The word “Probiotic” gets thrown around a lot these days. It sounds like the latest health-food craze. There are tablets and even gummies you can take once a day. There are variable levels you can buy, 75 billion, 10 billion, 250 billion (be ready to break out the big bucks, those are expensive!). Some advertise that they are enterically coated, or that their product survives better than a competitor. Certain foods advertise it, kefir, yogurt, kimchee… the list goes on. Other foods, beans in particular, are marketed as prebiotics. Or synbiotics. But what does all of this mean?
We’ll start with an anatomy lesson. The lower GI is populated with bacteria. There are plenty of more interesting ways to phrase it – microflora, microbiota – but really what this comes down to, is bacteria. A lot of bacteria. There are several different species, all totaling over 3 pounds. The genetic information of these bacteria is massive – more than 100x that of a human. Suffice to say, they are pretty important.
Bacteria breakdown foods that we can’t quite get to, releasing various fatty acids that the gut can use for energy. This, in turn, keeps the intestinal lining healthy. They also live in the nooks and crannies of the gut, making it difficult for other, more troublesome bacteria to take hold. Things likeE. coli or salmonella. Foods with probiotics really are just things that have some of these bacteria in them, and supplements are just capsules chock-full of the good stuff.
If you still aren’t convinced probiotics are a good thing, let me ask you this – have you ever taken a pretty rough course of antibiotics? How did the tummy feel? Maybe a little GI upset? Antibiotics not only fight the infection you have, but they also fight off your gut flora. This can lead to a few less desirable GI effects, such as diarrhea. Many doctors will recommend that patients eat yogurt or try a probiotic supplement while on antibiotics to prevent some of the unpleasantness.
Prebiotics are basically food for bacteria. Beans have plenty of oligosaccharides (carbohydrates) that these little dudes feast on, which at least partly accounts for the gas some people experience when some people consume legumes. The good news is, that over time, your microbiota changes to better accommodate what you feed it. Vegetarians have different biota than people who consume mostly meat. And if you are thinking of loading up on fiber one bars, start slowly, and give those tiny bugs time to adjust.
Synbiotics are just a little bit of everything – part bacteria and part bacteria food, these kinds of foods and supplements take care of both you and the bacteria.
Pretty cool huh?
If you’re interested in really learning more about the impact of probiotics, I’d direct you here:http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/yogurt-probiotics-alter-brain-function-ucla-study/updates/. Who would have thought – the bugs in your belly can impact the brawn in your brain.
-- Les Salas, MS RD LD
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