Frequently Asked Questions

No. Just like vitamins, minerals and nutrients, prebiotics work quietly. They feed the good bacteria in the colon. And just as quietly, these beneficial bacteria multiply and produce a large number of health benefits.

Yes. The standard Western diet has become markedly deficient in prebiotics fibers. Our ancestors, who relied on grains, berries and, especially, root vegetables for nutrition, ingested large quantities of these beneficial prebiotics. Unfortunately, modern food production, the industrialization of farming, the cheap availability of animal meats and advertising have all but eliminated these inulin and oligo-fructose fibers from our diet. A regular dose of prebiotic fibers returns the gut to a more healthy natural state. For a list of the benefits of prebiotics, click here.

Chicory root is over 20% inulin. Unfortunately, this is not readily available. Leeks and endive have significant amounts. So does garlic, but you have to eat a lot of it. Jerusalem artichokes are also high.

There is no "right dose". Every person has his or her own personal makeup of bacteria in the colon. Because of this, each person will respond in his or her own way. Some individuals can take eight or more grams of a prebiotic each day without any GI gas problems. Others, especially those with irritable bowel syndrome, need to be more cautious. As little as 1 gram or even 0.5 gram may be the "right" initial dose.

Start with a relatively small dose, two grams or less a day. Use this for about a week. If there is no unusual abdominal bloating, cramping or excess flatus, increase the dose to three grams, then four or more. At a certain level, many people will notice that their flatus no longer smells. This is because acidity has increased in the colon and the bacteria that make the smelly sulfide gases no longer grow. This is the "right dose".

No. In the same way that most people who eat too large a helping of beans (lots of soluble fiber but not prebiotic ones) may have excessive flatus, the same thing can occur with an extra large amount of a prebiotic. In either case, there is no serious or permanent problem. Simply reduce the dose.

Psyllium is a very old and effective stool bulking agent, having been grown and used in India for over 1000 years. It does lower cholesterol. However, it is not a prebiotic fiber as defined by many authorities. Oligofructose enriched inulin is a prebiotic with medical research proven benefits.

* The FDA has allowed these health claims for psyllium and oligofructose enriched inulin. The other claims for oligofructose enriched inulin have not been approved by the FDA, but there is significant research support in the peer reviewed medical literature.

Yes. There are no known interactions between these two fibers. However, these are both soluble fibers and they both can feed the gas forming bacteria in the gut. So, a reduction in the initial dose of each is recommended, such as psyllium (Metamucil™) 2 grams and oligofructose enriched inulin 2 grams. Additionally, it is best to take the prebiotics with food so as to allow it to trickle slowly into the colon.

No. Mother's milk has a natural prebiotic in it, so a newborn will immediately get the right prebiotics. So, infants and small children should not take prebiotics except with a physician's recommendation. Here is an interesting additional fact. Not only does mother's breast milk have natural prebiotics in it, but beneficial bacteria are present as well. So, mother's milk provides the newborn infant with natural prebiotics and probiotics that give the baby exactly what it needs to start the right bacterial growth in its colon. How wonderful this is!

Yes. In fact a steady dose of a prebiotic will enhance and maintain a healthy population of good bacteria in the gut providing lots of health benefits.

From a medical and scientific standpoint, colon cleansing makes no sense. You can never rid your colon of bacteria, nor should you ever want to. The good bacteria are your friends and should be fed properly. "Colon cleansing" is advertised as:

• Enemas - These are often called colonics or high colonic enemas. All of them simply empty out the lower portion of the colon. Nothing more. Within minutes after a colonic, bacteria begin to grow in this empty portion. And you should hope they are the good ones.
• Herbal formulas - Some herbs such as cascara and senna or sennasides are true stimulants or, what we in medicine call, irritant laxatives. These can be useful for temporary constipation. Virtually all the other herbs put in colon cleansing formulas provide nothing but plant fiber. There is probably nothing wrong with any of them and all fiber to varying degrees is good for the bowel. However, none of these herbs has any documented medical evidence such as is now present in the medical literature on the prebiotics fibers. Additionally, these herbal formulas are much more expensive than eating fresh foods that contain natural fiber.
• Psyllium - Some manufacturers promote psyllium as a "cleansing" agent. Psyllium is simply a plant fiber that encourages bacterial growth in the colon and thereby promotes a large, bulky stool. I am not sure what is meant when psyllium is referred to as a cleansing agent since it causes desirable enlargement of the stool by bacterial growth.

Probably not. However, your physician or pharmacist will advise you on whether medications should be taken with food or on an empty stomach, or whether it doesn't make any difference.

No medical authority or physician accepts the concept of colon "toxins" or the need to "detoxify" the colon. There is simply no such thing as toxins in the colon. On the contrary, the colon is the site of a large number of health benefits which are enhanced when the correct foods and fiber are eaten. True, there are toxins or poisons such as lead, mercury, arsenic, some chemicals and pesticides. These, however, do not reside in the colon. They damage the body and should obviously be avoided. For the average person, the colon is a robust healthy organ. You keep it that way and improve it by eating well. The words "toxin" and "detoxifying" are used by those who want to scare a person into buying a product.