Why You Need Probiotics AND Prebiotics for a Healthy Gut

In case you haven't heard, probiotics, aka "friendly" bacteria found in food and supplements, are not only key for gut health but for overall health, too. They've become a non-negotiable part of many people's diets — and we're not just talking about the wellness obsessed. If you're loading your plate with sauerkraut and popping a daily probiotic and still feeling bloated and sluggish, however, it might be because you're low in a key piece of the gut puzzle: prebiotics. In the same way that calcium isn't effective without vitamin D, probiotics need prebiotics.

"You need both probiotics and prebiotics to create a symbiotic gut," says Sakara Life co-founders Whitney Tingle and Danielle DuBoise. "There's no one-pill-cure-all with gut health— you'll need to feed those good microbes with a diet abundant in plant fiber, which will help to crowd out any pathogenic bacteria. And a happy gut means so many things: better immunity, deeper sleep, more seamless digestion and elimination, even elevated mood and heightened energy."

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