The one word that has been wildly doing the rounds in the media and amid health enthusiasts is ‘Probiotics.’ At some point or another, we are certain that you too must have heard all about the claims adjoined to it. However, ever wondered what it actually is? There’s probiotics and there’s also it’s pre-cursor ‘prebiotics.’ For all our curious readers on the web, we decided to put together a table shedding light on some basics. So here it is, an introduction to your 100 trillion friends!

 PROBIOTICS PREBIOTICS
What are they?Live bacteria that are present in food (particularly dairy products) and also naturally found in our body. These bacteria are helpful in promoting Vitamin A, vitamin K and biotin.  Prebiotics, on the  contrary,  are specialized  plant fibers  that nourish  the good  bacteria already  present in  the colon/gut.  You could call  them good  bacteria  promoters.
Where could I find them?
  • Milk/Soy milk
  • Yogurt
  • Buttermilk
  • Fermented foods   (dhokla, idli, dosa)
  • Cheese
  • Paneer
 Many fruits and  vegetables.  Some  examples below:

  • Apples
  • Bananas
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Lentils/Daal
  • Kidney Beans
  • Asparagus
  • Spring onions
  • Soybeans
  • Chickpeas/Kabuli chana
How will they help me?
  • Will soothe stomach lining
  • Alleviate diarrhea
  • Lower episodes of irritatble bowel disease
  • Promote overall well-being of the gut
  • Will fertilize the good bacteria and stifle production of the bad, disease-causing bacteria
  • Helps stabilize blood sugar
  • Suppression of bad cholesterol (LDL)
  • Help counter inflammatory bowel disease

Now that you better understand what probiotics and prebiotics could do for you, make sure you take advantage of this knowledge and add them onto your diet. Probiotics fueled by prebiotics just might keep the doctor away!