Before you start taking something, you want to know what’s in it. Will it help you? Will it hurt you? Is it going to make any kind of impact at all? We’re here to help you understand what you’re putting in your body so that you can make a more informed decision in choosing what is best for your body’s specific needs.
Fructooligosaccharides, inulin, and galactooligosaccharides. That’s what you are more than likely to find on most bottles of prebiotic fiber powder. But, those big silly-sounding words don’t really explain much. The fact is, they are all-natural substances found in whole foods that are concentrated into a powder, and used to feed the good bacteria in your gut.
The human body can’t digest these things in such a large quantity. Not to worry, you won’t have it in your stomach forever and the lack of digestion can’t hurt you. Prebiotic fiber helps your stomach and digestive system grow a type of bacteria that helps your body break down and digest your food. “Fiber” is usually a sign that something is meant to help regulate your digestion and bowel movements. When your body can more easily process what is being into it, and easily expel waste, it can help you lose weight, relieve abdominal pain or discomfort, ease issues such as chronic gas and constipation, and it can even change the way you eat. There may be certain foods you couldn’t stomach very easily before, and after using prebiotic fiber powder, you can all of a sudden have those foods without the discomfort that used to come with it.
A lot of people tend to conflate dietary fiber and prebiotic fiber. The difference is, dietary fiber is just a fiber supplement that helps only at the time you’ve taken it. Prebiotic fiber is meant to make long-term, some even suggest permanent, changes to your gut chemistry. Dietary fiber can also be digested, whereas prebiotic fiber stays in your body until it has been used by the bacteria living in your system. When the bacteria feeds on prebiotic fiber, it changes the way the bacteria works, making it more beneficial and more useful to your body’s digestive tract. Once you’ve been taking it for a while, you can see the benefits even after you stop taking it for a while. Usually, the benefits of dietary fiber only last from one bowel movement to the next.
This is not to say that dietary fiber can’t be good or useful, it just doesn’t make the same long-lasting impact that prebiotic fiber does.
In addition to using prebiotic powder, you can also incorporate some foods into your diet that have lots of natural prebiotics, just as an extra boost. Some of these foods are:
There are some prebiotic fiber powders that contain other nutrients from these foods, in case you don’t like the taste of any of them. You can also find whole food supplements to replace these foods. If you’re already open to most of these foods, it may just be a matter of asking for a wheat bun instead of white or potato bun when you order a burger or sandwich (depending on what the restaurant has to offer). Making these small changes can make a big difference, especially in conjunction with using prebiotic fiber.
That’s all it is. Gut food. Prebiotic fiber is just natural carbons found in natural foods that feed the bacteria in your gut to promote and support a healthier you.