The best known of the prebiotics are inulin and oligosaccharides, with inulin being the most heralded of the prebiotics for supplying the good bacteria in your digestive system, with the food source it needs to stay healthy and to grow.
Both inulin and oligossachides are dietary prebiotic fibers of a carbohydrate nature, found in some fruits and vegetables. These are non-digestible fibers that have until recently been thought to be the best source of prebiotics for your digestive system.
And while both of these prebiotics do a good job of providing food for your good bacteria, there are now reports that another food source has more prebiotic activity than inulin and oligosaccharides, and that is pectin.
Pectin is a non-digestible fiber found in a variety of fruit mainly in the skins or peels. One fruit that contains both pectin and oligosaccharides is kiwi fruit – a fruit that is considered one of nature’s ‘super foods’, and it is the primary and often sole ingredient of many prebiotic supplements.
This is not only because the kiwis high in prebiotics, but also because it has many other benefits both for your digestive and overall health.
Why Kiwi Fruit Prebiotic Supplements Are The Best Prebiotic Supplements
If you have considered adding a prebiotic supplement to your health regime, then you have no doubt noticed that many prebiotic supplements on the market today are made from kiwi fruit. That is because kiwi fruit offers the most digestive health benefits of any prebiotic supplement available.
Here are some reasons why kiwi fruit makes the best prebiotic supplements:
1. Kiwi fruit contains both pectin and oligosaccharides. Oligosaccharides are a known and accepted prebiotic fiber. Recent studies conducted in New Zealand show that the pectin contained in kiwi fruit, particularly the skin, may increase prebiotic activity more than inulin, which until recently was thought to be the most active prebiotic.
2. Along with the incredible prebiotics, the kiwis also contain a number of other natural ingredients that help balance your digestive system and aid your digestive health. These ingredients include both soluble and insoluble fiber that aids in the absorption of nutrients, as well as helping relieve constipation, and ‘calming’ the digestive system – it is the soluble fiber in which the prebiotics are found.
Kiwis also contain phenols, which help to prohibit the growth of bad bacteria, thus enabling the good bacteria in your colon to do its ‘job’ more effectively. Kiwis also are loaded with active enzymes, which aid in the digestion of food and help to eliminate toxins.
3. Kiwi fruit are also loaded with vitamins and minerals, and are considered to be an excellent food for helping to lower cholesterol levels, as well as protect your DNA from damage and help to repair it if necessary.
The simple truth is that kiwi fruit prebiotic supplements go beyond just including the prebiotics inulin and oligossachides. They provide more health benefits for your digestive system, and these include:
· Help strengthening your immune system
· Help to relieve some of the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome
· Help reduce the risk of colon cancer
· Help protect the heart
· Help eliminate reduce leaky gut syndrome caused by improperly digested foods.
Choosing a kiwi fruit prebiotic supplement can mean the difference between just getting the prebiotics inulin and oligosaccharides – but receiving the prebiotics, and a lot more help for your digestive system to help it stay in balance and function as it should.