All disease begins in the gut.
Hippocrates
Prebiotics vs. probiotics
| Prebiotics | Probiotics |
| carbohydrates, non-living, non digestible by humans | live microorganisms |
| food for friendly bacteria | bacteria or yeast |
| roots, bitter greens, fruits, grains | yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut |
Prebiotics multiply probiotic benefits & produce faster results
Consume prebiotics before or with probiotics
Prebiotic examples
Vegetables
USDA values in g/100 g (100g = ~1/4 cup)
| Vegetable | Inulin | Oligofructose |
| asparagus, raw | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| asparagus, boiled | 1.7 | 1.7 |
| burdock root | ||
| chicory root | 41.6 | 22.9 |
| daikon radish | ||
| dandelion greens, raw | 13.5 | 10.8 |
| dandelion greens, cooked | 9.1 | 7.3 |
| dandelion root | ||
| garlic, raw | 12.5 | 5.0 |
| garlic, dried | 28.2 | 11.3 |
| globe artichoke | 4.4 | .4 |
| jerusalem artichoke | 18.0 | 13.5 |
| jicama | ||
| leaks, raw | 5.6 | 5.2 |
| onions, raw | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| onions, raw dried | 18.3 | 18.3 |
| onions, cooked | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| yam/sweet potatoe | ||
| yacon root |
Fruits
| apples | |
| bananas | |
| blueberries | |
| grapefruit | |
| kiwi | |
| nectarines | |
| white peaches | |
| pears | |
| persimmon | |
| plantain | |
| pomegranates | |
| watermelon++ |
Grains
Other
| almonds | |
| cinnamon | |
| cocoa (1) | |
| coconut | |
| honey | |
| turmeric | |
| seaweed | |
(1) The live probiotics in yogurt feast on the cocoa (dark chocolate) and increase the health benefits of both the yogurt and the cocoa. Click here to learn more.
Inulin
No USDA recommendations for Daily Value of inulin
American diets: about 2.6 g of inulin and 2.5 g of oligofructose/day (USDA)
Ancient Mexican civilizations: probably over 100g of inulin/day (Dr. Axe)
Gut health
Similarities between plant health and human health
The plant’s root system in the soil is about the same size as the plant above the ground. If the soil around the roots is not healthy, then the plant is not going to thrive. When we look at the gut wall of the human digestive system under the electron microscope, we see a very similar picture. The absorptive surface of the gut has finger-like protrusions called villi. Every villus has long, thin, stringy hairs called microvilli. These are the roots of our health, and they’re sitting in their own soil, which is our gut flora. Recent research has discovered that about 90 percent of all cells and genetic material in the human body is our gut flora. If that ‘soil’ is unhealthy, poisoned by antibiotics or other chemicals, then the roots of your health are sick. As a result your body cannot be healthy.
DR. NATASHA CAMPBELL-MCBRIDE
Some things that encourage healthy gut bacteria
- fresh, home cooked foods
- vitamins D and K2
- minerals
- prebiotics & probiotics
Some things that can harm gut bacteria
- stress
- antibiotics
Homemade yogurt can have more probiotics and more strains of probiotics than store bought yogurt. When used consistently, it can be beneficial to your gut. The goal is usually to increase the number of beneficial bacteria and to have more variety of beneficial bacteria.