Gut pain or discomfort shouldn’t be a regular state; many people neglect what their body is trying to tell them. So many of us are so busy with daily activities and responsibilities that we often fail to listen to what our gut is trying to tell us. Some days, we feel lucky if we’ve managed to accomplish everything on our to-do list, let alone take time for self-care!
The stress that often comes with a busy lifestyle only exacerbates any health issues we may have, and gut issues is no exception. In fact, in times of greater stress, it’s even more important for us to nurture our gut so that it can provide us with the energy we need to keep going.
The balance of the good bacteria in your digestive tract can be easily thrown off, which is why you should know when to take prebiotics and restore it.
In general, we recommend everyone begin a daily regimen of prebiotic therapy to attain and maintain good gut health. But for those who cannot or who prefer not to take prebiotics on a daily basis, here are the times when you definitely should be taking them.
Cold and Flu Season
If you seem to always contract the flu ever year – especially even after getting your flu shot – and frequently find yourself coming down with colds, your immune system is probably weakened. This makes it easy for every bacteria and virus you come into contact with to breach your body’s defenses. Adding prebiotics to your diet during the times of year when you are susceptible can boost your immune system and help your body fight off these bugs.
After Taking Antibiotics
Antibiotics are a very powerful medicine; when your medical caregiver prescribes them to you, it means your body needs help to fight off whatever bacteria it is that is causing your illness. The problem is that antibiotics don’t discriminate; they kill off the good bacteria along with the bad. This can seriously imbalance the gut microbiota, leading to gut problems. Taking prebiotics during and for a few weeks after you’ve had antibiotics can help you restore the balance of your gut microbiota.
Daily Supplement
If you can, you should add a daily prebiotic fiber supplement to your diet. Our hectic lives often mean we neglect proper nutrition – and our diets of fast meals and, all too often, sugary snacks, wreaks havoc on our gut bacteria. While prebiotics cannot take the place of proper nutrition, it can help us keep our guts in balance during those days when our busy schedules keep us from eating properly.
Even for those who do eat healthy most, or all, of the time, research has shown that the vast majority of us are not getting as much fiber in our diets as our bodies need. Adding supplementary prebiotic fiber as part of our daily nutritional intake will make a world of difference for your gut health.
Resources:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889855307000131
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1521691803001331