Garlic & its health benefits...

We each have a unique bacterial population that lives within us & on the skin's surface — as a whole, this is referred to as our “microbiome.”

The microbiome is composed of trillions of bacteria, and plays a major role in many aspects of our health.

The primary benefit of probiotics & prebiotics help to maintain a healthy digestive system.

Prebiotics

• Specialized plant fibers that beneficially nourish the good bacteria already in the colon.

• Prebiotics act as a fertilizer for the good bacteria that’s already there by helping your good bacteria grow, improving the good-to-bad bacteria ratio.

• This ratio has been shown to have a direct correlation to your health and overall wellbeing, from your stomach to your brain.

• The body itself doesn’t digest these plant fibers. Instead, it uses these fibers to promote the growth of many of the good bacteria in the gut. These, in turn, provide many digestive and general health benefits.

Probiotics

• Probiotics are “good” bacteria that help keep your digestive system healthy by controlling growth of harmful bacteria.

• One of the best sources of probiotics is yogurt. It has good bacteria like lactobacillus or be-fidobacteria. Look for “live or active cultures” on the label to be sure your favorite brand of yogurt is a rich source of probiotics. Other good food sources are sauerkraut, miso soup, fermented foods, and soft cheeses.

Garlic & Prebiotics

• As a prebiotic, garlic can help probiotics thrive within the intestine.

• The indigestible prebiotics in the garlic will remain in the intestine where the probiotics that live there can use it as food.

• In this symbiotic relationship, the probiotics depend on the prebiotics for growth and survival.

• Without adequate prebiotics, the probiotics may not get enough nutrients to survive, and the natural flora of your intestine will change.

• If the beneficial bacteria are underpopulated, other, more harmful bacteria can move in, potentially causing GI problems.

Roasted Garlic

• Cut off the top of the head of garlic to expose the top of the cloves.

• Drizzle 1-2 tsp olive oil over the the exposed surface allowing the oil to sink down into the cloves.

• Wrap in parchment and roast in a 425°F oven for 40-45 minutes.

• When you remove the garlic from the oven, you can push the garlic clove out of head and spread it on bread to make garlic bead or it can be added to guacamole, salsas, marinates...etc.

Enjoy your prebiotics! Learn more from my video about garlic & gut health!