Probiotics

The 411 On Prebiotics

You know that healthy bacteria (aka probiotics) can help alleviate the cramping, bloating, nausea and diarrhea associated with Crohn's and colitis. But what about prebiotics? These nondigestible nutrients are tapped as an energy source by certain beneficial bacteria that naturally live in your intestines. (In contrast, probiotics are the beneficial, or friendly, bacteria themselves.) By serving as a food source, prebiotics give the probiotic bacteria a chance to work, and like probiotics, prebiotics can reduce the severity of Crohn's and colitis by restoring healthy gut flora, thereby reducing inflammation.

Inulin is one such prebiotic that works to encourage the growth of good bacteria. Each serving of Lifeway kefir contains 3 g of inulin; prebiotics also occur naturally in a variety of foods (especially high-fiber foods), such as bananas, berries, flax, greens (such as chard and kale), honey, leeks and onions, and whole grains like oatmeal. For powered-up prebiotic breakfast, try topping a bowl of oatmeal with some strawberries and blueberries, a sprinkling of ground flaxseed and a dollop of plain low-fat kefir.

Source: MayoClinic.com, Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD