I have been learning more about probiotics, but was confused when I heard the term, “prebiotics.” What is the difference? After taking my search to the next level, I was able to better understand what prebiotics are, and I’d like to share what I’ve learned with you. Prebiotics are a group of nutrients (fiber-based), that can be in the form of food or supplements. Prebiotics are like steroids for your muscles. They stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria in your stomach/colon.
If you are looking to learn more about digestion, and the key catalyst for it, check out my blog called, “How Enzymes Help with Digestion”.
After learning what prebiotics are, led me to my next question. How are prebiotics different from probiotics? I thought stimulating the growth of healthy bacteria was the job of probiotics. Well, I did a little more research and found out that they are different. They both have a common goal, which is to increase the healthy bacteria in your gut, but they go about it in different ways.
The major difference is that probiotics are living organisms, whereas prebiotics are considered a type of fiber. So, what does that mean? The fiber of prebiotics is undigestible in the colon, which makes them a food source for probiotics. By eating prebiotics, you are strengthening the probiotics, to help encourage healthy gut bacteria. We will discuss this in more detail in the next section.
Based on my research, prebiotics are important and should be taken with probiotics. There are numerous studies that indicate that probiotics may help improve your gut flora, thereby improving your digestive tract. Since probiotics are known to help with:
Due to all these amazing benefits of probiotics, I believe it’s important to take prebiotics so that you can provide your body with fuel for the probiotics. Prebiotic “fuel” will provide the probiotics with enough raw materials, to complete their job. Think of prebiotics as the 1st stage of an assembly line. Without them, you would not be able to produce a complete product.
We have already discussed a handful of benefits related to taking probiotics. But what about prebiotics? Since prebiotics help with restoring your gut flora, they can help with these leaky gut conditions:
If you are experiencing any of the above chronic diseases, that is a sign that you have leaky gut syndrome and that focusing on achieving proper gut health is crucial to your overall health. If you would like to learn more or work, with a certified wellness coach, to help you better understand what you need to do in order to start improving your health in these specific areas, then sign-up for a free consultation at:
My naturopathic doctor, Dr. Joanne Conaway, recommends her patients who may be experiencing any of the above leaky gut chronic conditions, to complete our 20-day gut challenge, which includes various types of prebiotic and probiotic supplements. The 20-day gut challenge is an elimination diet, under the guidance of naturopathic doctors. The program also fortifies you with all the necessary nutrients, to restore balance to your gut flora. In as little as 20 days, I personally lost 4lbs, and started having regular bowels movements, and my seborrheic dermatitis improved, significantly.
If you are interested in learning more about the 20-day Gut Challenge, click on the link below. You can even sign up now!
Good sources of prebiotics can come in the form of supplements and food. My favorite prebiotic supplement is i26 Hyperimmune Egg Powder. Why? i26 Hyperimmune Egg powder delivers nutrients that have been clinically researched to support a healthy immune system. By providing targeted immune protection against twenty-six human-relevant bacteria, it supports a healthy gut.
Outside of supplements, prebiotics are also found in fiber-rich foods, like fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. Some of my favorite prebiotic food sources include:
Food | Amount of Fiber |
Apples | 3-4 grams |
Bananas | 3-4 grams |
Oranges | 3-4 grams |
Strawberry | 3-4 grams |
Mango | 5 grams |
Collard Greens | 4 grams ( per cup) |
Potatoes | 2-3 grams |
Nuts | 3 grams |
Seeds | 3 grams |
My recommendation is that you combine a prebiotic and probiotic program that includes food and supplements. This will give you more variety in your diet, as well as support a wide range of various strains of beneficial bacteria. The more strains of beneficial bacteria you have the more your gut flora will thrive. Thereby increasing your immunity and helping you better fight chronic diseases.
