Top 8 Prebiotic Foods For Canadians
You may or may not be familiar with these non-digestible compounds of which include short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, acetate, and propionate.
Prebiotics are resistant to the harsh environments of the gastrointestinal tract including gastric acid, bile, and digestive enzymes allowing them to reach their destination site unbothered and ready for action
It is important to diversify the types of prebiotic foods you are consuming because different types of prebiotic foods are responsible for supporting your gut’s diverse microbial profile. Implementing prebiotic foods into your diet is the easiest and most commonly used intervention used to sustain a healthy microbiome or restore the balance within an unstable microbiome.
Try this healthy gut intervention at home by adding these 8 prebiotic foods to your next grocery list.
- Asparagus
- Garlic
- Leeks
- Onions
- Bananas
- Jerusalem artichoke
- Chicory
- Cocoa
- Prebiotics can help prevent cardiovascular disease
- Alleviate or prevent gastrointestinal infections and gut inflammation
- Aid in weight management
- Promote healthy aging
- Help prevent cancer
- Prevent or postpone the onset of osteoporosis
Summary
Prebiotics are high in non-digestible carbohydrates (NODs) most commonly derived from plant and vegetable sources. Foods high in NODs help support digestive health and promote the increase of friendly bacteria in your gut. Prebiotic foods have also been shown to reduce inflammation and help precent certain disease. A gutcheck analysis can help personalize your grocery list further to include prebiotic foods that align with your unique microbiome needs – and pave your way to a more balanced microbiome.
References:
[1] Quigley, E. M. (2019). Prebiotics and probiotics in digestive health. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 17(2), 333-344.
[3] Florowska, A., Krygier, K., Florowski, T., & Dłużewska, E. (2016). Prebiotics as functional food ingredients preventing diet-related diseases. Food & function, 7(5), 2147-2155.
