Prebiotics are closely related to probiotics, and there is a good reason for that. They work together and can help improve your uptake of nutrients and vitamins.
Prebiotics means “before the living”. So unlike the living probiotics, prebiotics are not bacteria.
Prebiotics = Probiotics´ lunch box
Prebiotics are plant based components in your food such as dietary fiber. They work as a nourishment for the bacteria in your intestinal system. So, simplified, it is delicious food for your gut bacteria so that they can thrive and increase in numbers.
Why is prebiotics important?
The reason to eat prebiotics is to increase the amount of health promoting bacteria in the intestinal system and at the same time create poor growth conditions for the less good bacterial strains. Bacteria are like humans, very different and therefore they do not eat the same. The more varied your diet, the greater the diversity of the gut bacteria that get food. Therefore, the natural prebiotics you eat daily will be important if you want to maintain or improve your gut flora.
- Provides nourishment to health promoting bacteria
- Is found naturally in fiber rich foods
Prebiotics in your diet
As mentioned, you will find prebiotics in fiber rich foods. Whole grain products will create a good base along with lots of coarse vegetables and delicious fruit.
You will also find prebiotics in beautiful flavors such as ginger, garlic and sage, so a spicy diet is also good for your gut bacteria.
Up your dietary fiber in all forms:
- beans, lentils, berries, peas, nuts and whole grains
- cold potatoes, asparagus, onions, artichoke, whole grains and avocado
- sauerkraut, kimchi and other fermented vegetables
- Kefir, yogurt, A38, skyr and miso
- Did you also know that the fiber rich collagen mix COLLAGEN YELLOW BLAST has a total of 13 percent dietary fiber from four different berries? It is therefore the perfect supplement to a healthy and varied diet.
Inulin & FOS
In Vild Nord we use two types of prebiotics - inulin from chicory and FOS from sugarcane.
Inulin is a carbohydrate found in many of the plants we know and eat daily. The carbohydrate is stored in the roots of, for example leeks, garlic and chicory. Chicory is grown as a salad but also grows wildly in Denmark and adorns beach meadows and ditch edges with beautiful blue flowers in late summer.
Fructo-Oligosaccharides (FOS) are plant sugar that is found in many fruits and vegetables. FOS will not be digested until they reach the colon. In the colon, they digest like chicory by good bacteria.
Prebiotics in Vild Nord Probiotics
We have prebiotics in two of our probiotic products. You can read more about Daily Flora Probiotics here or throwing you over Immune probiotics, if you need to strengthen the immune system.