A Gut Feeling

Did you know that if your gut is in a rut, chances are your health is out of sorts, too?

The gut, also known as the gastrointestinal (or GI) tract, hosts trillions of bacteria that can have profound effects on digestive health and overall wellness, which is why it’s a good idea to consume prebiotics and probiotics—dietary dynamos that work in concert to populate the gut with “microflora” that keep you healthy.

Eating a variety of prebiotic-rich vegetables and probiotic fermented foods every day may improve mood, reduce cholesterol and promote weight loss. Martina M. Cartwright, PhD, RD, adjunct faculty member at the University of Arizona and biomedical consultant, author and nutrition counselor, sheds light on this topic.

Prebiotics: Fuel for Your Flora

Prebiotics are naturally occurring nondigestible carbohydrates, or soluble fibers, that nourish the growth of specific beneficial bacteria. All prebiotics are fiber, but not all fibers are prebiotics. When prebiotics ferment in the intestines, they release fuel that enables friendly bacteria like Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria to thrive.

The most common prebiotics are in the inulin-type fructan family. About 5–8 grams a day of inulin prebiotics is enough to support growth of all Bifidobacteria species (Slavin 2013). The health benefits of prebiotics are still being investigated, but studies suggest they can

• reduce the prevalence and duration of infectious, traveler’s and antibiotic-associated diarrhea (Slavin 2013);
• reduce inflammation and symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (Slavin 2013); and
• protect against colon cancer (Slavin 2013).

Probiotics: Alive and Well

Probiotics are live, active bacteria and/or yeasts. The most common strains of probiotic bacteria are the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria families, which use lactose to prevent harmful bacteria growth, compete with bad bugs for nutrients, and alter intestinal pH to tackle bacterial villains (like diarrhea-producing Clostridium difficile) that thrive in a neutral pH environment. Friendly bacteria also stimulate the immune system (Sommer & Bäckhed 2013).

Weight loss and prevention of obesity are linked to consumption of probiotics (Million et al. 2013). Beneficial bacteria may also improve athletic performance (West et al. 2009) and reduce anxiety (Tillisch et al. 2013).