In addition to eating on time, choosing easily digestible and freshly cooked foods, eating foods that contain good microorganisms called Probiotics is another option that will help take care of our digestive system. It’s not just Probiotics that we should get to know, but there’s also Prebiotics, an important duo… that will help you take care of your digestive health more effectively.
You may have heard the terms probiotics and prebiotics before. The names may sound similar, but they are actually not the same.
- Probiotics are live microorganisms found in the human gut and fermented foods, such as yogurt, tempeh, UFABET or kombucha. They can survive stomach acid and bile and travel into the large intestine, where other living microorganisms live. The more of these microorganisms your body has, the better it is for you.
- Prebiotics are food for the microbes in the gut. Like the microbes, prebiotics must survive the digestive tract and make it to the colon. When prebiotics are metabolized and matured by the microbes in the colon, they produce beneficial short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). These short-chain fatty acids play an important role in providing energy to colon cells, producing intestinal mucus, reducing inflammation, and supporting the immune system. Different microbes have different requirements for prebiotics.
Benefits of Prebiotics
- Make the body have strong immunity and not get sick easily.
- Prebiotics can help boost the immune system in the digestive tract.
- Helps balance the digestive system
- Makes stools fibrous and soft for easy excretion.
- Prevents diarrhea (caused by gastrointestinal infections)
- Helps increase the number of beneficial microorganisms in the intestines. Helps inhibit the growth of disease-causing microorganisms, thus reducing the chances of intestinal infections.
- Helps reduce the risk of various chronic diseases.
- Prebiotics bind to fats and sugars in the digestive tract, slowing down the body’s absorption of fats and increasing the excretion of cholesterol, thus helping with weight control.
- Helps in the absorption of calcium and magnesium minerals, thus helping to strengthen bones.
- Prebiotic dietary fiber is fermented by microorganisms in the intestines, resulting in fatty acids that stimulate the release of a substance that makes the brain perceive a feeling of fullness and stomach comfort.
For the reason that Prebiotic is a good food that is beneficial for Probiotic, these two things should be added to the body at the same time so that Probiotic can work at its full potential. The food groups that are found in Probiotic are, as we often hear, milk, yogurt, or pickles. As for the food groups that are high in Prebiotic, they include garlic, cabbage, avocado, and bananas.