Prebiotics and Probiotics – they may sound alike…heck, you may even make the mistake of interchanging them. BUT the roles they perform for the maintenance and optimization of your health are very different.

One thing is for sure though – both Prebiotics and Probiotics are extremely important to keep your health – especially your immune system and digestive tract in tip top shape. Let’s have a closer look at each of them…

Prebiotics and Probiotics – A Closer Look
Prebiotics and probiotcs are responsible for restoring the balance of good and bad bacteria in your digestive tract. Probiotics – these pertain to beneficial digestive bacteria which you can find in different foods, especially yogurt and other fermented foods.

When you eat probiotics, you add these healthy bacteria in your intestinal tract. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are just some of the most common strains and families of good and friendly micro organisms.

Prebiotics, on the other hand, are non digestible foods that are responsible for keeping the naturally found prebiotics found in our body up and running. They make their way through the digestive system, feed the good bacteria…helping them grow and flourish.

YES, it’s a cycle and we need both Prebiotics and Probiotics to keep it going and maintain our digestive health at its best.

Prebiotics In Your Diet
The prebiotics that keep our beneficial digestive bacteria healthy and kicking come most commonly from carbohydrate fibers, which are known as oligosaccharides. You don’t digest these carbohydrate fibers. Instead, they remain in the digestive tract…stimulating the natural multiplication and growth of beneficial bacteria.

Wondering what are good sources of prebiotics or oligosaccharides?

Here’s a short list – fruits, legumes, whole grains, you can also add fructo oligosaccharides to your food or take them as a supplement. Yogurt which is made and oozing with bifidobacteria also contain large amounts of oligosaccharides.

Probiotics In Your Diet
Probiotic bacterial cultures like lactobacilli, bifidobacterium, and more can be naturally found in fermented foods like yogurt as well as sauerkraut. There are also foods and dishes that have added probiotics as a healthy nutritional ingredient, and this will be stated on the label.

To make sure you are getting the most out of these probiotic rich sources, be sure to check the label, it should contain “Live Bacteria Cultures” or something along those lines.

Prebiotics and Probiotics Supplements
Probiotics, as you can see in the market, are widely available as food supplements. HOWEVER, get this – not all probiotic food supplements are created equal…not all of them could deliver what they claim.

To make sure you are getting the most out of your probiotic supplements, make sure that you add some oligosaccharides or prebiotics in your diet. This will help greatly in keeping the probiotic bacteria healthy and kicking while working to enhance your digestive system.

On the other hand, you can take prebiotics directly through food supplement form or you can add them to your foods. Whatever it is that you take, may it probiotics, prebiotics, or both, make sure that you check the label to get the most out of it.

So what are you waiting for?

Start adding probiotics and prebiotics to your diet and lead a healthier lifestyle!