Gut health: Garlic and flaxseeds are some of the best prebiotics
The importance of prebiotics in our diet is unparalleled. They are a form of dietary fiber that feed the friendly bacteria in your gut. These include important nutrients such as inulin, fructooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, beta glucans, pectins, and resistant starches. In an Instagram post, nutritionist Lovneet Batra shares how they can be included into our daily diet. She listed a few prebiotic foods and how they are helpful to the body.
Prebiotics you must add to your diet
1. Garlic
Batra begins the list with garlic. "Garlic acts as a prebiotic by promoting the growth of beneficial Bifidobacteria in the gut. It also helps prevent disease-promoting bacteria from growing," she writes. Next are onions which the nutritionist says is a "versatile vegetable that is rich in inulin and FOS. FOS strengthens gut flora, helps with fat breakdown, and boosts your immune system by increasing nitric oxide production in cells."
2. Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds are another important source of prebiotics. "The fibre content of flaxseeds is from mucilage gum, cellulose and lignin," says Batra and adds that they promote healthy gut bacteria. It also reduces the amount of dietary fat that you digest and absorb.
3. Banana
Bananas too are a great prebiotic food as they are another low-fructose fruit that are fiber-rich and contain inulin, a substance that stimulates the growth of good bacteria in the gut.
4. Barley
The last on the list is barley, a popular cereal that is high in beta-glucan. "This is a prebiotic fiber that promotes the growth of friendly bacteria in your digestive tract. The beta-glucan in barley has also been shown to lower total and LDL (bad) cholesterol and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease," Batra adds.
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Both prebiotics and probiotics are crucial for a healthy gut. Make sure that you eat a well balanced meal with the right mix of prebiotics and probiotics.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.