I don't need any more! But I DO need the OEI (the primary active ingredient in the Prebiotin Prebiotics.)Prebiotin gave my readers a coupon code to use that gets you 25% off (making it cheaper than Amazon, etc.) The coupon code is: Stacy - Just type it in at checkout!
I highly encourage you to read all the research for yourself and start incorporating Prebiotics into your daily supplement regime. and specifically THIS brand as I truly believe it is the best on the market!
Please DO NOT confuse this Prebiotic Fiber with things like "Citrucel" or "Benefiber" (which says it's a Prebiotic btw .. but it's ingredient is Wheat dextrin .. NOT Oligofructose-Enriched-Inulin, which is what is in Prebiotin.) They are NOT the same!
Happy Gut Healing,
Stacy
Disclaimer: I am not "affiliated" with this company... as in I do not get paid to post this. Just sharing what brand I believe is best and what I've been up to in healing my gut, bloating, constipation, etc.
In case you missed them .. here are a couple of other other ways I am "healing" or taking care of my gut!
Healed NOT High - CBD
Beef For Breakfast?! Recipe for my GUT HEALING Coffee!
This was an excellent article!! 😊
ReplyDelete