Prebiotics vs Probiotics
Poor gut health has infiltrated the lives of many people and using the medicinal herbs, healthy foods and lifestyle changes that we have access to instead of turning to medications is a better alternative to our gut health.
Due to our tainted food supplies, overly processed food choices, fast food options readily available to the public, and prolonged doses of prescribed antibiotics, lack of sleep and increased stress has led to an increase in digestive issues.
Many have no idea that they can heal themselves so they turn to a doctor that doesn’t view diets, exercise, and lifestyle as a means to a cure.
We are made up of 10 x more bacterial cells and other microbes than human cells. These microbes work symbiotically with the microbes in our environment and in our food. Keeping our microbiome in balance is necessary to keep us from getting sick or developing chronic illnesses and autoimmune diseases.
The foods we eat make a big difference in our health. Eating a diverse and greater variety of foods such as vegetables and fiber-rich fruits, healthy animal proteins and whole grains will allow for a greater amount of diverse microbes in our gut. Maintaining a rich and diverse microbe community will keep our guts healthy, and lower the risk of disease.
We need to feed these communities of microbes food so they can multiply and stay active, these foods are called prebiotic foods. These foods are high in fiber, and resistant starches that the body can’t digest. The foods are digested by the bacteria in the colon, which nourishes them and produces energy and vitamins for us.
Probiotics are the microbes themselves and you can get them from a variety of fermented foods, such as yogurt, kimchi, kombucha, sauerkraut, or in the form of a supplement, etc. These foods contain live cultures of different strains of bacteria which will help to add to the microbiome in your gut. If you have gone through rounds of antibiotics then your healthy bacteria died off leaving you out of balance with the pathogenic bacteria or you eat the same meals every day without switching it up, which can cause an imbalance that leads to gut issues.
It is important to replenish your healthy gut bacteria so that you can fight the pathogens that you encounter in your environment and food to keep you healthy. Feeding these bacteria with good prebiotic foods will help restore and replenish your bacteria.
Not everyone can eat prebiotic foods or take supplements, people with SIBO have an overabundance of pathogenic bacteria and prebiotics feed them also leaving you feeling horrible. It is important to manage the SIBO first before you add in pre and probiotics so that you arent feeding these pathogenic bacteria.
Our suggestion to treating SIBO is to take an herb that treats pathogens like oregano oil or thyme oil to kill the bad bacteria. Seek are healthcare provider to help you with SIBO, hopefully, a naturopath or herbalist.
Stick to a healthy diet full of fresh foods and organic grass-fed meats and wild caught fish to maintain a healthy gut and digestive system!
Follow us on Instagram @wildessencewellness
