Prebiotic prevention

I sing the praise of probiotics all the time. These good bacteria nourish your gut--and in doing so, they fight disease from what is arguably the epicenter of your body's health. But what nourishes the good bacteria? Prebiotics, that's what. And as one new study shows, they're just as important. This randomized, triple-blind trial looked at close to 50 diabetic women. Half supplemented with 10 grams of a prebiotic called inulin every day for two months, while the other half took maltodextrin as a control. Results at the end of the study showed significant drops in both fasting blood sugar and HbA1c levels among the group taking the prebiotic. Researchers also observed dramatic spikes in antioxidant activity among the women taking inulin. And I don't think I need to explain why that's a major plus for anyone with diabetes. Inulin belongs to a class of carbohydrates called fructans. And it's abundant in onions, garlic, and artichokes, just to name a few delicious sources. But Dr. Ohhira's formulas also feature prebiotics--which is why they're the main line of probiotics I recommend. Until next time, Dr. Fred