Are Prebiotics Good for You
Posted by Wen Dan Jiang on
Are Prebiotics Good For You
There is no doubt that prebiotics is good for our health, and different studies prove this fact. They are kinds of dietary fiber that feed the good bacteria in your gut and reduces the development of harmful bacteria that cause certain diseases. Prebiotics facilitate your gut bacteria from forming nutrients for your colon cells, which is the reason behind the healthier digestive system.
Different prebiotic foods are also good for your health, such as garlic, flaxseed, bananas, and much more. The most crucial benefit of prebiotics is to improve your metabolic health. Remember, you should not confuse prebiotics with probiotics as both terms are different.
In this article, I will tell you about the importance of prebiotics and how prebiotics food is for our health!
The Reasons Why Prebiotics Are Good for You
- Improve Your Gut Health
In combination with probiotics, they play a vital role in improving your gut health. Prebiotic foods aid in maintaining a healthy gastrointestinal system by enhancing the presence and diversity of friendly bacteria.
These bacteria are capable of using the dietary fibers to survive and form short-chain fatty acids. Some of these fatty acids may be utilized to repair the lining of your gut wall. Prebiotics also facilitate in improving overall digestion. It may also decrease the risk of leaky gut syndrome, IBS, and other gastrointestinal conditions.
- May Decrease the Risk of Certain Cancer
If you consume food containing prebiotics, then you will be able to fight against the cancer symptoms. Because prebiotics has the potential to reduce the strength of free radicals and cancer cells in your body. Especially, colon cancer is highly linked with enhanced toxins in your body that are not eliminated instantly.
The recent study has indicated a reduction in tumors and cancer cells in the majority of people who take a diet loaded with prebiotics. You should also consult your doctors and take prebiotics supplements if foods do not adequately provide enough prebiotics.
- May Aid Your Body Adequately Absorb Nutrients
Prebiotics aid probiotics recolonize in your gut. When your body is capable of adequately absorb nutrients, it switches off its autoimmune responses, facilitates you to transform food particles into energy more quickly.
Additionally, by better absorption of nutrients, involving essential minerals, for example, magnesium and calcium, that is mainly required for your bone health. Therefore, prebiotics may also take part in protecting your bones from any damage.
- May Control Your Blood Pressure
While prebiotics is unable to reduce your blood pressure indirectly manner, consuming prebiotics supplements aids in balancing your body's electrolyte and mineral levels. When this incident occurs, your blood pressure levels start to decrease as electrolytes and minerals are directly associated with blood pressure.
You should note that when we talk about blood pressure and prebiotics, that plays a significant role in lowering your blood pressure. Basically, plant-based prebiotics shows that phenomenon and animal-based prebiotics are unable to do so.
Therefore, you should eat a plant-based diet and reduce blood pressure.
- May Regulate Healthy Hormone Levels
The majority of studies have discovered links to your gut health and mood regulation. In association with probiotics, prebiotics facilitates your body to absorb necessary nutrients that aid in building hormone chemicals. The truth is particular research also associates your mood problems such as anxiety and depression to inappropriate gut health.
- Improve Immune Response and Lower Your Inflammation
Prebiotics, in combination with probiotics, may aid in healthy bowel movements. It facilitates decreasing allergies and diseases while improving your overall immune system response. They also help your body to absorb essential nutrients that provide your body energy to maintain the immune functions and reduce the inflammation.
Inflammation is associated with a wide range of health conditions that may happen in your body. Prebiotics maintains the levels of good bacteria that reduce the inflammation level.
- May Help Prevent Hair Loss
An unhappy and unfit gut may make us more sensitive to hair loss. Hair guard shows us how lower inflammation, balanced hormones, and improved natural defense system all play a crucial part in maintaining a healthy scalp and hair growth or development.
- May Maintain a Healthy Weight
Consuming a lot of fibrous foods (like prebiotics and probiotics) may aid you to stay fuller longer and maintain your weight loss goals. Prebiotics are incredibly crucial for weight loss. They are also directly associated with getting rid of overweight and balanced energy levels.
- May Help You Manage Stress
A study has recently indicated that gut health influences your body's ability to form and excrete stress hormones. Eating prebiotics may make positive cortisol changes in your event of stress.
Prebiotic foods are a great tasting way to maintain your gut health. You may even use prebiotic supplements to manage stress.
- May Decrease the Risk of Cardiovascular Disorder
Individuals who consume a diet loaded with prebiotics have a reduced risk of cardiovascular disorder. If you take the suggested amount of prebiotics (approximately 4-6 grams), it helps decrease glycation, a leading cause for an enhanced amount of free radicals in your body. Prebiotics even contain hypo-cholesterolemic effect that facilitates your body to combat cardiovascular disease.
Prebiotics Rich Foods
- Garlic
Garlic is a delicious herb associated with plenty of health advantages. Approximately 10 % of garlic's fiber content originates from inulin and 5% from a sweet naturally present prebiotic known as fructooligosaccharides (FOS).
Garlic functions as a prebiotic by improving the development of efficient Bifidobacteria in your gut. It also stops the disease-causing bacteria from growth.
Its extract may also be beneficial for decreasing the risk of heart disorder and has highlighted antioxidant, antimicrobial influences, and anticancer effects. It may also be useful in asthma condition.
- Yacon Root
Yacon root is precisely the same as sweet potatoes and is loaded with fiber. It is specifically high in prebiotic fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin.
The inulin in Yacon has been highlighted to promote gut bacteria, decrease constipation, maintain the immune system, promote mineral absorption, and even improve blood fats. Yacon also comprises of phenolic compounds that offer antioxidant properties.
- Apples
Apple is a tasty fruit. The pectin in apples includes prebiotic impacts. It enhances butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that feeds your friendly gut bacteria and reduces the population of toxic bacteria. They are also rich in polyphenol antioxidants.
Mixed polyphenols and pectin have associated with increased digestive health and fat metabolism, reduced LDL cholesterol levels, and a decreased risk of certain cancers. Apples even comprise of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics.
- Onions
Onion is a versatile vegetable associated with a variety of health benefits. Like garlic, inulin accounts for 9 % of the total fiber of onion, while FOS makes up around 5%. FOS promotes gut flora, aids in fat breakdown, and enhances your immune system by improving nitric oxide formation in cells.
Onions are also loaded with flavonoid quercetin that offers onions antioxidant and anticancer characteristics. Moreover, they comprise antibiotic effects and may offer advantages for your cardiovascular system.
- Barley
It is a great cereal grain and is utilized to make beer. It includes 4–8 g of beta-glucan per 100 g serving. Beta-glucan is a unique prebiotic fiber that regulates your growth of good bacteria in your digestive tract.
The beta-glucan in barley has indicated to reduce total and LDL cholesterol, and may also facilitate to reduce blood sugar levels. You may use it as a good source of prebiotics.
Summary
Prebiotics are highly relevant to us in all aspects. Foods with prebiotics are rich in particular kinds of fiber that maintain digestive health. They stimulate friendly bacteria in your gut, aid with different digestive issues, and even maintain your immune system.
Prebiotic may also promote metabolic health and even aid in preventing certain diseases. You may even consume the prebiotic supplement, but consult your doctor for better suggestions before taking it.