Special Topic: A Primer on Prebiotics for Healthy Digestion
Billions of bacteria live naturally in everyone’s digestive
system. Some of these bacteria can be beneficial to health while
others can be potentially harmful. The health of your digestive
system depends on the presence and balance of “good” and “bad”
bacteria. Certain foods containing substances known as
prebiotics can support the growth and activity of “good”
bacteria in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. There is growing
interest in foods that promote healthy digestion. Prebiotics are
substances that help naturally regulate your digestive system by
encouraging “good” bacteria to thrive in your intestines. Simply
put, specific prebiotics are the food to feed specific good
bacteria in the gut for a specific health benefit. Research
suggests that a positive balance of good bacteria helps your
digestive system maintain its normal health because potentially
harmful bacteria are less abundant or less able to cause
problems. Many prebiotics are classified