Looking to enhance the quality of your diet and overall health? Then you are on the right page because here in this literature we will help you in understanding the difference between Prebiotics and Probiotics. Even though they sound similar but prebiotics and probiotics are different and each of it possesses its own promising health benefits.
Prebiotics and Probiotics play a key role in human nutrition. Probiotics are living micro-organisms that have gut-friendly bacteria in it. When they are consumed in adequate amounts via food or supplements, they act as a barrier against unfriendly bacteria and exert numerous benefits. Among thousands of these bacterias, two common probiotics are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Probiotics help maintain bacterial balance, boost immunity, reduce inflammation and improve the digestion and absorption of nutrients. To enjoy these multiple health benefits, probiotics should be an active ingredient of our diet. Another reason for it is that sometimes we consume antibiotics, which destroys not only bad bacterias but good bacterias as well. Probiotics are fragile and can get easily destroyed by heat, acid, stomach juices or with time. Apart from supplements, one can include probiotics naturally through curd, yoghurt, sauerkraut, tempeh, miso soup, kefir, natto, kombucha, kimchi, buttermilk and traditional pickles.
On the other hand, prebiotics is non-living, non-digestible dietary fibre ingredient which acts as a food for probiotics. Consumption of prebiotic stimulates the growth of gut-friendly bacteria in our colon. It is important to understand that all fibre is not prebiotic and vice-versa. But the common factor is that both fibre and prebiotics are not digestible by humans. Rather, they are fermented and digested by gut microbiota. Unlike probiotics, prebiotics are highly stable, heat and acid resistant. Some of the natural sources are banana, leeks, onions, cloves, artichokes, apple, bran, oats, peas, beans, lentils, chicory root, whole wheat, garlic, dandelion greens, barley, flaxseeds and asparagus. A supplement like SN Tri Fibre is also an excellent way of including prebiotic in our daily diet. Fermentation of prebiotics results in the production of short chain fatty acids (SFCAs), i.e., acetate, butyrate and propionate. These SCFAs lowers the colonic pH which promotes the growth of benefitting bacterias. It is estimated that more than 90 per cent of SCFAs are utilised by microbes, some of them enter the circulation where they help protect cells and tissues from foreign pathogens. Some studies have also linked the benefits of prebiotics to reducing inflammation, relief from inflammatory bowel disease, improve lactose digestion, reduce allergies, reduce risk of developing colon cancer, maintaining blood glucose and blood cholesterol levels, boost immunity and overall wellness.
Probiotics and prebiotics can be consumed together at the same time. On one hand, probiotics increases the gut-friendly bacterias whereas prebiotics promote the growth of these bacterias. Make them a part of your daily diet, your gut will thank you for taking care of it.
Healthy Gut! Healthy You!