The study and research regarding prebiotics is pretty recent. Prebiotics and probiotics are related to each other and also different from each other.
 
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that have been linked with a wide range of health benefits including a stronger immune system, a healthier gut, symptomatic relief from depression and anxiety, a lower body weight, improved heart health and cancer prevention.

The best way to get probiotics is from foods. The best probiotic foods are unpasteurized miso, whole milk kefir, fermented drinks, whole milk yogurt, and raw pickles. Probiotic foods aid digestion and can heal or improve digestive problems. Homemade beer and wine can be probiotic if not pasteurized. All commercially available beer and wine is pasteurized.

Here are a few of the top types of “friendly” probiotic gut bacteria that your body needs:

• Lactobacillus acidophilus
• Lactobacillus bulgarius
• Lactobacillus reuteri
• Streptococcus thermophilus
• Saccharomyces boulardii
• Bifidobacterium bifidum
• Bacillus subtilis

Prebiotics are foods that have fiber that feed the beneficial probiotic bacteria in the large intestines. When people grew their own food, the healthy bacteria in the soil that got on foods were prebiotic. Because of environmental factors and food having to travel longer distances that require better sanitation, the prebiotic soil bacteria is no longer present on our foods.

For decades, I've recommended a healthy prebiotic soil based bacteria supplement that has remarkable effects on health because of its nourishing effects on our beneficial bacteria. Other supplements are available that have prebiotic fiber and/or prebiotic bacteria. I recommend that people get most of their prebiotics from food unless more prebiotics are needed for certain health issues.

Prebiotics are beneficial to help regulate the blood sugar, for inflammatory bowel disease, to lift one's moods, for blood pressure, to lower cholesterol and for many other health issues.

The most common prebiotic fibers include:

• Beta-Glucan
• Fructooligosaccharides
• Inulin
• Galactooligosaccharides
• Isomaltooligosaccharides
• Guar gum
• Lactulose
• Resistant Starch, including maltodextrin
• Xylooligosaccharides

Foods that are prebiotic include root vegetables that tend to be high in inulin, fructooligosaccharides and resistant starch. This group includes true roots as well as bulbs. Examples include onions, leeks, garlic, jicama (photo above), Jerusalem artichokes and chicory root. Many fruits have prebiotic fibers including apples, berries and pears.
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Spring vegetables are rich in prebiotic fibers, particularly inulin, fructooligosaccharides and xylooligosaccharides. Examples include greens (especially dandelion greens), peas, leeks and asparagus. Legumes such as lentils, whole grains and nuts are high in prebiotic fibers. Oats, buckwheat and wheat have high amounts of prebiotic fiber although all grains include some. Honey, ginger root, sweet potatoes, cabbage, beets and many other vegetables are prebiotic.

Be sure to include plenty of probiotic and prebiotic foods in order to support your colon health, digestion and overall wellbeing.

Keep your metabolism high by managing or avoiding stress and eating a diet that has enough calories and abundant macro and micro nutrients such as adequate carbohydrates, concentrated proteins from animal sources or supplements, beneficial fats and a range of beneficial vitamins and minerals. If the metabolism is to slow circulation through the digestive tract slows leading to the growth of poor bacteria in the colon.
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Notes:

• All miso from Japan is flash pasteurized in order to survive the long journey of transport. American miso such as South River and Miso Master is unpasteurized retaining the beneficial bacteria.
• Some yogurts are higher in beneficial bacteria. You can learn about this by reading the label. If you incorporate yogurt, buy whole milk versus low fat yogurt for more beneficial nutrients from grass fed animals. Dairy products from naturally raised grass fed animals have been eaten by healthy cultures around the globe and often as raw dairy products retaining the beneficial bacteria.
• Buy pickles from the refrigerator at natural foods stores that have no sugar, chemicals or vinegar. When vinegar is added, the pickles are not probiotic.
• To learn about making your own fermented foods, buy Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz.

The study of slowing down or reversing the aging process has been investigated for thousands of years in both the east and west.

Hippocrates, the founder of modern medicine from ancient Greece, coined the term macrobiotics to describe people who were long lived and healthy by following the laws of nature. Hippocrates writings promoted his understanding of how to cure or avoid illnesses and to attain longevity.

The traditional medicine of India, known as Ayurveda is literally translated as the science of long life. As part of this medicine, rejuvenation and cleansing practices known as Panchakarma were and are still recommended periodically to improve one’s health and promote longevity. In addition, many exercises including breathing, herbs, and special foods are recommended to promote a long life.

In ancient China, longevity practices and teachings were at the heart of the original Chinese medical practices. Longevity teachings were known as Yang Shen Dao or the art of long life. Diet, lifestyle, mental qualities, herbs and exercises were taught to promote longevity.

In both India and China, emotional equilibrium and mental equanimity was and is still promoted to be crucial to maintaining a healthy balance of internal energies upon which longevity is based. Uncontrolled emotional reactions damage health by inducing stress. Meditation and teachings regarding the nature of the mind and experiences were central to aid in creating mental and emotional peacefulness.

Modern science has investigated and continues to discover new anti-aging methods through lifestyle practices, specific foods, nutritional supplements and herbs. Science has verified the benefits of many traditional practices such as meditation and deep breathing.

An example of a scientific understanding of longevity is the theory of mitochondrial decline in aging. The mitochondria in your cells produce ATP for your body’s energy. If an organ’s mitochondria fail then the organ loses energy and stops working and also fails. This is linked to Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, heart failure and virtually all diseases of aging that can lead to death.

Mitochondria decline as we age so protecting them is an important aspect of anti-aging. Substances in the form of supplements that protect the mitochondria include CoQ10, pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), acetyl-l-carnitine (ALC), Malic acid, Fumaric acid, Succinic acid, D-Ribose and various B vitamins. In particular, PQQ increases the number of mitochondria in the cells as well as their energetic efficiency.

Science has investigated other causes of aging including free radicals, an overstimulated metabolism, and mutation of cells, endocrine imbalances, waste accumulation and toxicity. Based on continuing new scientific discoveries, there are specific nutrients and techniques that can slow down damage to the human system from these imbalances to promote greater longevity.

​Arthritis is a major problem in the United States. By conservative estimates, about 54 million adults have doctor-diagnosed arthritis. Almost 300,000 babies and children have arthritis or a rheumatic condition. The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which affects an estimated 31 million Americans. The Number of people expected to have doctor-diagnosed arthritis by the year 2040 is more than 78 million.

Almost two-thirds of adults in the U.S. with arthritis are of working age (18-64 years). Arthritis and other non-traumatic joint disorders are among the five most costly conditions among adults 18 and older.

Arthritis is much more common among people who have other chronic conditions.

• 49 percent of adults with heart disease have arthritis.
• 47 percent of adults with diabetes have arthritis.
• 31 percent of adults who are obese have arthritis.

Modern medicine does not understand the cause of arthritis. This is the case for most chronic diseases. At best, it offers some relief of the symptoms but cures are non-existent.

Arthritis can be understood from a naturalistic view to be a deficiency disease. It arises from either a lack of nutrition in one’s diet that weakens the joints, and/or with stressors in one’s diet and lifestyle that deplete nutrients from the body. The nutrients that are missing or depleted are the one’s the joints need to maintain health.

In consultations I recommend supplements and food that supply the body with the missing nutrients. The major nutrients that are missing or depleted in one’s diet are vitamin B3, vitamin C, vitamin B6, zinc, vitamin A, K2, D and calcium.
 
Niacin is higher in animal products. It is high in tuna, chicken breast and pork. With people cutting down on animal products or being vegetarian, the risk of a deficiency is great.
 
Vitamin C is depleted by stress from junk food or imbalanced vegetarian and low carb diets, and including lifestyle and environmental factors.
 
Vitamin B 6, D and true vitamin A is higher in animal products. Certain vegetables have carotenes that convert to A but many people can’t make the conversion. Vitamin A that is readily available is in grass fed dairy products, sardines, organ meats and free range or pastured eggs.
 
Calcium and vitamin K2 are most readily available from full fat grass fed dairy products. Low fat dairy products are missing nutrients that help the body absorb calcium.
 
People who are severely deficient need supplements in addition to food as part of a balanced whole food Full Spectrum Macrobiotic Approach to eating that includes grains, vegetables, fruits, natural animal products and more. Vegetarians can use supplements along with a traditional method of balancing the diet.
 
Balancing for vegans and vegetarians is an issue today as there are many odd ways of eating on these diets. The worst approach is eating lots of fake dairy products from nuts, strange gourmet combinations of food that weaken people’s bodies and the worst of the worst is low carb vegetarian diets. Both low carb vegetarian diets and high amounts of fake nut dairy products and desserts can wreck the metabolism causing the bones and many parts of the body to weaken.
 
Excessive muscle tension from stress can pull on and damage the joints. I teach people somatic exercises to reverse this muscle tension.
 
From the energetic view of Traditional Oriental Medicines problems with the joints point to liver and kidney energy disturbances. In addition to nutrients, I address these imbalances in consultations through herbs, exercise and acupressure.