Benefit of prebiotic foods to improve gut microbiota health

Many people are yet to figure out the difference between prebiotics and probiotics. Even though they sound pretty much the same, they have very different roles to play in your body and your digestive health.

Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria that are present in your colon. They help absorb important nutrients from your food, and also in digesting your food. However, as important as probiotics are for a healthy colon, without prebiotics, they simply wouldn’t exist! One can think of prebiotics as food for probiotics. Probiotics can easily be found in fermented food such as yogurt, kombucha, kimchi, etc. whereas, prebiotics foods are mainly indigestible fibre and can be found in certain plant foods. Prebiotics and probiotics have an interdependent relationship, where one can’t survive without the other. Which is why, if you want a healthy colon and a healthy digestive system, you must include prebiotic foods in your diet. Let us take a look at some benefits of including prebiotic foods in your diet.

1. Digestion

Many people suffer from issues related to digestion. These issues can be traced back to the lack of healthy gut bacteria. Including prebiotic foods in your diet can prove miraculous for your body. It can help repopulate your gut with probiotics, and can be a cure for your digestive problems. By including prebiotic foods in your diet, you are promoting the repopulation of probiotics in your colon. This ca also helps and curb the overgrowth of bad bacteria, which can also lead to intestinal conditions if not treated properly.

2. Strong immunity

Fun fact, approximately 70% of your immune system is located in your gut! Which is why, we cannot stress enough on the importance of probiotic and prebiotic foods in your diet! Without the help of all the healthy bacteria in your gut to support your immune system, you body will not be able to protect itself from deadly viruses and bacteria, that can even be life-threatening! Sadly, lots of lifestyle factors in the current scenario account to us having very low fibre, which equals to the lack of prebiotics. If you add lots of prebiotic foods to your diet, you are actually strengthening your immune system!

3. Sustainable weight loss

If you are somebody who’s looking to lose weight, prebiotic foods are your best friend! By improving your digestion, you are also moving towards your weight loss goal! The more fibrous food you eat, the more it is likely to contribute to your weight loss because they take a lot of time to digest, thus making you feel full for longer. It also helps in managing your insulin, which prevents the storage of fat.

4. Natural Detox

Prebiotic foods are very good for your colon, as we’ve previously established. They can help naturally detoxify your colon, because they play a major role in improving your bowel regularity. This in turn helps your body to get rid of toxins more efficiently.

Pay close attention to your meal, and make sure to include lots of prebiotic foods. They are a necessary inclusion, and you must include them in your meals at all costs!