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Are you like many people who have heard about probiotics and know they are important for health, but don't know exactly why? And when someone mentions prebiotics you think they have made a mistake and meant probiotics?
That's very common. Many people know about probiotics, but they know next to nothing about prebiotics. Here's a hint: without prebiotics, probiotics are ineffectual.
This article aims to expand our readers' knowledge about probiotics and prebiotics so they can benefit from both. Let's start.
The microorganisms in the large intestine or colon are also called gut flora or gut microbiota. These microbes help our bodies digest food. But these microbes also need food to flourish and prebiotics are that food.
In other words, your gut microorganisms get food when you eat certain fruits and vegetables containing fiber. These fibers aren’t digested by your body and as these undigested fibers land in the large intestine, your microbiota metabolize and ferment them to survive.
Prebiotics play severalimportant roles in the body. Prebiotics:
Serve as food for probiotics, promoting a healthy and balanced microbiome by supporting the production of beneficial gut bacteria. Probiotics are live microorganisms present in the gastrointestinal tract where they help to keep the natural balance of the gut microbiota.
Promote digestion and overall well-being.
Support immune function.
Stimulate the production of hormones that help control appetite
Improve calcium absorption and increase bone density
Improve nutrient absorption.
Support regular bowel movements
Haveanti-inflammatory effects
The main difference between prebiotics and probiotics lies in what they are. They are completely different. Probiotics are live organisms and prebiotics are food particles. Probiotics digest what humans eat and they digest prebiotics.
The gut microbiome is a world of live microscopic organisms that include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. These organisms break down the food we eat and absorb the nutrients from the food. The more balanced this population is, the better your digestion, and the better your overall health.
Probiotics or microbes in your gut need food to give them the energy to help you digest the food in your gut. Prebiotics serve as the food of these probiotics.
Prebiotics are not live organisms; they are physical food particles ingested but not fully digested by the human host, such as oats, peas, beans, apples, and carrots. These foods contain so-called soluble fibers – these fibers are readily metabolized by gut bacteria, boosting their numbers and contributing to a healthy gut biome. Insoluble dietary fibers, such as cellulose, mainly help to bulk up stools and are not much metabolized by gut bacteria.
So, probiotics are organisms; prebiotics are food particles. Probiotics digest the food humans eat and consume prebiotics as foods. All these actions contribute to a healthy, balanced gut biome.
The intestines house beneficial and potentially harmful microbes. In a healthy person with a balanced gut biome, there's a symbiotic relationship between the human body and the microbes which is mutually beneficial. When this balance is disturbeddigestive disorders can result.
While there is enough understanding of the function of probiotics and prebiotics, these are not classified as medicines and are typically not prescribed by doctors as standard treatments for health conditions. They are categorized as dietary supplements for gut health and overall well-being.
However, in certain cases, healthcare professionals may recommend probiotics or prebiotics as part of a broader management plan for conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), dysbiosis, and diarrhea related to antibiotic use.
But even in these cases, probiotics or prebiotics complement standard treatments and do not act as primary cures.
Research suggests that IBS patients can benefit from taking regular probiotics. Scientists found that some IBS patients experience a low population of Lactobacillus sp. and Bifidobacterium . Astudy found dysbiosis was associated with higher risks of irritable bowel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, acne, gastric ulcers, obesity, and hypertension. The researchers suggest intake of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics (a mixture of the two) to help restore the microbial imbalance.
However, disruption of the gut microbiota can be caused by various factors including imbalanced diet, physical stress, exercise, psychological distress, radiation, antibiotics, aging, flying, and changes in humidity and geographical location.
In fact, overdoing a healthy activity can also pose a dysbiosis risk. That’s exactly whyprofessional athletes who constantly put their bodies under physical stress such as cycling for the Tour de France are at risk of dysbiosis!
So, a good idea to deal with dysbiosis is to take a hard look at your life and seek moderation in your lifestyle and overall habits!
Probiotics and prebiotics are also reported to help relieve constipation, according to an article that appeared inthe American Journal of Pharmacology.
Onestudy states that clinical evidence suggests that probiotics help inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but calls for more well-designed randomized clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of such treatment.
While doctors do not typically prescribe prebiotics to the same extent as medication, dietitians or healthcare providers may recommend foods rich in prebiotics or a probiotic supplement as part of dietary advice.
While dosages for probiotic and prebiotic use have not been established yet, it’s preferred that you obtain these helpful microorganisms from your diet.
You can easily add probiotics to your diet by including fermented foods. Yogurt is a good source of probiotics, and it contains many live cultures. Buy plain yogurt that is not spoiled by loads of sugar and additives.
Other milk-based foods that contain probiotics include:
Kefir (milk fermented with kefir grains)
Traditional buttermilk (the liquid left from making butter)
Semi-hard cheeses such as cheddar, mozzarella, gouda, and cottage cheese.
Other fermented foods include:
Pickles
Sauerkraut
Kimchi (fermented, spicy Korean cabbage)
Miso Japanese (fermented soybeans used as Japanese seasoning)
Tempeh (fermented soybeans)
Kombucha (fermented tea)
Fermented foods are widely available in food stores. However, these foods are often pasteurized which kills the beneficial microorganisms, so be sure to read the labels.
Or, make your own. It's fun and easy to do and there are loads of recipes online.
Another way to add probiotics to your diet is by takingprobiotic supplements. Be sure to buy a high-quality product on the market, of course.
You can help your body to feed the existing colony of good bacteria so they proliferate by eatingfoods high in soluble fiber. These include:
Whole-grain foods such as oatmeal, whole-grain breads, barley, rye, corn, and brown rice
Beans and legumes like lentils, chickpeas, and black beans
Vegetables like asparagus, leeks, onions, tomatoes, celery, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, sweet potatoes, garlic, and carrots
Fruits like avocados, bananas, pears, figs, nectarines, apricots, apples, and guavas.
Nuts and seeds
These are the foods that support good bacteria; foods thatdeplete good bacteria are the usual culprits, namely sugar, saturated fat, and processed foods.
Postbiotics are the end products of bacterial metabolism, what is left behind after prebiotic and probiotic digestion.
These end productsinclude nutrients like vitamins B and K, amino acids, and substances called antimicrobial peptides, which prevent harmful bacteria from proliferating. Postbiotic substances like short-chain fatty acids help healthy bacteria flourish.
You can ensure adequate amounts of postbiotics in your system by including fermented foods like kefir, tempeh, yogurt, pickles, kombucha, and kimchi in your diet.
Currently, postbiotic supplements are not widely available, so it's best to concentrate on foods in your diet that promote a healthy gut.
Whether one should take a probiotic or a fiber supplement is not really an "either/or" question —probiotics and fiber (prebiotics) serve different purposes in gut health. The best choice depends on a person's health condition.
Taking a probiotic will introduce more beneficial bacteria to the intestine, which will be helpful for people with dysbiosis, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Prebiotics are indigestible fibers that act as food for probiotics that are present in the colon. Eating high-fiber foods contributes to a healthy digestive system, helps with regular bowel movements, and promotes a diverse and healthy gut microbiome.
Your doctor may suggest:
A probiotic supplement if you have a digestive disorder like IBS.
Prebiotics If you suffer from constipation, need help with blood sugar control, or need to boost your microbiome.
A supplement that contains bothprebiotics and probiotics for overall gut support.
While scientific research points to the health benefits and general safety of probiotics and prebiotics, these substances are classified as supplements. While research is still ongoing to determine the specific strains that might help with a health condition, a food-first approach remains the best strategy for a healthy digestive system and overall health.
Whole foods are the source of many complex nutrients, fibers, and minerals that supplements cannot fully replicate. Eating foods rich in natural probiotics like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi, and those high in prebiotic fibers, such as garlic, onions, bananas, and oats, gives you everything you need to have a diverse gut microbiome that will support your immune system and your general well-being.