“Replenishing good bacteria, nourishing good bacteria”, this is one of the most commonly used slogans when I talk about intestinal health in popular science speeches. “Professor Cai, I drink yogurt every day and take probiotics, why are my bowel movements still not smooth ? ” Food – prebiotics”, only with sufficient food and grass to supplement the weakened intestinal good bacteria, and only with the blessing of foreign probiotics, can they grow rapidly and become more dominant.
Prebiotics, sometimes called prebiotics or prebiotics, include various oligosaccharides and dietary fibers. They are special foods for good intestinal bacteria . Dietary fiber is also a material for making poop and a cleaner for the intestines. Probiotics and prebiotics are called synbiotics, which allow you to supplement and nourish good bacteria. Drinking a bottle of probiotic fermented milk in the morning, accompanied by some dried walnuts and banana kiwi fruit rich in dietary fiber, is the perfect “synbiotic breakfast”. In intestinal health care, both probiotics and prebiotics are the “monarch” in the “monarch, ministers, assistants and envoys” and should not be neglected.
What are prebiotics?
The definition of prebiotics was proposed by Professor GR Gibson and Professor MB Roberfroid in Belgium in 1995. According to their definition, prebiotics will not be decomposed by the human digestive system, and can reach the intestines completely, selectively fermenting and utilizing specific intestinal good bacteria , accelerating the proliferation, and thus improving human health. The concept of synbiotics was also proposed by the two of them.
The “specific good gut bacteria” in the minds of the two professors mainly refer to bifidobacteria. Strictly speaking, only inulin, fructooligosaccharide, lactulose and galactooligosaccharide meet their definition of prebiotics. Even if the health care function is indeed clear, it has not yet fully met the definition of which intestinal bacteria can be proliferated.
From my point of view, most scholars do not care that the definition is strict or not. If they publicly say that other functional oligosaccharides or dietary fiber in food are not prebiotics, they will be laughed at. Many natural plants and ingredients are rich in dietary fiber, including whole grains, jicama, mushrooms, algae, vegetables and fruits, which are good sources of dietary fiber. These natural ingredients, as well as honey, dairy products, etc., also contain oligosaccharides, but the content is not high. Like probiotics, oligosaccharides have strong health care functions, but they are not easy to obtain in sufficient quantities from natural ingredients, so they are important topics for industrial research and development.
A healthy diet high in fiber is the cornerstone of health
Insufficient fiber intake is the norm in modern people. It is recommended to take fiber from three meals attentively, and know how to make good use of high-fiber health care products to supplement insufficient. When taking it, remember to follow the product instructions and drink plenty of water. Sufficient amount of water may cause constipation, because fiber is eaten into the intestines, but not enough water is added at the same time. When the fiber is fully swelled, it is not easy to be pushed in the intestines.
