Sporting Dogs

Hi everyone!  Happy Tuesday!   I hope the week goes by quickly and is a good one for you!

I thought this short article was interesting since I keep hearing stuff about probiotics for humans.

Prebiotics and probiotics are substances that work to restore the balance of good and bad bacteria in your digestive tract.

Probiotics are "good bacteria" that you ingest. They are commonly found in many yogurts, and they are added as supplements to some of the foods that you see advertised on television. Common strains of these "good bacteria" include the Lactobacillis and Bifidobacterium families of bacteria.

On the other hand, Prebiotics (also known as Fructo Oligo Sacharides or FOS) are non-digestible ingredients in our food that work to stimulate the growth of good bacteria.  You don't digest prebiotics. They remain in your digestive tract, where they stimulate the good bacteria and are then eliminated.  These prebiotics can be added to foods to help maintain digestive system health.

In both cases, the idea is to maximize the good bacteria and minimize the bad bacteria. This allows for proper digestion and absorption.  You promote strong defenses through a healthy gut.  This process is encouraged with prebiotics.  Certain dog foods now add prebiotics to many of their dog foods.
Prebiotics have demonstrated positive effects on mineral absorption (including calcium), immune system function and intestinal regularity. In humans, prebiotics have even demonstrated a reduction in the risk for colon cancer and irritable bowel disorders such as Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.