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Most people can get prebiotics by setting a goal to reach the recommended intake of fiber. The recommended fiber intake for adults is 25 grams to 38 grams per day. Consuming whole grains and plenty of fruits and vegetables is often the best way to reach that goal.
Many prebiotic supplements provide a dose of about four to five grams per day. If you take a prebiotic supplement, start slowly (once a day) until you see how your body reacts to the supplement. If gas or bloating occurs, then cut your dose in half.
Many people combine prebiotics with probiotics for an increased benefit. According to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, because probiotics are short-lived, prebiotics are sometimes added to probiotics to maintain their levels in the gut. This combination of pro- and prebiotics is called “synbiotic therapy" or "synbiotics." *
The US Government’s Dietary Guidelines for 2015-2020 state that most Americans aren’t getting enough dietary fiber in their daily diet. And while exactly how much fiber we need can vary slightly, depending on which authority’s data you’re looking at, they are all within the range of 25-40 grams per day. In general, women should be getting 25 grams of fiber per day, and men should be getting 38 grams per day. Best estimates are that most of us are only getting about 15 grams per day—and much of that isn’t from sources that are prebiotic-specific. This difference, about 15 grams on average, is called “The Fiber Gap”. While there’s not been a recent survey, there’s nothing to indicate that our prebiotic consumption has significantly increased since the 1990s, which means most Americans are likely still averaging less than 4 grams of prebiotic fiber a day. *
