Probiotic vs Prebiotic: A New Approach to Gut Health and Immunity

"Many people are now aware of how important gut health is for their overall well-being. There are two words that are often confused but have different meanings: prebiotics and probiotics.

It is essential to know the difference between prebiotic and probiotic if you want to improve your gut health. This article, by The Good Bug, will teach you about pre and probiotics, and how they help your gut in different ways.

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You may have mixed up probiotics and prebiotics before. That is normal, but you should know that they affect your gut health differently. These gut microbes are among many others that help with digestion, nutrient absorption, and immunity.

To keep your gut healthy, you need a good balance of probiotics and prebiotics. Probiotics are living bacteria that are found in some foods, while prebiotics are carbohydrates that feed the probiotic bacteria in your gut.

You may have heard of probiotics, but not of prebiotics. Or you may have heard of both, but not know what they are or what they do - or which one is better.

Both prebiotics and probiotics are good for you, as they support your digestive system and offer various benefits. But how do they compare?

If you want to know what the difference is between prebiotic and probiotic, you are in the right place. Here, we explain what each one does and how they benefit you, where you can get them, and how you can include more of both in your diet.

Introduction

Prebiotics and probiotics are words that are popular in the health and wellness industry. Both are known for their role in improving gut health, but what are they exactly? Prebiotics and probiotics are common words in the health and wellness industry, and they are linked to better gut health. Prebiotics are carbohydrates that are not broken down by the human body, but feed the good bacteria in our gut, while probiotics are live microbes that add to the good bacteria in our gut. In this article, we will talk about the differences between prebiotics and probiotics, their benefits, and how to add them to your diet.

Understanding Prebiotics

Prebiotics are a kind of dietary fiber that are not digested by the human body, but instead act as food for the good bacteria in the gut. When prebiotics are eaten, they go through the small intestine without being digested and are fermented in the large intestine, giving energy to the good bacteria in the gut. By boosting the growth and activity of good bacteria, prebiotics help to keep a healthy gut microbiome and support overall health. Prebiotics can be found in foods like garlic, onions, bananas, asparagus, and whole grains.

Understanding Probiotics

Probiotics are live micro-organisms, such as bacteria or yeast, that can live in the gut and improve gut health. When eaten, probiotics can help to bring back the balance of good bacteria in the gut, especially after taking antibiotics or having digestive problems. Probiotics work by interacting with the immune system and boosting the growth of good bacteria, helping to keep a healthy gut microbiome. Probiotics can be found in foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, and tempeh, as well as in supplement form." 

"Good bacteria, food for good bacteria and your gut health

Your gut is home to many tiny living things like bacteria, viruses, fungi and others. These living things are called your gut microbiome and they help you stay healthy in many ways. They help you break down the food you eat and protect you from harmful germs.

You can improve your gut health by eating two types of foods: good bacteria and food for good bacteria. Good bacteria are also called probiotics and food for good bacteria are also called prebiotics. They work together to make your gut microbiome better.

Prebiotics are parts of food that you cannot digest but your good bacteria can. They are like fertilizer for your good bacteria and help them grow and multiply. You can find prebiotics in many fruits, vegetables and grains such as mushrooms, artichokes, onions, asparagus, cabbage, apples, bananas, chickpeas, oats and wheat bread.

Probiotics are good bacteria that you can eat or take as supplements. They join the good bacteria that already live in your gut and make them stronger. You can find probiotics in foods that are made by fermenting, such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, pickles, miso, tempeh, kimchi, sourdough bread and some cheeses. When you eat probiotics, they can help balance the different types of bacteria in your gut, boost your immune system and improve your digestion.

WHAT ARE PROBIOTICS?

Probiotics are good bacteria (and sometimes yeasts) that you can find in some foods and supplements. They are living things that can help your health when you eat enough of them.

We often call probiotics ‘good bacteria’ or ‘friendly bacteria’ because they have been shown to be good for us.

Probiotics are similar to the good bacteria that naturally live in your body. Most of them are in your gut (but they can also be in other places), where they keep your body in balance and help you fight off bad germs. Eating probiotics through food or supplements can make these good bacteria stronger and more diverse.

WHAT ARE PREBIOTICS?

Prebiotics are a special kind of fiber that comes from some carbohydrates.

We cannot digest this kind of fiber (prebiotics), but our good bacteria can. Prebiotics are like food for our good bacteria and help them grow and thrive.

This makes us healthier, improves our digestion and helps keep our body in harmony." 

"Prebiotic and probiotic benefits

Prebiotics and probiotics are both good for us. Probiotics are helpful bacteria in our gut, and prebiotics are food for these bacteria to grow and keep our gut healthy. We need both of these to have a good balance of bacteria in our gut and work well. We should eat both pre- and probiotic foods in the right amounts.

Helpful bacteria in our gut protect our digestive system from bad viruses, bacteria and fungi.

They help to stop inflammation by controlling the immune system.

They prevent stomach issues.

They have short-chain fatty acids that are good for the cells in the lining of the colon and stop harmful things from getting in.

Having enough bacteria in our gut lowers the chance of getting colon cancer.

Probiotic foods also help to clear acne.

What are the benefits of prebiotics?

Prebiotics can give us many health benefits, such as:

Better Digestive Health: Prebiotics can help to make stool softer and less hard to pass. They can also help to take in more nutrients from food.

Stronger Immune System: Prebiotics can help to make the immune system stronger by making more white blood cells.

Lower Risk of Some Digestive Diseases: Prebiotics have been shown to lower the risk of some digestive diseases, like inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer.

Help in Taking in Nutrients, Especially Calcium: Prebiotics can help to take in more calcium, which is important for strong bones and teeth.

What are the benefits of probiotics?

Research on the effects of probiotics is not clear, but it suggests that they may help in the following areas:

Digestive Health: Probiotics may help some people with their digestive health, such as those who take antibiotics or have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Mental Health: A smaller amount of research suggests that probiotics may help with mental health, maybe by lowering the signs of depression.

Gastrointestinal Health: Probiotics may help people with problems in their stomach and intestines, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

General Health: Probiotics may reduce the need for antibiotics and the chance of getting gestational diabetes, eczema and many more diseases. However, more research is needed to prove these benefits." 

"Can Prebiotics & Probiotics Cause Any Problems?

Prebiotics and probiotics are usually good for most people. But if you eat too much of them, you might have gas, swelling, and pain in your stomach.

People who have long-term illnesses, weak immune systems, or serious health problems should ask their doctor before using any supplements.

Which One Should You Choose: Prebiotics or Probiotics?

The choice between prebiotics and probiotics depends on what you need. For some people, a mix of both might work well. A healthy diet that has both prebiotic and probiotic foods can make your gut happy and balanced. If you think about using supplements, it’s smart to talk to a healthcare expert.

To have a better and healthier gut, you need to know what prebiotics and probiotics are, how they help you, and how to use them wisely. Remember, every gut is different, so what is good for one person might not be good for another. Pay attention to your body, and take care of it the way it needs.

What to think about before using prebiotics and probiotics

Before you change your lifestyle or diet a lot, it’s important to talk to your healthcare provider.

“Our gut bacteria start to grow when we are very young, and each person has a different kind of bacteria. No one’s gut bacteria is the same,” says Dr. Chiesa. “So what is good for one person may not be good for another. That’s why, if you have problems with your digestion, it’s important to talk to your healthcare provider. They can help you with your lifestyle and see if your body needs more prebiotics and probiotics.”

Do supplements work?

Many shops that sell food or vitamins have pre- or probiotic supplements that say they are good for your gut health. “But most of the studies we have now are not clear about how well these supplements work, so we don’t really know if they are good for you,” says Dr. Chiesa. “And sadly, many of these supplements and products—even products like kombucha—are not checked by anyone. So, healthcare professionals cannot say for sure if these products are safe or not.”

In general, be careful when you add prebiotics or probiotics to your diet, and make sure you tell your healthcare provider about any big changes in your diet, any new supplements, or any new gut problems.

How to make your gut healthier

The main thing: Eating well is the best way to make your gut healthier. “Because pre- and probiotics are not easy to get in the Western diet, many of us have an unbalanced gut,” says Dr. Chiesa. “I suggest eating a healthy, balanced diet, which means avoiding processed foods and sugars and eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains when you can.”

Besides eating well, some other ways you can make your gut healthier are reducing your stress, sleeping enough, and drinking water.

"Tips for Choosing a Good Probiotic Supplement

There are many kinds of probiotic supplements in the market. It can be hard to decide which one to buy, but you can follow these tips to pick the best probiotic supplement for your goals.

Pick the right type. Probiotics have different types for different health problems. Some may have only one type, while others have more than one; they are not all for the same purpose.1617

Go for higher numbers. Probiotics that have more bacteria (CFUs) are usually more powerful. CFUs are a way to measure how many bacteria can grow and make groups. There is no fixed number, but some experts say probiotics that have at least 1 million CFUs per gram make sure that enough bacteria can live through your stomach and give you the benefits you want.1819

Look for a tested product. Probiotics that have a seal from a testing organization, such as NSF, USP, or ConsumerLab, have been checked for how pure, good, and safe they are. This seal shows that the company has done extra work to make sure the quality of its product.

Think about how to store it. Some probiotic supplements need to be kept in the fridge, while others do not. You should choose a supplement that suits your personal choice and lifestyle. For example, if you travel a lot and want to take the supplement with you, you may choose one that can stay at room temperature.

What is the difference between the two?

Probiotics are food or supplements that you eat that have bacteria that live in our body and help us keep and improve the number of good bacteria that not only protect us from stomach diseases but also affect how our digestive system, immune system and metabolism work. For example, if a bad bacteria comes into our body and grows too much, it makes our body out of balance.

This is when the good bacteria fight the bad bacteria and bring back the balance in our body, making us feel better. Prebiotics, on the other hand, are a kind of food that usually comes from foods that have a lot of fiber which our body cannot break down or use directly; so they are eaten by the probiotics as a source of food and energy. So in simple words, if probiotics are like the plants in our garden, then prebiotics are like the water, sun, and soil that help them grow and thrive!

They may sound very alike, but they are not. Both probiotics and prebiotics are good for your gut, and each has their own important and different role to play.

Probiotics add helpful, healthy bacteria to your digestive system to increase your good bacteria numbers and keep everything working well.

Prebiotics feed these good bacteria, making them grow and making sure that the number of good bacteria stays high.

As you can see, it’s not a matter of prebiotic or probiotic. The two work together to help our bodies stay balanced, healthy and well. 

"How does food change the bacteria in our gut?

We often say, “we are what we eat.” But when we eat, we are not only feeding ourselves, but also billions of tiny living things in our gut that help us break down our food. What’s even more amazing is that we affect each other.

The kind of food we eat changes the variety of bacteria in our gut, and these bacteria can also affect our health or sickness; making food one of the most important factors.

Recent research has shown that a diet high in fat and sugar causes changes in the gut bacteria that may be linked to the rise in problems such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, and inflammation in the bowel.

That’s why it’s suggested that a diet rich in carbohydrates that can be reached by the gut bacteria —plenty in whole grains, vegetables, beans and nuts but not in processed foods—and eating fermented foods may be good for keeping gut bacteria that are good for human health. Besides the well-known effects of dietary fiber on gut health, other nutrients including carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and small substances such as dietary polyphenols (with their antioxidant properties) can also affect the gut bacteria.

In other words, the food we eat today is the main source of energy for our gut bacteria and we need to have a good balance, with the good bacteria outnumbering the bad bacteria.

So, the goal should be to keep a diverse gut environment through food as it’s a scientifically proven way to have a healthier lifestyle.

Which foods are prebiotic?

We can find good prebiotics in many fruits, vegetables, whole grains, pulses & legumes. Some easy sources could be apples, bananas, onions, whole oats, greens, artichoke, barley, flaxseeds etc. Also, resistant starch rich foods like beans, legumes, cooked & cooled rice & potato etc are also a great source of prebiotics as they cannot be digested in the intestine and are therefore used by the good bacteria to grow on.

Which foods are probiotic?

The most common fermented foods that naturally have probiotics, or have probiotics added to them; include yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, pickles, miso, tempeh, kimchi, sourdough bread and some cheeses. It is important to remember that cooking foods above 60-65 degree Celsius (or 115 degree Fahrenheit) can kill these living things and hence don’t add these sources to dishes that need a lot of cooking or the heat will surely kill them."

"Do you need to take probiotic pills?

Probiotic pills are not food or meal replacements. They are meant to support a healthy diet and they can only do so much. Sometimes, when you have serious health problems like infections, diseases, bowel issues, digestion troubles or bad eating habits & lifestyle, you may need a probiotic pill to bring back the good bacteria in your body that help it work properly.

But don’t just copy what others do, because everyone has a different mix of bacteria in their body that needs to be balanced. A probiotic pill that works for one person may not work for another. You should always ask a nutritionist or a doctor to recommend a pill that suits your body & its needs. I personally prefer to eat well first; that means having a variety of foods & colors on my plate for every meal.

​Which one is good for you?

Probiotics and prebiotics are both important for your body. They work together to improve your gut health. Probiotics are the good bacteria that live in your gut, while prebiotics are the food that feed them. You need to eat both of them every day to keep your gut healthy and happy.

Which is better a probiotic or prebiotic?

When you buy probiotics, they are usually easy to make—they come from things like brewing or making yogurt. They can be helpful and do some good in your body, but they won’t stay in your gut because they don’t belong there. They came from somewhere else and they are going somewhere else.

Meanwhile, probiotics can have some positive effects on you, but it depends on the person. Everyone needs to try them first and see if they work for them. Some people love them.

But they didn’t really help me.

So I switched to prebiotics—these complex sugars that feed the bacteria. I tried many of them but nothing worked, until I found galactooligosaccharides. This type of sugar that I can’t digest changed my life in one night.

So, you need to try different things because everyone is different and keep track of what you do. It will take some time to figure out if taking a prebiotic or probiotic, or both, is best for you." 

"Summary

Prebiotics and probiotics are important for your health and wellness. Prebiotics are like food for probiotics, which are good bacteria in your gut. They also make postbiotics, which are new to the gut health discussion and may have some benefits too. You can take a prebiotic and probiotic supplement or eat some natural foods that have them to make your gut healthier.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Are probiotics better than prebiotics?

Probiotics and prebiotics are not the same, but they work well together for you. Probiotics are the good bacteria in your gut, and prebiotics are what they eat. You can take prebiotics and probiotics as supplements or in food, and they will help your gut.

Can you take prebiotics and probiotics together?

Prebiotics and probiotics are sometimes sold as one supplement. Taking them together is called microbiome therapy. Probiotics can work without prebiotics, but prebiotics can make them work better. Prebiotics alone may not do much.

Do probiotics help with constipation?

Probiotics may help the good bacteria in your gut grow and get rid of the bad bacteria, which can make your stool softer for some people.16 Some types of probiotics, like Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Streptococcus thermophilus, are better for your bowel movements.1718 If you are still constipated or it does not get better, talk to your doctor.