Probiotics are bacteria that live in your body and are necessary for healthy living found in the foods we eat and in probiotic supplements. Prebiotics are indigestible fibers found in foods like beans and whole grains that serve as important food sources for the probiotic bacteria living in our intestines.
Certain qualities differentiate prebiotics from probiotic bacteria. Prebiotics don’t contain bacteria but are the fuel to help good bacteria grow. All prebiotics are a type of dietary fiber, such as fiber inulin found in chicory root.
Taking prebiotics with your probiotics may make them more effective and help you maintain a healthy digestive system, improve your immune function, and support communication between the gut and the brain.
When prebiotics and probiotics are combined in a supplement, it’s called a synbiotic. Enriching a probiotic supplement with prebiotic nutrients helps strengthen and nourish the good bacteria so that they can make it through the acidic environment of the stomach alive and are ready to colonize the gut.
It’s also important to note that probiotic and prebiotic combination supplements (i.e., synbiotics) typically have far less fiber than a dedicated prebiotic supplement. In a synbiotic, the fiber is there to keep the bacteria alive on the way to the gut. A dedicated fiber supplement typically delivers higher amounts of dietary fiber. This can be beneficial for anyone struggling to meet the daily recommended dietary fiber intake via their diet. In this list, we’ll take a look at the best prebiotic and probiotic combinations to help you choose the right supplement for you.
All Omni-Biotic probiotics are synbiotics containing freeze-dried probiotic bacteria combined with important prebiotic nutrients in our unique powder delivery system. When the powder is dissolved in water, the freeze-dried bacteria rehydrate and consume the prebiotic nutrients.
As a result, the bacteria become stronger for their passage through the stomach’s acidic environment, drastically increasing probiotic survival rates into the intestines.
The powdered formulations are packaged in single-serve sachets that protect the freeze-dried probiotics from moisture and heat until you’re ready to use them. The unique powder delivery ensures that 83% of the probiotic bacteria reach the intestine alive, compared to an average of 7% across 10 leading US capsule brands.
1. Omni-Biotic Stress Release
The physiological effects of stress can affect your overall health, including your gut health. When you’re feeling stressed, cortisol levels increase, and blood sugar fluctuates. When the body is in fight or flight mode, it shifts its energy toward those functions necessary for fight or flight.
This also means directing blood flow away from the digestive system. If this occurs over long periods, stress can directly impact bowel movements and digestion. Over time, chronic stress can cause inflammation in the body and in the gut.
Since the gut and the brain are connected via a bidirectional communication network referred to as the gut-brain axis, stress-induced changes to the gut microbiome can negatively impact mood, cognitive function, and neurotransmitter production. After all, over 90% of the body’s happiness hormone serotonin is produced in the gut with the help of our beneficial gut bacteria.
Probiotics can help mitigate the physical effects of stress. Omni-Biotic’s Stress Release targets the “gut-brain axis”—a communication network between your digestive system and your brain that regulates hormones, neurotransmitters, and inflammatory cells.
This probiotic contains strains like L. planetarium, L. lactis, and Bifidobacterium lactis. The strains in Omni-Biotic Stress Release were scientifically combined to support the body in times of stress. In clinical studies, Stress Release was shown to promote positive mood, strengthen emotional balance and improve memory and cognitive function.
Omni-Biotic rigorously tests the final formulations of this supplement to confirm the strains work effectively together to exert their beneficial effects on the body.
- Type: a powder formulation with prebiotic nutrients
- Storage: Shelf-stable
- Dosage: 1-2 sachets per day
- Dietary Considerations: Hypoallergenic, vegan, non-GMO
- Clinical Studies Using the Final Formulation: Yes