Wellness

[truffle]

I looked it up and read that prebiotics feeds probiotics and without it the probiotics we take and that are already in our gut will die off.  For optimum health we apparently need prebiotics.  

Prebiotics are in legumes, onions, whole wheat, asparagus to name a few foods but apparently we're not getting enough and supplements that we are expected to take daily are being sold now.  I looked at them at the health food store and they are outrageously expensive.  Many are formulated by a physician.  Legit?

[2blonde]

Seems like it would be simpler (and cheaper) to just eat the items you listed.  I'm already doing that!

[SilleeMee]

I think if you eat a healthy diet then you don't need to buy and consume a prebiotic supplement unless you have an allergy, disease or some other reason not to eat the things you listed. Most prebiotic sups I've seen are expensive, too.

[QueenDanceALot]

I am totally in favor of eating prebiotic foods.  If you already have a healthy gut they will help to keep it that way.

However, if you have a compromised digestive system, you may need a good PRObiotic along with eating prebiotic foods.  It is a good idea, IMO (and not just MY opinion, but the opinion of others in the health field) that you work with a good nutritionist and/or holistic physician to determine the best strains of probiotics for YOU.  That might entail blood work and food intolerance tests.  

True, probiotic supplements are not cheap, but if the prebiotic foods aren't cutting it for you, isn't it worth trying a good probiotic?

I see many very good ones that will cost you about $30 / month.  I don't see that as an exhorbitant amount to spend for good gut health.  People blow that much money in a week on junk!

[Q4u]

I strongly believe that if a Doctor recommends taking any kind of supplement then that's fine, but I think that a heathy diet will often do more for us than all these supplements out there.

I personally already have the most expensive pee in town....  

[ALRATIBA]

I just looked at a listing online of prebiotic foods .... I eat all of that stuff ... all the time.  I'm "flexitarian."   Vegetarian Times magazine (and website) has great recipes.

Irregularity has never been a problem for me!

[truffle]

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@ALRATIBA wrote:

I just looked at a listing online of prebiotic foods .... I eat all of that stuff ... all the time.  I'm "flexitarian."   Vegetarian Times magazine (and website) has great recipes.

Irregularity has never been a problem for me!

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@ALRATIBA Same here.  Having the right balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut is what I am trying to achieve to avoid illness like colds, flu and allergies.  Simply eating sugar can distrupt the balance.  I take a probiotic each day but that will be useless if food I am eating is not enough to put it back in balance.  Probiotics need prebiotics and there are prebiotic supplements out there not just probiotic.  @QueenDanceALot

[truffle]

@QueenDanceALot I guess what I seek is the answer to my question does gut health really protect a person from illness like colds, flu and allergies.    I can only go by what I read but there's so much out there it's hard to know what actually works.  When I take my probiotics each day I can tell you with 100% certainty that it does not keep me healthy from the afforementioned.  If prebiotics is the magic bullet I'll take that everyday for the rest of my life.  

[QueenDanceALot]

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@truffle wrote:

@QueenDanceALot I guess what I seek is the answer to my question does gut health really protect a person from illness like colds, flu and allergies.    I can only go by what I read but there's so much out there it's hard to know what actually works.  When I take my probiotics each day I can tell you with 100% certainty that it does not keep me healthy from the afforementioned.  If prebiotics is the magic bullet I'll take that everyday for the rest of my life.  

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There is a plethora of research out there that supports the theory that gut health is crucial to immune health.  BUT it is a multi-faceted issue.  It would be nice to just take a probiotic or eat a bunch of prebiotic foods and BAM your gut is fixed.

I mentioned in my post that it can be a process to find out what YOUR gut needs in order to be healthy.  Several years ago I developed a leaky gut, which was diagnosed by my integrative physician.  I had extensive bloodwork, including food intolerance panels.  I ate "healthy", but I found out I was incapable of digesting many proteins because of the leaky gut.  I ended up at the physician because I was having severe gastro issues for months and was losing energy, weight, and general ability to live my life.  The doctor did not just tell me to take a probiotic, but a probiotic was part of a very restricted diet that I needed to follow for close to a year.  And when I say restrictied, I mean RESTRICTED.  I thought I'd lose my mind.  But I got better.  MUCH better.  I felt FANTASTIC after following the regime (which included chewing food until it was liquid before I swallowed it.  I could not eat many of the items mentioned on this thread which are considered "prebiotic".  

It is a very individual process and if you have the sort of gastro issues I would suggest going to an integrative physician who is well versed in gut health.  Just handing you a pill isn't going to fix you.

P.S.  I should mention that I developed leaky gut from several rounds of antibiotics that just destroyed the flora balance..  And no amount of yogurt or Align was going to heal it.  But a good probiotic (with the strains that YOU NEED is a tool in the process)

[truffle]

@QueenDanceALot thank you. You have helped me and I appreciate it.