We often hear lots about the importance of probiotics – the vast array of living, little bugs that help promote and support our health and digestion. One of the lesser spoken about heroes of gut and digestive function are prebiotics; special types of fibre that pass through our digestive tract relatively unchanged until it reaches our large intestine. Once the prebiotics get there, they provide a fuel source for our probiotics. If you think about probiotics being the ‘lead singer’ of our digestive symphony, prebiotics are kind of like the stage-crew. You need to have a good functioning team, with the right set up otherwise it doesn’t matter how amazing the super star is, the show will not go on!

How do prebiotics work?

Prebiotics ensure that our probiotics can do their job in our digestive system by ensuring that they have enough energy. As our probiotics go to work munching up all the prebiotics, they produce a number of beneficial substances that help maintain bowel pH, which in turn keeps inflammation rates in check. Research shows that people who have a diet low in prebiotics tend to be at higher risk of bowel cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, constipation, diarrhoea, polyps, poor immune function and decrease nutrient absorption – especially calcium.

How much should we be aiming for?

For the average person, it is recommended that we try and consume about 4 – 8g of prebiotics each day. For those people with digestive complaints, we usually try and increased this to about 10 – 15grams per day. The preference is always to try and achieve this through a dietary approach, although in some instances, a supplement might be needed (i.e. especially if you can’t stomach or don’t like the foods that are rich in prebiotics). One thing that we also need to be mindful of initially is the quality of the probiotics currently in your system. Sometimes we need to do a little bit of work ensuring that the balance is right and then we go in and feed them up to ensure they can set themselves up nicely.

Where do we find Prebiotics?

Prebiotics are rich in the following foods.

  • Jerusalem artichoke
  • Asparagus
  • Brussel Sprouts
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Oats
  • Psyllium
  • Apples
  • Leeks

Legumes and pulses (many people who have gut issues can react to these unfavourably, so be mindful of this if you start increasing your consumption).

When to talk to a naturopath

Consuming prebiotic foods is important for everyone, however if you have an infection or imbalance in your gut (i.e. you notice you haven’t been well since a bout of Bali-Belly, food poisoning or course of antibiotics) then it might be a good time to make an appointment to chat to a naturopath. Sometimes we need to go in and rebalance your bacterial balance by either killing off the overgrowth of bad bugs or assisting with putting the good ones in. Signs you should look out for include bloating immediately after a meal (within 60 minutes of eating), mushy bowel movements, mucus in your stool and lack of appetite or stomach pains/swelling.