In this short guide we walk you through the best of prebiotics. Learn the difference between these and probiotics, along with what prebiotic types there are and what supplement options work the best.
We’ll also be following this up with a brief section on prebiotics foods that you can eat.
Contents
Types of Prebiotics
There are two official types in our list of prebiotics:
- Fructo-Oligosaccharide
- Galacto-Oligosaccharide
Below, we’ll go into more detail about what these are and what benefits you can expect from using them.
Fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS)
The main reason people may want to use Fructo-oligosaccharides to help:
- Increase fiber intake
- Promote digestive health
- Grow more healthy bacteria and a better microbiome
- Fight symptoms of irritable bowel / constipation
Fructo-oligosaccharides is the better of the two prebiotic types. Also known as FOS, Fructo-oligosaccharides are medium and short chain sugar molecules that you can’t digest.
After making it through your stomach they go into your intestines and feed the probiotic bacteria and yeast in there giving you healthy microflora.
This whole process cleanses your system and allows you to better digest your other food giving you an overall stronger immune system and general gut health benefits.
Some of the better sources of FOS include: Chicory Root, Onions, Garlic and Leeks.
Fructo-oligosaccharide works best as Inulin-FOS. Not only is the inulin type more resilient to the digestion process, but it also helps stimulate the bacteria in your gut for faster results.
Galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS)
Galacto-oligosaccharides, also known as oligogalactose, oligogalactosyllactose, transgalactooligosaccharides and oligolactose.
Again, these are good for feeding the bacteria in your intestines like lactobacilli, bifidobacteria and other healthy medical organisms.
The main benefit it has been seen to deliver is a laxative effect and slight boost in your immune system.
You’ll mainly find a good source of GOS’s in foods if your menu includes: hummus, lentils, lima beans and other types of legumes.
Prebiotics VS Probiotics
Although they sound similar Prebiotics and Probiotics are totally different entities. Probiotic supplements are not the same as prebiotics.
Prebiotics are made up of dietary fiber which your body can’t digest, good examples include apple skin and Jerusalem Artichoke.
After you consume it, your body sends it through your small intestine. Although your body can’t digest it, it ferments the food which feeds probiotic colonies in your system which helps strengthen the care for your overall digestive system and general health – all while reducing your risk of disease.
A probiotic supplement on the other hand contains the actual live bacteria in your stomach. These are created via a fermentation condition outside of your body – like in yogurt or kimchi. However, you have to be careful with these types of supplements are the probiotics are very easy to kill in the wrong temperature. Many come dead on arrival.
In short, prebiotics feed the bacteria in your stomach which help their growth and your digestion and health, whereas probiotics are the actual bacteria in question.
PreBiotic Foods
Here’s a quick list of foods which can work as prebiotics:
- Dandelion Greens
- Jicama Root
- Konjac Root
- Bananas
- Leeks
- Yacon Root
- Asparagus
- Burdock Root
- Flaxseeds
- Oats
- Seaweed
- Barley
- Onions
- Jerusalem Artichoke
- Apples
- Garlic
- Wheat Bran
- Cocoa
- Chicory Root
As they’re heavy fiber they don’t have much flavor, which is why most people spend their money on supplements to as an alternative.
Prebiotics Supplements
Not everyone has time to shop and search for foods that are rich in prebiotics and add them to their menu. This is why most people turn to prebiotic supplements, this services their needs without having to manipulate their diet.
We’ve scoured the market to find the top pick for the best prebiotic capsules out there which delivers the best results.
Aside from finding something that was safe to use, we also had standards when it came to overall benefits and performance. They had to offer more than what you’d get in standard fiber gummies.
We needed to find something that had the ability to improve:
- Digestive regularity and overall gut comfort.
- Increase nutrient absorption.
- Promote existing gut microbiome over introducing probiotic strains.
- Helps immune system.
- Boosts fat loss by helping control appetite.
There’s not many options that meet these conditions, but after reading studies and following up with numerous reviews, we found our answer.
What is the best brand of Prebiotic?
Performance Lab. If you haven’t heard of them, they’re the cleanest supplement manufacturers on the market at the moment.
We’re serious, everything they make is:
- Contained within Plant-Based Capsules
- Vegan-Friendly
- Caffeine-Free
- Non-GMO
- GMP Certified & Made in FDA approved facilities
- Free of Synthetic Additives
- Gluten-Free
- Soy-Free
- Allergen-Free
Cleaner and leaner than any other capsule of fiber gummies we’ve seen. They do a fantastic prebiotic which is currently the highest rated on the market. Mainly because of it’s high quality and purity – it’s very unlikely for anyone to have a bad reaction to using it. Unlike what you may encounter with cheaper, synthetic options.
They do a whole range of supplements to compliment their prebiotic which help you get the most out of the supplement.
Unfortunately, you won’t find it on Amazon, however, you can find out about Prebiotic and more over on their website:
Best Prebiotic Supplement
Performance Lab Prebiotic is the best prebiotic supplement on the market at the moment.
It can be taken daily and contains one high-quality ingredient which we didn’t see anywhere else: Orafti Synergy1, a branded version of Inulin-FOS, which if you’ve read this far will know is the peak form of Fructo-oligosaccharides.
It’s in an effective dosage and extracted from chicory root. However, it’s more than a than a fiber supplement and is made up of the best type of FOS: Inulin-FOS.
Consuming this helps support:
- Heart Health – Helps regulate bad cholesterol.
- Bone Health – Enhances calcium absorption.
- Digestion – Absorb more from your food.
- Immunity – Better bodily responses to diseases.
- Vegan Lifestyle – Natural fermented tapioca capsules.
- Mood – With a healthy system can support a happier outlook.
It works well when united with the food from your usual menu. Taking it the same time of day as when you eat helps the product’s fibers give you improved benefits and effects.
Being inulin-FOS, it can help your body in your system based on two key ways:
- Optimized Probiotic Support – Give the beneficial bacteria in your gut close support.
- Fibrous Support – Prebiotic fiber helps digestive health, weight loss and heart health.
Optimized Probiotic Support
Getting good probiotic support helps you in numerous ways.
The intestinal microbiome of Bifidobacterium is the main focus here. Keeping that happy improves your digestive and metabolic health.
They even supply enzymes which can help breakdwon and utilization of foods in your gut.
Inulin-FOS being fermented by Bifidobacterium also helps resistance to pathogens like E. coli and Candida Albcans because it helps to produce lactic acid to reduce your gut’s PH. It also helps improve your overall intestinal lining and strength.
This lactic acid also promotes a better enviorment for mineral absorption as well as Vitamin B and K synthesis in the GI tract.
Working against pathogens can also support your immune system. Feeding your probiotics can better help them to support your immune function by enhancing synthesis and proliferation of immune cells lymphocytes and macrophages – which all help your defenses.
Fibrous Support
The fibrous benefits of PreBiotic’s Inulin-FOS have three main ways in which they help your:
Digestive System
The Inulin-FOS is easy to absorb into waterand becomes gel-like in your GI tract. The advantage of this is that it softens your stools making them easier to pass.
This is great for both constipation as it softens hard stools, and watery stools as the fiber absorbs any excess fluid.
Weight
Being a great source of dietary fiber, Prebiotic’s inulin-FOS swells in your stomach after consumption helping you to feel fuller for longer. It also helps to absorb the calorie content from the food that you eat it with and can even reduce triglycerides – which build more fat.
It also slows the overall time food takes to pass through your guy which can reducethe overall glycemic load to regulate your blood sugar levels.
Heart
Finally, as a healthy fiber, Inulin-FOS can help regulate your cholesterol levels to their optimum area which can help your overall heart health.
It works by binding to the cholesterol in your foods limiting your overall absorption of them.
United with the probiotic results, this is a great blend of benefits to give you better overall health via prebiotics.
For the Best Results Combine Prebiotic With…
As we’ve mentioned, Pefromance Lab PreBiotic is a supplement that you can stack with any of the products in the Performance Lab range to better help optimize your overall health.
Below are some of the choice combinations that work well with this supplement.
Performance Lab Whole-Food Multi
Performance Lab’s Whole-Food Multivitamin contains minerals and vitamins grown from probiotic cultures to make them identical to nature as possible.
As the prebiotic helps the Bifidobacterium in your gut, they enhance the overall absorption and synthesis of the B-Vitamins and Vitamin K in the Multi.
If you take them together you’ll get better absorption from their multivitamin with stronger health benefits.
Performance Lab Energy
Unlike most energy supplements Performance Lab contains no caffeine. It uses studied ingredients to boost the cell powerhouse mitochondria for direct energy.
Combined with Prebiotic, the metabolic support boosts your overall nutrient usage efficiency for a huge energy boost on a cellular level.
This is great for healthy and effective metabolic performance.
Performance Lab Protein
Performance Lab’s entirely vegan protein powder is made out of organic-certified brown rice.
It’s easy to absorb nature is amplified by Prebiotic which nourishes the Bifidobacterium to metabolize proteins and amino acids with better efficiency.
Great for those who are into weight lifting and muscle building and want more effective recovery.