Study: Gum Arabic Boosts Prebiotic Activity

Published July 14, 2015

Probiotics have received much attention in recent years. Television commercials advertising yogurt with live active cultures, news stories conveying recent research on the miraculous power of good bacteria, and your friends gleaming over the wondrous results they're having with their store-bought kombucha may have peaked your interest in these healthy, beneficial microbes. While probiotics can be helpful for introducing new colonies of good bacteria in your intestines, they can only thrive in the presence of prebiotics. Prebiotics are fundamentally the "food" for the good bacteria, helping them to grow and flourish, ultimately benefiting numerous aspects of your health. A recent study is showing that gum arabic, a hardened sap from the acacia tree, may be a powerful prebiotic.

Gum Arabic's Prebiotic Potential

If you're familiar with gum arabic, you probably know it's used in the food and nutraceutical industry as an emulsifier. Beyond this practical benefit, gum arabic contains a substantial amount of fiber. It's often sold as a fiber supplement, typically marketed under the name "acacia fiber." Dietary fiber, particularly from gum arabic, is a prebiotic and is essential for strengthening the population of good bacteria in your gut. A study from the British Journal of Nutrition showed supplementation with gum arabic increases good bacterial strains, most notably Bifidobacteria and Lactobaccili bacteria. ^[1]

Prebiotic supplements are few and far between, and most of them are shrouded under the dominating shadow of supplemental probiotics. Inulin is one of the most popular prebiotic supplements on the market, and for good reason. Dietary inulin, also used in the food and nutraceutical industry, offers tremendous prebiotic potency. ^[2] Inulin is found in a variety of fruits and vegetables, as well, making it an easier prebiotic to consume on a daily basis. Dietary supplements may also contain either inulin or gum arabic to increase flowability of the product. So, in essence, even taking a normal, everyday supplement could be contributing to supporting a healthy digestive tract.

Should You Take a Prebiotic Supplement?

One of the best things you can do for your digestive system that doesn't require a great deal of work is to start taking probiotics. Pollution in our environment is dwindling the amount of good bacteria in our intestines, which makes it imperative you have a supplement working in your favor to repopulate your intestines with beneficial microorganisms. But again, probiotics thrive when you give them what they want and need–prebiotics. While some people will certainly benefit from purchasing a prebiotic supplement, note that fiber found in raw vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds also display prebiotic potential.

Do you take prebiotics? What kind? Has it helped your digestion? Please let us know in the comments!

-Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, NP, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM