So honey is a prebiotic

So everywhere you look in a supermarket , or even in takeaways, now there are prebiotics or probiotics.

So what are they?

Ok, we all know about antibiotics right, they are chemicals which kill bacteria. We use them to stop us being sick and they are also used in the food of many feedlots and chicken sheds to prevent animals / chickens getting sick. Massive amounts are used worldwide.

So the prebiotics / probiotics do the reverse – they encourage bacterial growth. Prebiotics have components which encourage growth and the probiotics are solutions of the good bacteria we want in our gut.

Why are they so good and important to us?

Our gut contains two type of bacteria, bad ones which make us sick and good ones we need to be healthy. The good bacteria help in the breakdown  of the food and generally assist in maintaining our health, without them we do not feel well. Taking antibiotics decreases the gut flora and so probiotics are essential to repopulate the gut.

So why is all of this important to us as Foodies?

Simple, people are now understanding that pro and prebiotics are good for you and this creates an opportunity to have foods providing for this need.

So it brings us back to the supermarket or takeaway and the growing number of these foods and drinks.

Last week, I tastetested a new probiotic product whaih was not based on dairy, like the well known market leader. It was very interesting and will probably be only the start of such products making an appearance in our shops.

It is well known that honey is perhaps the only food which doesn’t go off. Well research has now shown that around a teaspoon a day of a specific type of honey has a significant prebiotic effect. This affect has been suspected for some time and now with the increasing interest in prte and probiotics, it is the perfect time for this amazing product to come on the market – besides which, it just tastes good.