What’s the difference between Probiotics and Prebiotics?

What’s the difference between Probiotics and Prebiotics?

Probiotics and prebiotics are hot subjects in the nutrition world right now. Despite their similarity in sound, the two perform distinct roles in your health. Probiotics are good bacteria, and prebiotics are the good bacteria’s nourishment.

But what are they exactly and how do they work?

Prebiotics are plant fibers that have been modified to act as prebiotics. They serve as fertilizers in the stomach, encouraging the growth of beneficial microorganisms.

Many fruits and vegetables include prebiotics, especially those that contain complex carbohydrates like fiber and resistant starch. Because these carbs can’t be digested by your body, they travel through your digestive system and become food for bacteria and other germs.

Foods that are high in prebiotic fiber include:

  • Beans
  • Bananas
  • Asparagus
  • Garlic
  • Berries
  • Onions
  • Oats
  • Leeks

 

Probiotics differ from other supplements in that they include living organisms, usually specific strains of bacteria, that contribute to the population of beneficial bacteria in your gut.

Probiotics, like prebiotics, can be consumed through food and supplements. Yogurt is probably the most popular probiotic food. Yogurt is manufactured by fermenting milk with microorganisms that are then left in the finished product. Probiotics can also be found in bacteria-fermented foods like:

  • Kombucha tea
  • Some types of pickles
  • Kimchi
  • Sauerkraut

Live organisms are also present in probiotic supplements. A single dosage may contain a single microbe strain or a mixture of microorganisms. Probiotic supplement companies, like prebiotic supplement companies, target specific ailments like irritable bowel syndrome.

Prebiotics and probiotics operate together. Prebiotics are living probiotics’ breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and they can enhance gut health. Including health-promoting functional foods — such as those that include both prebiotics and probiotics — in your diet will help you become healthier.

Probiotics and prebiotics

Recommended Book: Who Moved My Cheese? By Dr. Spencer Johnson

Recommended Book: Who Moved My Cheese? By Dr. Spencer Johnson

By Dr Spencer Johnson, Foreword by Kenneth Blanchard Ph-D

The story behind the story of “Who Moved My Cheese”:

I first came across “Who Moved My Cheese?” during a rough time in my life. I had just quit after five years in the job and was finding it hard to cope with the change in my routine. The title grabbed my attention, but it was only after I read the book that it made total sense to me since I did feel that someone “moved my cheese”.

The book is made up of three parts: The first is the discussion in which a group of students were sitting together and discussing their lives after a reunion. They all state that they have been struggling with change and that leads one of them to tell a story that he claims will help them all.

The second part is the actual fable and it tells the story of 4 characters, two of them were mice and the other two were littlepeople (the size of mice). The story goes on to show how each one of them reacts to a certain situation in which sudden change was introduced.

“Who Moved My Cheese” takes place in a maze where these four characters are searching for “Cheese”; cheese being a metaphor for what each person wants in life. The maze being where the person spends time looking for what he wants.

The last part of the book is a discussion between the former students about the story itself and how it made them feel about their lives. They would point out which one of the four characters they were in their lives and figure out what they need to change in the way they are living.

This book is enjoyable and easy to read. It might seem like a simple kid’s fable but you will start to realize its depth as you go on reading.

Interested in reading the book? Purchase it here.

The Pros and Cons of Being on Prozac

The Pros and Cons of Being on Prozac

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