Jordan: You've probably heard of probiotics, those little bugs in your gut that help you
stay healthy.
But have you heard of prebiotics?
In fact, prebiotics maybe the missing link to your gut health.
I'm Jordan Rubin here for Ancient Medicine Today, brought to you by draxe.com where we
teach you how to make food your medicine.
Today we're going to talk about prebiotics, benefits and sources and how you can make
sure to consume super foods rich in these indigestible fibers each and every day.
Let's get started.
Prebiotics, what are they?
Typically, and I say typically because there are some exceptions, they're non-digestible
fiber compounds.
Oligosaccharides is an example of a prebiotic.
They are non-digestible by your small intestine in your stomach but your colon, more preferentially,
your bacteria can ferment these and multiply.
That's why they are prebiotics.
Feed and increase probiotics and your body can't fully break them down.
They're fermented in the colon and other prebiotics are known as fructans and galactans.
Prebiotics, in short, fuel your beneficial bacteria.
But here's the big news, why should you use prebiotics?
Why should you care about them and what will they do for you?
Number one, you will derive better gut health when you consume prebiotics.
Some prebiotics increase your probiotic bacteria, your beneficial microbes by a factor of two,
four, six, or eight.
Very, very important to be aware of this.
Some foods may not be as high in vitamins and minerals or even essential fats but they
contain prebiotics which make your gut healthier.
Also, you're going to have an improvement in your immune system and even be protected
from cancer.
Certain colon cancers are shown to be lower in those that consume higher amounts of prebiotics.
Cardiovascular health.
Indigestible fiber or prebiotics can help your heart.
This helps with balancing your cholesterol, your triglycerides, and even your blood sugar.
Prebiotics help with weight loss.
Not only do they grow your probiotics but they help you feel more full.
So if you consume a diet rich in prebiotic foods, you can expect to be leaner and you're
going to find out in the future that the balance of your gut, your microbiome can play a big
role in winning the "battle of the bulge," as they call it.
Stronger bones, yes prebiotics help increase probiotics which help you break down nutrients
including calcium, vitamin K, strontium, boron, magnesium, vitamin D, other nutrients that
help you build bones.
More prebiotics equals stronger bones.
So particularly postmenopausal women, teenagers, athletes, you all need stronger bones.
We all do.
Prebiotics can help you get there.
And a better mood.
We know that the gut is the second brain.
The more beneficial microbes you have in your gut, the more your brain is happy.
Prebiotics can boost your mood.
What's so interesting is the over 25% of adults that are on some kind of antidepressant or
antianxiety medication, that's in America, they could benefit from consuming prebiotic
food.
So how do you get prebiotics in your diet?
Long list, but here it is.
Acacia gum.
This is a fiber from a tree.
You can find it in health food stores.
You can find it organically.
Don't go eating tree bark, but acacia gum contains soluble fiber which is known as a
prebiotic.
Raw chicory root.
Chicory contains FOS or fructooligosaccharides.
Those are indigestible carbohydrates that help grow your beneficial microbes, a primary
prebiotic.
Jerusalem artichoke, another source of what you would call FOS.
Another name for Jerusalem artichoke is sunchoke, dandelion greens, garlic, and leeks.
These contain fructooligosaccharides prebiotics.
Then you've got onions, jicama, asparagus, and here's an interesting one, under-ripe
bananas.
Under-ripe bananas and plantains contain enzymes and prebiotics.
Also one that didn't make the list but you should be aware of, tiger nuts.
Tiger nuts, also known as ground almonds or hedgehog, tubers, lot of different names.
Tiger nuts are an excellent source of resistant starch or prebiotic fiber.
So get prebiotics in your diet.
If you look at this list, you're also going to find that they contain many other benefits,
certainly garlic is antifungal, antibacterial.
They're sources of fiber.
They help your blood sugar, they help your gut, they help your heart.
Really, really meaningful results when you consume prebiotics.
Dandelion greens and asparagus are both great for either your kidneys or your liver.
So you're getting a myriad of benefits from consuming these prebiotic foods.
I'm Jordan Rubin and we're talking about prebiotics.
So we talked about prebiotics being good for your gut.
We talked about prebiotics being good for your immune system, even preventing cancers
such as colon cancer.
Prebiotics can be great for your heart, cardiovascular function.
Prebiotics can even help you build strong bones and prebiotics are very good for your
brain.
So here's what I want you to do.
if you're somebody who wants improvements in those areas, check out these following
foods.
Make sure to share this video with someone you know or love and love that wants better
gut health or wants to know just what the heck is prebiotics.
By the way, we are here each and every day on Ancient Medicine Today sharing with you
information that we believe will transform your health.
Ancient Medicine Today is brought to you by draxe.com where we believe that food is medicine.
So share this video and stay tuned each day for more powerful health information on Ancient
Medicine Today.
God bless you.
Dr. Axe: Hi, Dr. Axe here.
I want to say thanks so much for checking out this YouTube video and also, don't forget
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Thanks for watching.