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Probiotics and prebiotics: what's really important?

What are prebiotics and probiotics?

Prebiotics and probiotics are different groups of substances with distinct roles.

Prebiotics are non-digestible fibres that act as food for microorganisms, promoting their growth and activity. Probiotics on the other hand, are living microorganisms that, when consumed in adequate amounts, can provide health benefits.

In simpler terms, prebiotics are the food source for our gut bacteria, while probiotics are the live bacteria that offer health benefits when consumed. Think of your gut as a garden: probiotics are the seeds you plant, while prebiotics are the fertilizer that helps them grow.

Prebiotics: how do they work?

Prebiotics are non-digestible food components, such as certain dietary fibres. Once they arrive in the intestine, they become food for beneficial microorganisms in the gut and are broken down into chemicals that stimulate their growth and activity. By eating a variety of prebiotic foods, we can feed the beneficial microorganisms in our gut, helping to create a healthier and more diverse microbiota. This can lead to better intestinal health and metabolism and also help prevent harmful bacteria ("pathogens") from growing in our gut.

Even though the term prebiotics encompasses a broad range of compounds, they all contribute to good digestive health. Some functions of prebiotics include supporting nutrient metabolism and regulation of our immune system, and influencing our disease risk. Prebiotics boost the production of health-promoting substances like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), that have been linked to reduced risk of colorectal cancer. Evidence suggests that prebiotics also help with constipation by promoting more regular, frequent and well-formed bowel movements.

Probiotics: what do they do and how do they work?

Prebiotics are non-digestible food components, such as certain dietary fibres. Once they arrive in the intestine, they become food for beneficial microorganisms in the gut and are broken down into chemicals that stimulate their growth and activity. By eating a variety of prebiotic foods, we can feed the beneficial microorganisms in our gut, helping to create a healthier and more diverse microbiota. This can lead to better intestinal health and metabolism and also help prevent harmful bacteria ("pathogens") from growing in our gut.

Probiotics are microorganisms that can benefit our health in many different ways. There are seven commonly used types of probiotic microorganisms: Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Escherichia, and Bacillus. Each of these also consists of dozens of strains which can positively affect the gut microbiota, boost the immune system or have other health benefits. However, it's important to remember that the effects of each probiotic strain are unique and can vary based on the amount consumed and that research into these understanding these effects is still in early stages.

Some probiotic strains might also help improve symptoms of diseases such as ulcerative colitis or irritable bowel syndrome, and regular consumption of probiotics has been shown to lower the likelihood of upper respiratory tract infections like the common cold. Probiotics are also used to lower the risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea.There is still more research needed to fully understand the effects of probiotics on these and other health outcomes such as blood cholesterol, body weight, and body fat, but the modulation of our gut through pre- and probiotics has a huge potential for many positive benefits of our health.

Summary

The various microorganisms in our gut have a crucial role in our health and well-being. Prebiotics feed the good bacteria already existing in your gut while probiotics directly introduce new strains of beneficial microbes that may result in health benefits. Both pre- and probiotics show promising health effects but require more research to fully unveil their role and impact on the gut microbiome, general health as well as specific diseases.

References

https://www.eufic.org/

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