Are Prebiotics and Probiotics the Same?

You have literally trillions of bacteria living in your gut, but you know what? When it comes to the gut microbiome, more is more. Bacteria are essential to your gut health, period. They help break up and digest food, maintain overall gut health and support the immune system, too. The more good bacteria hanging out in your intestines, the less room there is for harmful bacteria that can cause discomfort. What are probiotics and why are they important? That’s where probiotics come in: they’re food or supplements that contain the types of bacteria you want on your team! Some of the most common ones are called Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, but there are many different species and strains of probiotics, with different effects on human health. Some of the more well-researched benefits of taking probiotics include: Improving mild gut disorder symptoms Relieving gas and bloating Promoting balance in the gut microbiome Aiding the growth of beneficial bacteria after using antibiotics What are prebiotics and what do they do? Yes, you read right: there are prebiotics too. And what a difference does one letter make! Prebiotics are types of fibre that our body isn't able to digest. Instead, they serve as fuel for probiotic bacteria. They boast health benefits such as balancing blood sugar levels and aiding in the absorption of bone-strengthening minerals. Chicory root, garlic, leafy greens, legumes and bananas are all great dietary sources of prebiotics. Probiotics + prebiotics = ? Have you done the mental math yet? If so, you may have noticed that it’s a great idea to take probiotics and prebiotics together! Supplements that combine both are known as synbiotics. Combined, probiotics and prebiotics encourage the growth and survival of the probiotic bacteria you’re taking in. This maximizes the health benefits you would receive from taking probiotics or prebiotics alone. Other than the gut health benefits provided by probiotics discussed earlier, taking a synbiotic supplement can help with: Immunity: a balanced gut microbiome is an important element in ensuring your immunity is in working order, helping condition the immune system to different types of bacteria. Synbiotics seem to also help reduce intestinal and overall inflammation, according to a few animal studies. Heart health: Synbiotics may have an effect on how our body metabolizes fats, with potential benefits in controlling cholesterol levels. Making sure to include probiotic and prebiotic foods in your diet is a great way to keep your gut microbiome happy and balanced. If you need a helping hand (or millions of tiny ones!), consider a synbiotic supplement, like Organika’s Probiotic + Prebiotic powder, for an easy daily boost to your gut health! For a probiotic that can help you out with bacteria-caused infections, check out our new Probiotic + Cranberry!

From baby to adult, probiotics are necessary for good health. There are a lot of buzzwords surrounding the gut microbiome, many of which can be confusing to navigate. The one fundamental piece is the role those good bacteria or ‘probiotics’ plays in our overall health and wellbeing. Let’s Talk Microbiome Research is exploding with new information about how our gut’s function extends far beyond digestion, affecting things like mental health and mood, immune health, cardiovascular health and weight management to name a few. Think of your microbiome as an entire ecosystem. A community of microorganisms including bacteria, located mainly in your intestines, that play an enormous role in our overall health. These bacteria help with digestion of our food and nutrients, but we are learning that their role extends far beyond that. Did you know... It is estimated that roughly 40 trillion bacterial cells and up to 1,000 different species of bacteria are found in the gut and make up 1-3% of our overall body weight. (2-6lbs!) Probiotics Are Good Bacteria Probiotics are ‘good bacteria’ that are important at every stage of life. By incorporating these into your diet or supplement routine, you help keep ‘bad bacteria’ at bay. The microbiome develops early on and continues to diversify as we age. There are many ways to shape the diversity of our beneficial bacteria including the following 9 points. Eat a diverse range and variety of food. Higher microbiome diversity is considered better for overall health. In particular, fibrous foods like legumes, whole grains, fruit, and vegetables. Eat fermented foods. Think sauerkraut, tempeh, kombucha and kefir. These live bacterial cultures will restore gut flora and prevent an overgrowth of the bad bacteria. Eat prebiotic foods. This type of fiber will stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria. Think artichokes, banana, apple, oats and asparagus Eat whole grains. Not only do they contain a lot of fiber, but beneficial carbs like beta glucan which are digested by the gut bacteria, help benefit weight, cancer risk, and diabetes. Eat foods rich in polyphenols. Plant compounds in wine, green tea and dark chocolate are broken down by the gut to produce healthy bacterial growth Get tested for food sensitivities. Foods that your body can’t digest, further contribute to underlying inflammation. Stress management (think acid reflux, ulcers) Exercise regularly! Supplement with excellent quality probiotics. Everyone Needs Probiotics at Any Age Babies, children, and adults can all benefit from a good quality probiotic. By adding a probiotic into your daily routine, you continue to help create a strong gut flora. This in turn, strengthens the immune system and contributes to overall health. For Little Ones For babies, probiotic drops are recommended, as they are easy to add to a bottle or simply in the mouth directly... Organika has one with Vitamin D - Baby Probiotic Drops with Vitamin D. Kids can enjoy Probiotic Chewable Tablets, and adults can benefit from both a Probiotic + Prebiotic Powder. It is never too late to incorporate a good probiotic into your supplement routine if you haven’t already started. To support diversity of bacteria, I also look for a multi-strain probiotic, meaning there are many sources of good bacteria. You can achieve health for the whole family, simply by taking care of your gut flora.

By now we have all heard about “probiotics” or “probiotic rich" foods as our digestive tract and its health is becoming a big topic in our overall health. Probiotics are becoming more and more critical as research continuously shows how beneficial these healthy bacteria strains are to our health. WHAT ARE PROBIOTICS? So what exactly are probiotics and why do they get so much hype? Well for starters, let us get right into the name! The word “Pro" is a Greek word for promoting and “biotic” is the meaning for life. Probiotics, when you research it or read about them online, are known as live organisms that are essential for promoting a healthy balance of “ good “ bacteria in our digestive tract. They are what is known as “ healthy”, “good”, “friendly “ bacterial strains that are known to increase optimal digestive health and increase and support our immunity. Excellent or healthy bacteria have an essential role in our digestive tracts – they are our bodies defence against the viruses and harmful bacteria that we encounter. WHAT DOES OUR DIGESTIVE TRACT DO? Our digestive tract houses thousands of microbiota (our microbiome) responsible for the functioning of our digestive health. It is essential for us to have a balance of both good and bad bacteria in our digestive tract otherwise symptoms of dysbiosis can occur ( think IBD, Crohns, Colitis, Celiacs disease ). So how do we get imbalances of healthy bacteria in our digestive tract and why do we need to supplement? Multiple factors play a role in our digestive health and bacteria. When we have dysbiosis as mentioned above, our intestinal flora can be off track. A few contributing factors to dysbiosis can be the following: Antibiotic Use ( they kill both the good and bad bacteria ) A diet high in sugar Candida / SIBO Not enough Prebiotic-rich foods ( essential for building up healthy bacteria in our digestive tract ) Stress High amounts of Caffeine Alcohol Over time our digestive tract health and generally our immunity starts to undergo changes, and we can feel start to feel sick or experience symptoms of a sluggish digestive tract. Often symptoms of dysbiosis can be : Bloating Constipation Flatulence Food sensitivities Intestinal regulation Motility Skin conditions (eczema, psoriasis, acne ) Quite often we can live with these conditions mentioned above without realizing that our digestive tract is low in beneficial bacteria known to help fight off the harmful bacteria’s. That is where the world of probiotics come in. HOW DO YOU CHOOSE PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTS? Now, this is a vast subject, to understand the dynamics of our digestive tract and how the many different strains of bacteria’s out there play a role (There are over 400 different types of strains). When you go to purchase probiotics, it can be overwhelming. I often get asked, "How do you choose?" and "Which brand do you choose?" That is an excellent question! I usually suggest to my clients to look for a probiotic with more than 3 different strains! Each strain of bacteria that you find in probiotics is beneficial to various health benefits! The most common strains that you see in probiotics are: Bifidobacterium animalis. Lactobacillus Lactobacillus acidophilus. Another essential factor to consider when you are purchasing probiotics is to ensure that they are stomach acid stable ( meaning that they are enteric coated and will withstand your stomach acid after ingestion). You also want to consider the CFU amount ( Colony forming units ) – this is how much of the particular strain is in this specific probiotic. The higher the CFU, the higher the amount of strain. I like to suggest anything higher than 15, 000 CFU’s and up to 75,000 a day. A lot I know, however depending on your digestive tract, this can be a game changer to some of your symptoms. PROBIOTIC FOODS TO CONSUME: Another critical factor to point out as well when discussing probiotics are “ probiotic-rich foods”. I hear lots of my clients tell me how they eat lots of probiotic-rich foods; therefore they don’t need to supplement with a probiotic. Probiotic-rich foods are foods that have gone through a fermentation process ( kombucha, yoghurt, sauerkraut, kimchi). Although they are probiotic-rich foods – they aren’t probiotic strains. They are essential in building up the good, healthy bacteria flora in our digestive tract ( similar to the role of prebiotics). They, however, do not add in essential bacterias like a probiotic supplement does. I generally suggest doing both for increased digestive health and a good healthy digestive tract flora. CONCLUSION: When we think of Probiotics – I like to acknowledge the power of them and their overall health benefits. I want to nickname them “ natures anti-biotics” as they play the same role in our body as anti-biotics do without destroying the balance of good and bad bacteria. Probiotics help increase the stability of intestinal flora, help strengthen our immunity, assist with nutrient absorption, prevent diseases, toxins and harmful parasites from affecting our health as well as play a beneficial role in our skin health. Paired with foods rich in prebiotics ( foods rich in inulin – asparagus, garlic, onions, leeks, dandelion root), probiotics can flourish in our digestive tract with supplementation and a healthy lifestyle. Often within two weeks of supplementing with probiotics people will notice a significant reduction in their gastrointestinal symptoms, a change in their skin health as well as their overall daily health. I generally like to recommend to my clients to supplement with probiotics daily. Over time and due to our lifestyles the imbalance in our intestinal flora can change, and we don’t have the same amount of beneficial flora as we did as babies. I like to recommend taking a probiotic daily and at bedtime. Organika carries two different types of probiotics that are both enteric coated and have the essential strains for healthy intestinal flora. -RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS- Active Acidophilus Super Active Multi-Dophilus Probiotic that forms part of a natural, healthy gut flora. A comprehensive blend of probiotics that promote healthy microbial balance and supports the function of the digestive tract. – Chelan Wilkins, RHN – National Education Trainer