Most people take probiotics and wonder why nothing changes.

Here's why. You're planting seeds in dead soil.

Probiotics are the bacteria. Prebiotics are what feed them. Without prebiotics, beneficial bacteria can't colonise, can't multiply, and can't outcompete the harmful strains already entrenched in your gut.

Prebiotics are specialised plant fibres your body can't digest — but your gut bacteria can. They pass through your stomach and small intestine untouched, arriving in your colon as fuel for the bacteria you want to thrive.

The two most studied forms are inulin and fructooligosaccharides — FOS. When beneficial bacteria feed on them, they produce short-chain fatty acids — especially butyrate.

From my research, butyrate is extraordinary. It's the primary fuel for the cells lining your colon. It strengthens the gut barrier. Reduces inflammation. Even signals your immune system to calm down.

Without prebiotics, butyrate production drops. Your gut lining weakens. Inflammation rises. And the probiotics you're paying for wash straight through.

Food sources are powerful — garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, slightly green bananas. But most people don't eat enough of them consistently.

A prebiotic supplement — 5 to 10 grams of inulin or FOS daily — fills the gap. Start low. Prebiotics can cause gas and bloating in the first week as your gut adjusts. That's a sign they're working. It settles.

You've got the bacteria. Now they've got fuel. But your gut lining itself might already be damaged — and that's a problem no amount of bacteria can fix on its own.

Ask me about L-glutamine next. It's what your gut cells use to physically rebuild the wall.