Our gut is very important to our health. Keeping our gastrointestinal tract healthy involves a balancing act that is helped or hindered by what we eat.
More than 100 trillion bacteria live in our intestines. This complex community has actually both good and bad bacteria. It’s up to us to keep enough of the good guys alive, so the bad guys don’t make us sick.
One way to support the good guys is to eat foods that have actually probiotics and prebiotics. Both occur naturally in foods, can be added to foods or can be taken as dietary supplements. The key is reading labels to ensure you’re getting the proper kind and good quality.
Good bacteria in our gut help protect us from infections and build a stronger immune system. It is estimated that more than half of our immune system is in our digestive tract. Bad bacteria are associated along with illness, allergies, inflammation, gas, bloating and diarrhea.
Good bacteria help improve digestion and absorb certain vitamins and minerals. Research shows we can treat and prevent diarrhea, especially while taking antibiotics, by consuming enough good bacteria. These bacteria may help improve irritable bowel and inflammatory bowel diseases as well as skin health. Research likewise shows these good guys may improve our mood and increase our energy.
The balance between helpful and harmful bacteria in our gut can change. Antibiotics, poor nutrition, inflammation, tension and aging can cause a decline in the good bacteria and allow more bad bacteria to take control. Routinely eating foods that add good bacteria or encourage their proliferation is important. Eating foods along with probiotics and prebiotics helps maintain the proper balance.
The World Health Organization has actually defined probiotics as “live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.” To see a benefit, we need to eat the right amount, which varies from person to person.
Probiotics can be added to foods and manufactured into supplements. Common sources are fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, fermented milk, kimchi (fermented vegetables), miso, tempeh (fermented soybeans) and probiotic “beverages.”
Prebiotics are defined as “nondigestible food ingredients that beneficially affect the host by selectively stimulating the growth of one or a limited number of bacterial species in the colon.” Think of them as fertilizer to stimulate growth and allow good bacteria to multiply. Inulin and oligofructose are known as prebiotics. Prebiotics likewise are found in foods such as bananas, asparagus, chicory root, garlic, artichokes, leeks, onions and whole grains.
Many food labels proclaim they offer probiotics and prebiotics. along with all the hype, it’s important to pay attention to the details. Read the labels to ensure they have actually the right kind of bacteria-boosters.
Our gut contains 30 to 40 different strains of good bacteria, and research has actually identified the health benefits that each promotes. Each probiotic has actually three parts to its name. The first name is the genus, the second is the species and the third is the strain. For example, Lactobacillus acidophilus NAS is from the gene Lactobacillus, the species acidophilus and the strain NAS. Often the gene name Lactobacillus will be abbreviated along with a L. Another common gene is Bifidobacterium, which is abbreviated as B.
The two most common genuses for probiotics are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Lactobacillus works in the small intestine while Bifidobacterium works in the large intestines. A combination of both treats the whole gut.
To ensure a product’s quality, it’s important to see the gene name, which might be abbreviated, and the species on the food or supplement label. The strain identification is an added assurance because it can be traced to clinical studies that validate its benefits.
It is likewise important that the probiotic is live and active. Heating a product after the probiotic has actually been added destroys good bacteria. Freezing and drying do not. Look for the words “live and active” or for the National Yogurt Association’s certification symbol to insure that you are getting a quality product.
To get the most benefit, you may need a large dose known as “colony forming units” or CFUs. A dose of 1 billion CFUs might be a good daily dose for most of us, but somebody along with an irritable bowel may need 100 billion CFUs to see a benefit. It varies from person to person. As you compare products, check the amount of CFUs each one offers.
Consuming foods that contain live and active cultures along along with the fertilizer effect of prebiotics is good for our health. Keep your gut healthy along with quality products that have actually recognized alive and active probiotic strains. The National Yogurt Association certification stamp ensures this. The greater the CFUs and the greater variety of probiotic strains are added bonuses.
Be sure to include some “fertilizer” in meals. You could even mix-and-match. Enjoying a banana along with yogurt or stir-frying asparagus along with tempeh is a win-win for health.
Bonnie Brost is a registered dietitian in the Wellness Program at the Essentia Health St. Mary’s-Heart & Vascular Center in Duluth. Contact her at bonnie.brost@essentiahealth.org.
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