Frank Jackson, M.D., founder of Jackson GI Medical, in Camp Hill, has a mission to raise awareness of the benefits of prebiotics and help people get more fiber into their systems. Johns Hopkins educated, with more than 40 years as a practicing gastroenterologist, Jackson is passionate about getting people to focus on their health—especially their gut health. Over the past four decades, this inventor and entrepreneur has founded several companies, including Jackson GI Medical.

According to Ron Walborn Jr., Jackson GI Medical chief operating and financial officer and longtime colleague, Jackson has had a special interest in bacteria throughout his life and recognizes that by feeding them right, they take care of our good health. Jackson learned that prebiotic fiber was the key and knew that he needed to find a way for people to get it into their system. “Since fiber is something that everybody needs, Frank decided to create a product that was available to everyone,” explains Walborn, who attests that Jackson’s determination to create his business came from his passion for wellness. “Frank sincerely wants to help people stay well. He knows firsthand how our health is affected by what is happening in our guts, and he sees it as his place to help spread the awareness about how important digestive health is.”

With that in mind, Jackson GI Medical was established in 2008 to not only sell high-quality prebiotic fiber supplements, but also to educate consumers about the benefits of prebiotic fiber. “We have a small, dedicated team—including Frank’s son Wilson, who is a gastroenterologist—whose chief aim is to help Frank with his mission of encouraging people to take care of their bodies. We provide extensive medical research to help educate our customers on gut health, including quite a bit of educational resources on our website that detail the science behind prebiotics.”

One question that frequently comes up is the difference between prebiotics and probiotics. “A lot of people don’t know the difference or have never even heard of prebiotics,” says Walborn. “Very simply, probiotics are the live bacteria that we ingest with the intention of increasing good bacteria in our guts. Prebiotics, on the other hand, are a specialized type of fiber that fertilizes the good bacteria in our guts and helps it to flourish.” Jackson GI Medical offers several different formulas of their flagship product, Prebiotin. “Anybody, at any age, from infants to seniors, can benefit from taking Prebiotin. And since lack of fiber is a common cause of digestive complaints, our products are really beneficial for those with gut issues, in addition to the preventative benefits realized by healthy individuals.” says Walborn.

Walborn notes that many people will be focusing on weight loss in the new year, and states, “Research has found that prebiotic fiber, at higher dosages, becomes a weight management tool, so it’s great for those who need to curb hunger.”

Prebiotin is currently being used in two National Institutes of Health clinical studies on the human microbiome. Walborn notes, “The results will be coming out later this year. We’re really excited, because that information will just help us further our mission of sharing Frank’s secret to better health and long life.”

For more information, call 717-731-1805 or visit Prebiotin.com.

Erin Lehn Floresca is a frequent contributor to Natural Awakenings.