You may have heard the word probiotics many times and know all about it however, have you heard about prebiotics and are you confused about what the difference actually is?

Simply put, prebiotics are food for probiotics. Prebiotics help the probiotics multiply and stay in your digestive tract. This is a very important piece of having probiotics remain in the area that you want them to work in.  When a probiotic is taken with a prebiotic it seems that it has better survival and colonization in the bowel (1). Read more about probiotics here.

Prebiotics are non-digestible carbohydrates, but not all non-digestible carbohydrates are prebiotics- yes it is confusing!

There are two common types of prebiotics. These are: fructo-oligosaccarides (FOS) or fructans and Galacto-oligosaccardes (GOS) (2).

Have you ever noticed the ingredient inulin in yogurt? Inulin is a commonly used type of FOS.

So, where can you get prebiotics?

Some food sources of inulin (FOS) include:

·      Fruit and vegetables -bananas, onions, artichokes, garlic, leeks, tomatoes, and asparagus.

·      Grains - barley, whole grains and rye

·      Roots – dandelion, chicory, and elecampane

Some food sources of GOS include:

·      Dairy products that are fermented ie/yogurt, buttermilk, kefir

·      Breastmilk

As I mentioned earlier, prebiotics are commonly added to food now (eg: yogurt). But you will also find them added to bread, breakfast cereal, sauces, soups, sport drinks and granola bars (2). You can also find them in probiotic supplements, prebiotic supplements, meal replacement supplements, some fibre supplements that contain inulin, and often in vitamin, mineral or herbal supplements.

It is safe for adult men and women, as well as infants, children and pregnant women to eat foods that contain prebiotics. I would recommend speaking with me, a Registered Dietitian or your health care provider if you plan on taking prebiotic supplements.

If you are eating a healthy diet, chances are that you are already including sources of prebiotics in your diet. You could also try placing some emphasis on the foods I have listed above. The other benefit of eating these foods is that they typically contain fibre as well as other nutrients. It is thought, just like probiotics, that prebiotics need to be taken regularly to see any benefits. Therefore, incorporating these foods whenever you can, would be important.

 

References:
1 PEN current issue- probiotics in the marketplace feb 2011
2http://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/Articles/Probiotics/prebiotics/The-Pros-of-Probiotics.aspx#.VA-Shy5dUWz
3 http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/100111p46.shtml

Zucchinis are a great food for baby. There are various ways you can serve zucchini, and they provide various textures in every bite, so they’re a great learning food for your baby.

I find many parents are nervous about raw foods when we talk about baby led feeding and how we skip using pureed food all together. Zucchini is great because it is a nice food to ease parents who are feeling a bit concerned, or have yet to do a CPR course, into feeding raw foods.

When zucchinis are eaten raw they are still quite soft. Providing this food in both it’s raw and cooked forms is a great learning experience for your baby. In addition, I recommend serving zucchini in different forms such as grated, “French fry” style, coins, half moons, etc. It can taste very different depending on how it is served and that can teach a baby a lot about food.

Our baby sucked his zucchini at first as he was drinking the water out of it. He spent a lot of time feeling the zucchini with his hands before he moved onto putting it into his mouth. He seemed to enjoy the zucchini in the grated and raw form over the cooked, however, continuing to offer zucchini in different forms remains very important.

Have questions about how your baby is doing with eating solid food? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future’s Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com

These fries are kid approved. Play around with the spices and choose according to your mood. Leaving the skin on and baking these fries in the oven makes them a better option (and cheaper!) than the store bought variety. 

2 Medium Red Potatoes, cut into sticks

1/2 Tbsp. Chili powder, black pepper, garlic powder, curry powder, cumin

1 Tbsp. Sesame seeds

3 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1. Preheat oven to 425F
2. Boil cut potatoes until slightly tender
3. Place oil and spices on plate and toss potatoes
4. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and place on baking sheet
5. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip after 10 minutes.


Looking for meal ideas? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com 

I am sure most have you have been subjected to marketing about yogurt containing probiotics. Over the years I have taught lots of kids about nutrition and I always find it interesting how marketing affects them. Probiotics is a great example. Many kids have heard of probiotics. When I ask them where they have heard about it most tell me from the TV commercials, a few say from their parents. Some tell me that it’s something you take with antibiotics. But when I ask them if anyone actually knows what probiotics are, a silence usually falls over the group. Sometimes people know that it is something that is good for you – for digestion or something. “Isn’t it in yogurt?” is another common answer that I get. Marketing is a strong force. Most people think they are good, but are unsure what probiotics really are. 

So, what are they? The definition for probiotics is “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host” (1). What that means is that probiotics are good bacteria that help keep a healthy balance of good to bad bacteria in our colons. The most common strains, found in both food and supplements, include Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium (1). Where as Enterococcus species, Bacillus species, Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces boulardii are more often found in supplements (1).

Probiotics are measured in CFU – Colony Forming Units. This is the actual number of live microorganisms in the food or supplement. (1).

It is important to choose the correct genus, species and strain in order to get the benefits you are looking for. Different strains of the same species can have different effects in the body. For example, if you are looking for a probiotic for reason X, looking for one that contains Lactobacillus is not specific enough to know if it will help with X(1). To make things more complicated, many companies come up with names for the probiotics they are using for “consumer ease” however, this name does not tell you what the scientific name of the microorganism is (1).

Why probiotics are good?

·      Help with the symptoms of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)

·      Help with the symptoms of IBD (inflammatory bowel disease)

·      Help with decreasing diarrhea if you have to take antibiotics

·      Help with lactose intolerance for some people by helping with lactose digestion (some research is showing)(1)(2)

Where can you find them?

·      Yogurt- keep in mind with yogurt that sugar in yogurt lessens the amount of bacteria. If possible choose plain 
       yogurt. Read about low fat and low sugar products- coming soon.

·      Fermented foods: miso, tempeh, natto, sauerkraut, kimchi, pickled vegetables, etc.

·      Fermented drinks: kombucha tea, fermented ginger beer, water kefir, etc

·      Kefir

·      You now see probiotics popping up in all sorts of products such as: juice, cereal, gum, icecream, cheese, candy, 
       chocolate. Just because these foods claim to have probiotics, does not necessarily make them a healthy food. (1)

·      For babies and kids you see probiotics popping up in formula, follow-up milks, and breast milk substitutes (1)

·      Probiotic Supplements

Who should be taking them?

It is safe for most people to take probiotics, including children and pregnant women. However, those with weakened or immature immune systems should use caution (3). If you are considering giving probiotics to your baby I would recommend talking to your health care provider or book a visit with me, a Registered Dietitian. I recommend taking probiotics on an ongoing basis and of course include food sources in your diet as much as possible. Probiotics need to be taken and eaten regularly to gain the benefits. If you have a milk allergy (versus intolerance) you will want to be cautious taking probiotics as they are typically grown on a culture that contain the milk protein. You can, however find sources that are dairy free.

I always tell my clients that I am “pro” probiotics. Most people are not getting the probiotics that we used to. Our food is so ‘clean’ that we just don’t get exposed to the bacteria like we did years ago.

Do you need help choosing the right probiotic for you? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future’s Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com

References:
1 PEN current issue- probiotics in the marketplace feb 2011
2 http://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/Articles/Probiotics/prebiotics/The-Pros-of-Probiotics.aspx#.VA-Shy5dUWz
3 http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/100111p46.shtml