Nutritional Information

Prebiotics

Healthy nutrition for healthy gut bacteria. Good health starts in the gut and you need healthy gut flora to have a healthy gut

Did you know that billions of micro-organisms populate our gut like a carpet? This gigantic community of bacteria consists of hundreds of different types of bacteria which, in conjunction with the human body, form a complex ecosystem. Most of these intestinal bacteria are neutral (harmless). The rest of them may be either beneficial or harmful.

Bifidobacteria and lactic acid bacteria belong to bacteria that promote good health.

The composition of the intestinal flora varies in each individual case and can be influenced by a number of different factors. One’s genetic predisposition and general constitution play an important role, as do stress, medication and diet. This means that beneficial gut flora must be able to permanently assert itself against outer influences and against rival bacterial strains.

If harmful bacteria gain the upper hand, it is logical that this will result in illnesses and physical ailments.

What is the difference between prebiotics and probiotics?

Many are already aware of these factors. This is why the so-called prebiotics are becoming increasingly important. Probiotics contain living, useful microorganisms that live in the intestine and support the intestinal flora.

Less widely known, however, is the fact that ideal living conditions are needed for the probiotics beneficial effect to fully unfold, so that they can multiply and become active. And this is precisely where prebiotics come into play.

Prebiotics: A powerful source of energy for the “good” intestinal bacteria.

It is not so difficult to support your good intestinal flora. In the same way as children thrive if they have healthy and balanced diets, beneficial gut flora also need the right type of food. The optimal source of nutrition for healthy gut microbiota are the so-called prebiotics – especially water-soluble fibres that reach the gut undigested.

Prebiotics can do a lot more…

Today we know that fibre is by no means superfluous, but has a number of very positive effects on our health.

Beneficial gut bacteria like the “taste” of prebiotics. A diet that is rich in prebiotics therefore promotes the proliferation and increased activity of the gut microbiota, at the same time reducing the number of harmful gut bacteria. If the number of good gut bacteria increases, so does that of metabolic products conducive to good health. When fibres are broken down, short-chain fatty acids, in particular, are formed by bacteria, and these have a number of beneficial effects on our health.

Studies have shown prebiotic fibres to have the following positive effects on health:

• Improves the body’s immunological defences
• Regulates bowel movements
• Normalises glucose and lipid metabolism
• Supports weight normalisation
• Alleviates diseases of the cardiovascular system
• Anti-inflammatory, particularly with inflammatory gut diseases

How do I know which prebiotic is right for me?

The few products that are currently available frequently contain inulin, oligofructose or lactulose as fibre. Taken in high dosages they can lead to complaints such as bloatedness and cause flatulence in sensitive people, as they are digested very quickly by the gut bacteria.

Other products are also available that contain plant-based raw materials that are either unprocessed or processed to a limited extent. Recommended ingredients include, for instance, acacia fibre, guar bean, and konjac and cassava plant roots. These have been seen to have fewer or, with the appropriate dosage, no side effects.