Prebiotics vs Probitoitcs

We often hear about prebiotics and probiotics and that they have something to do with gut health. Despite having similar sounding names, the two are very different but both are very important for gut health.

Before exploring the world of pre- and pro- biotics it is important to add a touch of context and understand more about the world of the Microbiome. If you think about the human microbiome as its very own miniature ecosystem - our gut houses many strains of beneficial bacteria (queue probiotics) as well as some not-so-beneficial bacteria. To sum things up - we want to ensure things are thriving in our ecosystem and we can do this by ensuring prebiotics and probiotics are part of our diet!

Probiotics

Probiotics (aka the good gut bugs) are living beneficial bacteria which can improve your digestive health, support immunity and help support the integrity of the lining of your gut. Probiotic bacteria can be found naturally in fermented foods like kefir, kimchi, and yogurt. As probiotics are living, they need nourishment in order to survive and thrive (just like humans do) - annnd…that’s where prebiotics come in!

Prebiotics

Prebiotics refer to a type of dietary fibre that helps support the health and functioning of your digestive tract by providing fuel for your gut bugs (probiotics) to flourish! Prebiotics can be found in many plant-based foods such as oats, cabbage, onion and garlic and some fruits like apples and bananas. They can also be found in plants such as chicory root (see our article here to learn more about this star ingredient that loves ya gut and helps make our lollies so damn tasty!).

Basically, prebiotics are the fertilisers for your gut bacteria and serve as fuel for probiotics which help them grow and multiply and promote a healthy gut.

Why we’ve added prebiotic fibre to our lollies.

By including prebiotics as part of a healthy diet, they can help with your gut’s ability to keep a balance of good and bad gut microbes, can help with stabilisation of blood sugar levels and assist with healthy digestion.

From your fave raspberry frogs, to our vegan fruity bears (and all in between), all of our lollies are packed with a gut loving prebiotic fibre called chicory root. Chicory Root is mostly composed of a type of prebiotic fibre called Inulin, which is a star ingredient when it comes to lollies that really are healthy. When Inulin is present in lollies, it provides a natural sweetness while being dental friendly, gut friendly, and less calories than traditional sugar (sayonara sugar!).

So go and enjoy a packet (or two..or three) of ya fave FUNDAY sweets! In a mood for something sour? Try our sour vegan bears or sour peach hearts!