When it comes to gut health, probiotics and prebiotics have been taking center stage lately. But while they both play a significant role in keeping the gut in tip top shape, they each serve a different purpose. And to maximize your digestive health you’ll need both.

The symbiotic relationship between probiotics and prebiotics can affect your overall well-being. The gut, after all, supports the whole body — from extracting nutrients to the food you eat to strengthening your immune system. It all starts in the gut.

The gut is full of bacteria — trillions of them, actually. In fact, bacteria live inside and outside of the body, but the ones in your gut have the biggest impact on your health.

While these helpful bacteria line your entire digestive system, most live in the intestines and colon. Gut bacteria help to digest food, breaking it down into a form that can enter the bloodstream and deliver nutrients throughout the body. This is how gut bacteria help support overall health.

Balancing Bacteria In The Gut

Bacteria often get a bad rap, since it’s linked to infection. But your gut has both “good” and “bad” bacteria. Good bacteria positively influence your health by controlling inflammation and supporting your immune system.

Bad bacteria, in low levels, don’t cause a lot of harm. But if the balance is thrown off and it begins to dominate the good bacteria, then everything goes out of whack. When gut bacteria are out of balance it can cause conditions, such as:

• Weight gain and obesity
• Anxiety and depression
• Inflammation — often linked to arthritis, joint pain, and other conditions

On top of that, research suggests that as you age, gut microbiota start to decline. That can greatly impact quality of life. As a result, you could be constipated more often and lacking nutrition. You may even experience metabolic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and a weakened immune system.

If you regularly experience heartburn, constipation, bloating, or loose stools, then your gut bacteria may be out of balance. Good bacteria also work to fight off the bad bacteria and restore balance within the body. That’s where probiotics and prebiotics come in… 

The Difference Between Probiotics And Prebiotics

Probiotics are foods or supplements that contain live beneficial bacteria. They help improve or maintain a healthy balance of gut bacteria and yeast. Simply put, they populate the “good” bacteria in the digestive system, so that the “bad” bacteria don’t take over.

Probiotics are linked to a wide range of health benefits, including digestive health, weight loss, immune function, and skin health. 

Prebiotics, on the other hand, are not bacteria. They’re actually a food source for the probiotics or gut bacteria to thrive. Prebiotics are a type of fiber found in fruits, vegetables, and legumes that humans are unable to digest but healthy bacteria in the digestive tract can.

Since you can’t digest these plant fibers, they move into the lower digestive tract for healthy bacteria to feast on. So, while you don’t need to take a prebiotic for probiotics to work, they make probiotics much more effective.

How To Get Probiotics And Prebiotics Daily

There are two ways to get probiotics and prebiotics into your gut. The first way is to eat a variety of foods that contain live cultures (for probiotics) and specific types of soluble fiber (for prebiotics.)

• Probiotics are found in fermented foods, such as: sauerkraut and unpasteurized pickles, kefir, tempeh, kimchi, miso, kombucha, and some higher quality yogurts.
• Prebiotics are found in a variety of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, such as apples, bananas, berries, onions, garlic, leeks, and oats.

The second way to get your dose of probiotics and prebiotics is through dietary supplements. Since it can be tough to get what you need from food to support a healthy gut, supplementing is an excellent option. In fact, there is an easier (and delicious) way to add more probiotics and prebiotics into your daily diet — Earth Echo’s Island Bliss.

The Easy Way To Get More Probiotics And Prebiotics

If you’re looking for steady “all-day” energy, then you’ll need to try Island Bliss. It’s an easy and effective way to get nourishing superfoods, organic fruits and veggies. Plus, you get a dose of probiotics and prebiotics. *

No matter how active your lifestyle is, Island Bliss will help restore your vitality and natural energy with antioxidants, minerals, phytonutrients, and a whole lot of other energy boosting superfoods. * 

Island Bliss contains a probiotic/prebiotic blend with up to five billion CFU of beneficial bacteria, and a mix of soluble dietary fiber to help support optimal weight management. Plus, unlike other green drinks out there, Island Bliss tastes truly incredible when just mixed with water! *

Click the link below to see what the incredible energy-boosting superfood blend of Island Bliss can do for your gut health. *

Shop Earth Echo’s Island Bliss Here!

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.