For a long time, people believed that a good diet, regular exercise, and proper medicine resulted in healthy individuals. In recent years, scientists have turned their attention to the overlooked part of our body, the gut, which is far from being just a food pipe and plays a major role in physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
The concept of gut microbiome emerges in which trillions of friendly microorganisms live as tiny workers in our body to maintain balance and avoid various types of diseases in our body. What’s more exciting is that these friendly microbes can be supported by us in a very simple way, that is intake of the right food or supplements.
That’s where came the concept of probiotics and prebiotics. Probiotics and prebiotics were once considered a concept of nutritional science, but are now becoming a frontline source not only for healthy guts but the whole body. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that can be found in various fermented foods like buttermilk, pickles, yogurt, etc., and even as supplements in specially made capsules.
On the other hand, Prebiotics are non-digestible special fibers that are found in various plant-based foods like garlic, onions, bananas, etc. Both of them act as food for good bacteria, helping them to grow and mitigate various disease progression. Most people don’t know that a large amount of the chemical serotonin that makes us feel good is made in our guts.
So, when our gut is healthy, it can make us happier and less anxious. Various research has been done on probiotics and prebiotics, and in one 2024 meta-analysis article from the University of California, it was found that probiotics supplementation reduces depression and anxiety in 6- 8 weeks in individuals.
How do probiotics improve digestion and restore balance?
Probiotics are good bacteria and are very beneficial for our digestive system. Probiotics help to restore the balance between good and bad bacteria when it is disturbed by a poor diet, overuse of antibiotics, stress, etc. Enhancing enzyme activity helps in the breakdown of complex carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, very efficiently thus improving our digestion by absorbing the nutrients more easily.
Various infections, frequent antibiotics, and poor dietary habits disrupt our gut flora, and probiotics replenish them. It also strengthens the intestinal barrier and reduces the chances of gut inflammation and leaky guts. As we know, 70- 80% of our immune system balance depends upon our gut, use of probiotics supports immune cells and helps in reducing various gut-related immune disorders.
The power of prebiotics: Fueling healthy gut bacteria.
As we know, prebiotics are dietary fibers that can be digested by gut bacteria but not by humans. Simply, we can say that prebiotics are the food of probiotics or gut bacteria. Various foods that we include in our diet, like garlic, onions, bananas, apples, oats, flaxseed, etc., help in the nourishment of healthy gut bacteria by improving bowel regularity, reducing inflammation, supporting gut integrity, etc.
Garlic contains FOS and inulin, which help in boosting bifidobacterial and lactobacillus. Onions contain sulfur compounds and inulin, which promote the activity of digestive enzymes and beneficial bacteria. Apples contain pectin, which promotes SCFA production in the gut. Flax seeds nourish good bacteria by providing soluble fiber and mucilage to the gut. Thus, various prebiotics fuel healthy gut bacteria in different ways.
Combining probiotics and prebiotics for optimal gut health
To create a symbiotic effect, prebiotics and probiotics should be combined. It is a powerful combo for gastrointestinal health that provides various benefits. Combining pro and prebiotics enhances the activity of the good bacteria in the gut along with this increases their survival chances in the gut.
Both will build the best and balanced immune system, which helps in reducing the risk of various infections and allergies. Due to their effect on the brain axis together, the use of them will also support mental health. Combining them promotes gut health by providing faster relief from IBD, IBS, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, leaky gut, etc.
Naturally combines probiotics and prebiotics.
- Dosa/ Idli (Probiotic) + coconut chutney with raw garlic (Prebiotic)- Naturally fermented idli or Dosa contains good bacteria and garlic, and coconut chutney contains inulin and FOS that act as prebiotics.
- Curd (probiotic) + Raw onion (Prebiotic)- Curd is rich in lactobacillus, and onion is high in inulin and sulfur.
- Homemade pickles (Probiotic) + Khichdi or rice (Prebiotic)- Homemade fermented Pickles like lemon pickles, green chili pickles, mango pickles, etc. are rich in LAB (lactic acid bacteria) like Lactobacillus plantarum, L. brevis, L. fermentum, etc., and boiled rice or Khichdi contains fibers and resistant starch which act as powerful prebiotics and together both support digestion.
- Buttermilk (Probiotic) + Jeera and Ajwain spice (Prebiotic)- Butter milk contains live probiotic culture like Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. casei, L. lactis, Streptococcus thermophilus, etc., and Ajwain contains thymol, Jeera (cumin) contains polyphenols and essential oils by which they modulate gut microbiota.
- Sprouted Moong salad (Probiotic) + Grated cabbage or raw carrot (prebiotic)- During sprouting natural LAB and wild beneficial bacteria develop in lentil if kept in clean condition like Lactobacillus plantarum, etc. and cabbage contains FOS (Fruto oligosaccharides), raw carrot contains soluble fiber, carotenoids, etc. when combined together are highly beneficial for our gut.
As mentioned above, there are numerous combinations of probiotics and prebiotics that we can take in our daily life to achieve synergistic effects, which not only enhance the activity and survival of gut microbiome (good bacteria) but also boost immunity, improve nutrient absorption, etc.
Conclusion
In the end, health begins in the gut. What we feed our bodies is directly fed to our inner ecosystem. And when we care for what we eat, then our body, our mind, and our emotions are thankful to us. The world is slowly waking up to this real conclusion, and in the years to come, the use of probiotics and prebiotics may become as common and also as important as daily vitamins in everyone’s life.