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PREBIOTICS & PREBIOTIC FIBER
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Prebiotics are not probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria in yogurt, other dairy products and now pills. Prebiotics are different.
Prebiotics are certain types of very specialized plant fibers that the healthy bacteria in your gut used for fuel. These healthy bacteria - aka probiotics - then provide many health benefits to the colon and body. Our product, Prebiotin, is a prebiotic fiber supplement containing oligofructose and inulin - the only two fibers to fully meet the definition of a prebiotic.
A Brief Overview
So, Prebiotin is an all-natural plant-based prebiotic fiber supplement. It is 100% prebiotics which nourishes your beneficial colon bacteria. And it is gluten-free, so it can be used by those with Celiac disease.
Here is some key information to help you decide if Prebiotin prebiotic fiber supplement is right for you.
The Research
Independent research indicates that:
Click any topic above for more specific information. Or, check out the full roster of independent clinical and university research on our references page.
Want to understand more? Read on...
The Reasons for Prebiotics & A Few Probiotic Myths
While few are aware of prebiotics, you may already be familiar with probiotics. They are not the same thing! Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that live in your colon and provide multiple health benefits.
So, should you just eat some of the many products containing probiotics?
Well, there is a question whether oral consumption of probiotic bacteria provides great benefit. The key issue is that probiotics are living organisms. By the time these living organisms have been processed, warehoused, shipped, shelved and finally… sold to you, there is a real question about how many are still alive and thriving!
Plus, of those left when you take a pill or eat yogurt, few likely make it to the colon. Your body has evolved wonderfully to protect you from harmful bacteria. One key way it does this is by killing bacteria as they pass through the potent hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Unfortunately, the good bacteria can get killed along with the bad. Very few likely make it through, so massive doses would be required to fully populate your colon just with oral probiotics.
A more successful strategy may be to nourish and protect the probiotic bacteria that already live in your colon. That’s where Prebiotin prebiotics fiber supplement comes in.
Why Prebiotin?
 Even a healthy, high-fiber diet may not contain enough prebiotics soluble fiber. And those with issues like ulcerative colitis or celiac disease may need to avoid fiber or gluten. Frankly, it can be tough to get enough prebiotics through diet alone. That is why we created Prebiotin - to nourish a healthy digestive tract by ensuring a good supply of prebiotic fiber.
To truly meet the medical definition of a prebiotic fiber, prebiotics must fulfill three criteria: they are not digested by the small bowel, they nourish the good probiotics, and they produce observable health benefits.
Only two fibers, oligofructose and inulin, currently measure up to these criteria to be considered true prebiotics. Prebiotin prebiotic fiber supplement is made from these two fibers: oligofructose-enriched inulin, no fillers, no additives. This combination has been found to be more effective than either one by itself. And for those of you with wheat allergy or celiac disease, you can be comfortable since Prebiotin prebiotic fibers supplement is gluten-free.
So whether you have a digestive disorder, or simply want to support good colon health, Prebiotin can be your partner in creating a Wonderful Colon.
Still want more info? Read on for the "full version"
The Complete Prebiotics Story
How the Gut Works
 The stomach is the reservoir that collects the food and liquid we eat and drink. It grinds up the food and ejects it in little amounts into the small bowel. The small bowel is over 20 feet long and receives digestive juices and enzymes from the liver and pancreas. The food is digested in the small bowel. This means that the calories, minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates, amino acids and fats are absorbed into the blood stream and carried throughout the body.
The residue from the small bowel flows into the colon which is about five feet long. This is where fiber enters the picture. Fiber comes from plant material. It is mostly unused by the small bowel and is not digested. It enters the colon pretty much as it left the stomach. In the past, we knew the colon was packed with bacteria but did not understand it very well. The colon was viewed simply as a waste depot, as this last residue moved to the rectum and was evacuated.
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What our Customers Say!
- Michigan: "Prebiotin prebiotics com-pletely changed my life... Now I am completely pain free and my digestion has improved 100%."
- Colorado: "I'm becoming more regular and feeling less depressed."
- Minnesota: "I was diagnosed with Colitis so I immediately ordered Prebiotin prebiotics and soon after my symptoms went away and have not returned."
- New York: "Medical condition has improved significantly. My condition is now in remission."
- Pennsylvania: "Prebiotin prebiotics is the best product of this kind that I've experienced. I'm amazed at how quickly it worked."
- Florida: "I have been using Prebiotin prebiotics on my 18 yr. old daughter, I am a chiropractor and I love how this has helped her Ulcerative Colitis."
- Michigan: My digestive system is working much better.
- Pennsylvania: "Having been a patient of Dr. Jackson's for many, many years, I literally trust him with my life."
- New York: "Prebiotin prebiotics has definitely helped my digestive system!!"
- Kentucky: I just feel better. So does my husband.
- Virginia: "For the first time in a long time, I am regular again!"
- Oregon: "As a health care administrator, my symptoms were putting my carreer at risk. Prebiotin prebiotics has allowed me to remain active in my profession."
- California: "I'm only on my second order of Prebiotin prebiotics and I can already see results. Stronger fingernails, increased bowel regularity & no more bloating!"
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The History of Fiber
At one time before farming occurred and animals were domesticated, our ancestors wandered around, eating berries, fruits, root vegetables and any plant that promised to have some nutrition. The diet contained 50-100 grams of fiber a day, all of it from plant material. Interestingly, one of the best studied prebiotics fibers, inulin, has been found in over 36,000 plants, so these people were eating a lot of this beneficial fiber.
Then came villages with farming, growing grains, and raising livestock. Fiber intake gradually diminished. Furthermore, in Westernized countries, fiber was removed from the grains as it was felt to be useless. We were left with white bread without fiber and many of the minerals and vitamins. The food industries also began boxing and packaging food products in ways that required further changes to basic foods . Many substances were added to prolong shelf life and enhance taste but they did not contribute to health as far as we knew. High fructose corn syrup was found to be as sweet as sugar and replaced it in many drinks and foods, as it was much cheaper. This corn derivative and other sweeteners were used in many products and have resulted in or are associated with the epidemic of obesity we now see in our society. Food fiber was side-lined as an important factor in the diet.
Fiber Now
 Fiber has made a comeback, however. By its very definition, fiber is not digested and broken down in the small intestine. Rather, it moves on down into the colon. In the 1970s and 80s, we learned that there were two major types of fiber - insoluble fiber and soluble fiber. Insoluble fiber is not acted on or fermented in the colon. It provides no nutrition to the bacteria there. It does, however, hold lots of water and, in so doing, helps to get a softer, more regular bowel movement. Soluble fiber, on the other hand, is used by colon bacteria as a food source.
Another major development has been an understanding of the dramatic and major role that bacteria within the colon play in maintaining good health. In short, we benefit enormously from the bacteria in our colon. The soluble fibers, called prebiotics, provide the most benefits. These are health fibers. While there are many "candidate" prebiotics fibers, just a few have been studied to the extent that researchers and physicians understand what they can do and feel confident in recommending foods and supplements (Prebiotin) that contain prebiotic fibers.
The Journal of Nutrition
This above journal is the science publication of the American Society for Nutrition, one of the most prestigious and highly regarded nutrition journals in the world. It is peer reviewed, meaning each article is reviewed by experts in the field before it is published. This journal published two supplements in 2007.
These two reviews are the most up-to-date and best referenced materials on prebiotics. Abstracts are readily available online by clicking either of these sites.
Prebiotics - The Best Definition
The experts in this field have gradually come to the conclusion that prebiotics, by valid experimental and research work, do the following:
- They are not digested by the small bowel.
- They are fermented by the good bacteria in the colon.
- Most importantly, this fermentation is accompanied by beneficial and measurable good results in the colon and the body.
This is pretty simple but only the soluble prebiotics fibers, inulin, oligofructose and a mixture of the two, called oligofructose enriched inulin, are felt to have measured up to these three guidelines. Jackson GI Medical is committed to providing only medically-credible supplements. That is why our Prebiotin soluble fiber supplement uses only oligofructose enriched inulin to support a healthy colon.
Oligofructose Enriched Inulin
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Inulin is present in high concentrations in chicory root and dandelions. It is present to a lesser extent in bananas, wheat, onions, asparagus, rye and barley. Indeed, it has been found in over 36,000 plants around the world. Oligofructose, also present in these foods, is a similar fiber. Very surprisingly, Americans get only about 2 grams/day of these fibers, 70% from wheat and 20% from onions. Europeans eat three times this amount. Somehow our food industries and our eating habits have simply bypassed this remarkable fiber. These soluble prebiotic fibers have by far the most science behind them. Much of the research in the science literature, in fact, has been done with a combination of inulin and oligofructose.
 The mixture of these two fibers is called oligofructose enriched inulin. It seems to provide a synergy whereby the mixture of the two has been found to be more effective in producing beneficial results than either one by itself. The laboratory, animal and human studies reported in the medical literature are impressive. Our oligofructose enriched inulin product, Prebiotin™, uses 100% pure and natural oligofructose enriched inulin. |
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| Food sources of inulin |
- wheat
- onions
- garlic
- bananas
- Jeruselem artichoke
- leeks
- chicory root
- jicama
- agave
- wild yam
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Prebiotics for the Healthy
The colon is a health maintenance organ if its bacteria are fed properly. The specific areas of good health that science is beginning to uncover are:
- Improved bowel regularity.
- Increased number of good colon bacteria species, especially the bifidobacter and lactobacillus species.
- Decreased number of presumed bad bacteria, especially the clostridium and bacteroides species.
- Increased absorption of calcium and magnesium. The data here is especially strong with young teenage girls increasing their bone mass 20% after one year of taking prebiotics.
- Increased immune strength in the colon's own cells. Some of this experimental data is very impressive.
- Better glycemic and blood sugar control.
- Reduction in factors that could lead to colon polyps and cancer when studied in animals.
- Effect on aging, appetite and weight loss. The data on these is very early and nothing conclusive has been demonstrated. Still, good scientists are intensely studying these outcomes.
If this sounds like something you'd like, check out Priobiotin today.
Health Benefits for Those with Colon Disorders
The FDA does not allow anyone in the Dietary Supplement industry to make a claim that their products can prevent, cure or mitigate any disease. So, nothing specific can or will be claimed in this regard. At the same time, it is quite obvious to all of us in the gastroenterology field that a great amount of research is being done. You may go to the topics below for further information.
Summary
Prebiotic food fibers are a very recent development in the medical, research and health fields. A large body of research information has been occurring at the same time that we in the medical field are getting a much better grasp of the function of the bacterial makeup within the colon. How these newly discovered prebiotics fibers and the colon's own bacteria interact in such a positive manner is a truly exciting new frontier in enhancing the health of every person who understands and acts on this new information.
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Medical References
A prebiotic is "a selectively fermented ingredient that allows specific
changes, both in the composition and/or activity in the
gastrointestinal microflora that confers benefits upon host well-being
and health." Today, only 2 dietary nondigestible oligosaccharides
fulfill all the criteria for prebiotic classification. The daily dose
of the prebiotic is not a determinant of the prebiotic effect, which is
mainly influenced by the number of bifidobacteria/g in feces before
supplementation of the diet with the prebiotic begins. The ingested
prebiotic stimulates the whole indigenous population of bifidobacteria
to growth, and the larger that population, the larger is the number of
new bacterial cells appearing in feces. The "dose argument" is thus not
supported by the scientific data: it is misleading for consumers and
should not be allowed. A prebiotic index is proposed, defined as "the
increase in the absolute number of bifidobacteria expressed divided by
the daily dose of prebiotic ingested."
Several studies in animals and humans have shown positive effects of
nondigestible oligosaccharides (NDO) on mineral absorption and
metabolism and bone composition and architecture. These include inulin,
oligofructose, fructooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, soybean
oligosaccharide, and also resistant starches, sugar alcohols, and
difructose anhydride. A positive outcome of dietary prebiotics is
promoted by a high dietary calcium content up to a threshold level and
an optimum amount and composition of supplemented prebiotics. There
might be an optimum composition of fructooligosaccharides with
different chain lengths (synergy products). The efficacy of dietary
prebiotics depends on chronological age, physiological age, menopausal
status, and calcium absorption capacity. There is evidence for an
independent probiotic effect on facilitating mineral absorption.
Synbiotics, i.e., a combination of prebiotics and prebiotics, can
induce additional effects. Whether a low content of habitual NDO would
augment the effect of dietary prebiotics or synbiotics remains to be
studied. The underlying mechanisms are manifold: increased solubility
of minerals because of increased bacterial production of short-chain
fatty acids, which is promoted by the greater supply of substrate; an
enlargement of the absorption surface by promoting proliferation of
enterocytes mediated by bacterial fermentation products, predominantly
lactate and butyrate; increased expression of calcium-binding proteins;
improvement of gut health; degradation of mineral complexing phytic
acid; release of bone-modulating factors such as phytoestrogens from
foods; stabilization of the intestinal flora and ecology, also in the
presence of antibiotics; stabilization of the intestinal mucus; and
impact of modulating growth factors such as polyamines. In conclusion,
prebiotics are the most promising but also best investigated substances
with respect to a bone-health-promoting potential, compared with
probiotics and synbiotics. The results are more prominent in animal
models, where more studies have been performed, than in human studies,
where experimental conditions are more difficult to control.
Probiotics have preventive as well as curative effects on several types
of diarrhea of different etiologies. Prevention and therapy (or
alleviation) of diarrhea have been successfully investigated for
numerous dietary probiotics to establish probiotic properties and to
justify health claims (the medicinal use of probiotic food and the
therapy of gastrointestinal diseases itself may not be advertised under
current food laws). Other probiotic microorganisms (e.g., Lactobacillus
rhamnosus GG, L. reuteri, certain strains of L. casei, L. acidophilus,
Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917, and certain bifidobacteria and
enterococci (Enterococcus faecium SF68) as well as the probiotic yeast
Saccharomyces boulardii have been investigated with regard to their
medicinal use, either as single strains or in mixed-culture probiotics.
However, the effects on humans have been assessed mainly in smaller (n
< 100) randomized, controlled clinical studies or in open label
trials, but large intervention studies and epidemiological
investigations of long-term probiotic effects are largely missing.
Perhaps with the exception of nosocomial diarrhea or
antibiotic-associated diarrhea, the results of these studies are not
yet sufficient to give specific recommendations for the clinical use of
probiotics in the treatment of diarrhea.
The human gut microbiota plays a significant role in human health
through its ability to digest food ingredients and manufacture
metabolites. This can be positive or negative for host welfare.
Moreover, the microflora plays an active role in host defense whereby
colonization resistance affords protection against pathogens.
Prebiotics are nondigestible food ingredients that target beneficial
components of the gut microflora (mainly colonic), particularly the
bifidobacteria. In vitro and in vivo evidence has accumulated to
confirm the prebiotic effects of inulin-derived fructans.
Nondigestible oligosaccharides have been shown to increase the
absorption of several minerals (calcium, magnesium, in some cases
phosphorus) and trace elements (mainly copper, iron, zinc). Inulin-type
fructans including oligofructose and fructooligosaccharides derived
from sucrose by enzymatic transfructosylation are the best investigated
food ingredients in this respect. The stimulation of absorption was
more pronounced when the demand for calcium was high, i.e., in animals
in the rapid growing stage and in animals with impaired calcium
absorption because of either ovariectomy or gastrectomy. Even a small
stimulation of calcium absorption increased the mineral accumulation in
the skeleton because of its persisting effect over months. Inulin-type
fructans stimulated mineral absorption and bone mineral accretion when
combined with probiotic lactobacilli and in the presence of
antibiotics. Direct comparison of different inulin-type fructans
revealed a more pronounced effect by inulin or a mixture of long-chain
inulin and oligofructose than by oligofructose alone. Mechanisms on how
inulin-type fructans mediate this effect include acidification of the
intestinal lumen by short-chain fatty acids increasing solubility of
minerals in the gut, enlargement of the absorption surface, increased
expression of calcium-binding proteins mainly in the large intestine,
modulated expression of bone-relevant cytokines, suppression of bone
resorption, increased bioavailability of phytoestrogens, and, via
stimulation of beneficial commensal microorganisms, increase of calcium
uptake by enterocytes. Under certain conditions, inulin-type fructans
may improve mineral absorption by their impact on the amelioration of
gut health including stabilization of the intestinal flora and
reduction of inflammation. The abundance of reports indicate that
inulin-type fructans are promising substances that could help to
improve the supply with available calcium in human nutrition and by
this contribute to bone health.
Diet modulates immune functions in different ways and affects host
resistance to infections. In addition to the essential nutrients in
food, nonessential food constituents such as nondigestible
carbohydrates also affect the immune system. First results from human
intervention studies suggest that the intake of inulin (IN) and
oligofructose (OF) has beneficial effects on the gut-associated
lymphoid tissue. At the level of the systemic immune system, however,
only minor effects have been observed in healthy adult human subjects.
In contrast, data from studies with infants suggest that
supplementation with a prebiotic mixture positively affects postnatal
immune development and increases fecal secretory IgA. Animal studies
confirm the observations from human trials and give more insight into
the immune tissue- specific effects of IN/OF. A clear outcome of the
animal studies is that the intestinal immune system and especially the
immune cells associated with the Peyer's patches are responsive to a
dietary supplement of IN/OF and/or their metabolites. The mechanisms of
IN/OF include indirect effects such as a shift in the composition of
the intestinal flora and the enhanced production of immunoregulatory
SCFA and perhaps other bacterial metabolites. Few data suggest direct
effects of IN/OF via carbohydrate receptors on intestinal epithelial
cells and immune cells. In conclusion, prebiotic IN/OF clearly modulate
immunological processes at the level of the gut-associated lymphoid
tissue, which may be associated with significant health benefits in
infants and patients with intestinal inflammatory diseases.
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