Prebiotics VS probiotics??
Most of us have had the importance of probiotics drummed into us. But what about prebiotics?
While probiotics have shown to benefit our health, we forget about the necessity of feeding our probiotic bacteria with prebiotics.
So what exactly are probiotics?
Probiotics are the good guys (bacteria) that live in your digestive system. They help breakdown foods, maintain a healthy balanced digestive system and promote a healthy immune system. But without the necessary prebiotics they cannot function properly. Prebiotics are not actually bacteria. Instead they are plant fiber that your body cannot breakdown, and thus the food for your live probiotic bacteria.
The more prebiotic food the probiotics have to eat, the more efficiently they work, and the healthier they keep your gut.
Most sources would agree that raw chicory root, raw asparagus, raw Jerusalem artichokes, raw onions, raw garlic, raw dandelion greens, raw leeks, raw bananas, raw berries and sprouted grains are some great food options when sourcing prebiotics.
Bear in mind, as with most foods, when heated or cooked, their nutritional compositions are changed and prebiotics lose some of their important nutritional fiber. So it's best to keep these plant foods as close to raw as possible.
