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" In recent years, much of the biggest news in food sales has focused on some of the tiniest ingredients: probiotics, microbes that benefit your health. But now they&amp;#039;re not the only &amp;quot;biotic&amp;quot; generating headlines \u2014 and sales. Prebiotics are showing up in health bars, cereals, and more. These are not microbes, but a type of soluble fiber that nourishes the good bacteria in your gut. Prebiotics are often added to foods billed as &amp;quot;high in fiber&amp;quot; (they may be listed on the label as inulin or chicory root extract). But what do probiotics and prebiotics do for you? How do you know whether to try them, or which to choose?  For prebiotics, answers are still coming. Research suggests they may help increase calcium absorption, protect against traveler&amp;#039;s diarrhea, and play a role in preventing colon cancer. What we do know: Taken in a high enough dose \u2014 five to eight grams a day \u2014 they can bump up the count of beneficial bacteria already in your digestive tract, says probiotic expert and industry consultant Mary Ellen Sanders, Ph.D. Supplements, such as FiberChoice and Prebiotin, provide four grams per serving; you can&amp;#039;t calculate the amount in fiber-boosted foods because the prebiotics are not counted separately from a product&amp;#039;s other soluble fiber. But note: If you&amp;#039;re trying to boost your fiber intake in general, whole foods are still best. Probiotics have been better studied, and guidelines for their use are now emerging. For a start, each strain is specific: Just because one may help with a certain condition doesn&amp;#039;t mean it will work for another, says Anthony J. Lembo, M.D., associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. You also may have to try several products to see which is best for you.  Find out which probiotic product will solve your problem "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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