If you’re like us and spend a lot of time perusing the grocery aisles, you’ll notice major growth in items proclaiming their use of prebiotics and probiotics. While you might just assume they’re good for you, do you know what each does for your body, and why they matter? Let’s break it down!
Prebiotics
Prebiotics are the non-digestible fiber in food--like in fruit, nuts, and prebiotic tapioca fiber from the tapioca plant, all ingredients found in Zing Bars! Prebiotic fibers feed our beneficial intestinal flora, which synthesize vitamins, protect us from germs and improve our immunity. It’s easy to understand when you break down the latin roots: “pre” means before and “biotic” means bacteria. Prebiotics are what come before the bacteria, i.e. the food source for the beneficial bacteria in our gut.
We call fiber the unsung hero of nutrition because it has so many benefits and gets so little recognition. Most of us know that fiber improves digestive health and regularity. One of the main ways it does that is by acting as a food source for our beneficial bacteria. It also helps us feel full, reducing the temptation to overeat, and lowers our cholesterol by attaching itself to cholesterol molecules which prevents them from entering the blood stream.
Probiotics
Probiotics, on the other hand, are live bacteria that naturally occur in fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi and kombucha. They are referred to as the “good” bacteria that help keep your gut healthy. Probiotics eat prebiotics—and when fed well, they multiply and grow to keep bad bacteria at bay.
For ultimate health, our bodies require both prebiotics and probiotics. Eating both ensures you have the correct balance of bacteria, helping your body function at its peak. Our intestinal bacteria promote nutrient absorption, protect us from germs, improve our immunity and reduce inflammation.
The opposite of good gut bacteria like prebiotics and probiotics, are, you guessed it…bad bacteria. Diets high in sugar and processed foods influence our gut bacteria as well—but in a negative way, acting as the food source for bad bacteria. Eating foods with prebiotics and probiotics help keep the bad bacteria in check, allowing our microbiomes, and our bodies, to thrive.
While we don’t have a sauerkraut or kimchi-flavored Zing Bar yet (grin!) we are making it easy to stock up on both prebiotics and probiotics today by partnering with GoLive Probiotics for a giveaway! Head over to www.instagram.com/zingbars & follow the instructions on how to win some FREE GoLive & Zing goodies! TODAY ONLY!
