PREbiotics, not Probiotics

The dramatic discovery that the lower gut is home to an enormous collection of bacteria has revolutionized the science of the digestive system, indeed, the entire body. This gut ecosystem is known as the microbiome. Good bacteria live here as well as bad bacteria that we would rather not have. Probiotics are live bacteria that we ingest in the hope that they take up residence in the lower gut and provide health benefits. Prebiotics, on the other hand, are the plant fibers that are the fuel for the whole system and are the ones that make it work maximally for our benefit. Frank Jackson M.D., a clinical gastroenterologist, provides a physician’s look at this whole system. He does it with a clinician’s approach by talking in plain language that is understandable by everyone. He takes us through the science underlying the complex bacterial factory that we all have. Then he discusses how the function of the gut and its bacterial actors participate in the dynamics of many of the common gastrointestinal disorders. These include Crohns Disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac and gluten disorders, diverticulosis, bowel cancer, even obesity and diabetes. All of these and many more have been found to have a pivotal link with the bacterial ecosystem which is uniquely our own. In addition, he explains in easily understandable detail how these bacterial friends act to protect us our entire lives if we give them what they need to play their respective roles well. Dr. Jackson has a long background in writing patient education materials so he is well qualified to take a complex subject like the microbiome and make it understandable for everyone. Additionally his life story is not just as a patient educator but also as an innovative and inventive discoverer of medical devices. He is uniquely capable of providing the knowledge of how prebiotics in our foods and some supplements make them the pivotal player in what now appears to be the concert of the intestinal microbes that communicate with almost every organ system in the body.