Top 8 Prebiotic Foods for Canadians

Prebiotics are non-digestible compounds found in certain foods which aid in supporting the friendly bacteria that are present in your gut microbiome.

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

In addition to its health-promoting properties in the gut, prebiotics have been shown to host other benefits to your health, connecting the microbiome to health as a whole!

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.