Introduction
According to Bharat Bhise, prebiotic and probiotic supplements are popular among athletes and health enthusiasts since it helps in the absorption of proteins and offers many other important health benefits. If you are wondering what the relation between prebiotics and protein digestion is, how prebiotics and probiotic supplements are different, or even what they are, keep on reading this article.
The Facts
Here are a few important facts to know about prebiotic supplements and protein digestion:
- What are prebiotics? – Many people confuse the term probiotics and prebiotics and although they might sound similar, they are different. Prebiotics are essentially fibers or a form of carbohydrates that cannot be broken by your body through the normal digestive processes. Foods that are high in prebiotic fiber include seeds, grains, legumes, potatoes, unripe plantains and bananas, berries, leeks, garlic, and more.
Prebiotics bypasses the digestion process in the stomach and the small intestine and becomes food for the beneficial bacteria that live in your large intestine. Thus, they are also known as resistant starches (RS).
The gut microbiota or gut flora feast on the prebiotic supplements through fermentation and produce short chain fatty acids (butyrate) which help to improve your overall gut health.
- What are probiotics? – Probiotic food and supplements contain live and healthy bacteria that offer numerous health benefits. For instance, high-quality plain yogurt is a source of beneficial bacteria. Fermented food such as kimchi, kefir, sauerkraut, unpasteurized pickled vegetables, and more are also a source of healthy and active beneficial bacteria.
These healthy gut bacteria protect your body from harmful bacteria and fungi and also help to improve the symptoms of depression, boost immune system functions, reduce obesity, and more. Plus, they help to improve the production of short-chain fatty acids and vitamin K.
Short-chain fatty acids help to create a strong gut barrier that protects it from harmful viruses, bacteria, and substances since it is the main source of nutrition for the cell lining of the colon. Plus, it also helps to reduce inflammation and has the potential to reduce the risk of cancer.
- How prebiotics and probiotics improve protein digestion – Your gut must have an adequate balance of stomach acid and digestive enzymes such as peptidase and protease to digest protein. However, certain conditions such as food allergy and sensitivity, alcohol abuse, and the usage of drugs that inhibit stomach acid or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications can disrupt this balance.
Additionally, consuming a high-sugar diet can allow the wrong type of bacteria to spread in your body which can further create problems. When you consume a combination of probiotic and prebiotic supplements, you allow your body to restore the healthy gut flora in your body which helps to digest protein better by increasing the production of digestive enzymes, lowering gut inflammation, and creating a healthy intestinal barrier.
Conclusion
Bharat Bhise suggests you consume prebiotic and probiotic supplements if you experience bloating and gas after consuming a high-protein meal. It can not only help you to improve the digestion of protein but also help to restore the balance of the gut flora and provide many other health benefits.

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