The Complete Prebiotic & Probiotic Health Guide: A Vegetarian Plan for Balancing Your Gut Flora

Raman, a gastroenterologist and physician nutritionist, and clinical dietitians Sirounis and Shrubsole educate readers on the relationship between prebiotics and probiotics, their influence on health, and the role diet plays in maintaining optimal levels of bacteria in the digestive tract. The book briefly defines probiotics as ingested live bacteria that have beneficial effects, and prebiotics as dietary fibers that selectively alter bacterial composition in the intestine, noting that a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria is important for disease prevention and maintenance. The authors argue that dietary and lifestyle changes can be an effective and natural way to deal with chronic diseases. Definitions of microbiota and an explanation of the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract are provided alongside discussions of antibiotics, beneficial bacteria, and the value of fiber. A vegetarian diet is described in detail, and the authors include an eight-step biotic-balanced program, sample 14-day meal plan, and more than 175 vegetarian recipes. The book may be of particular interest to people with chronic conditions such as ulcerative colitis, IBS, and Crohn's disease, but it's broadly useful to readers who want to make healthy eating choices. (Dec.)