WHILE prebiotics and probiotics may sound the same, these food supplements are very different and have different roles in the digestive system of humans, especially their overall effects of the “microbiome” a term to describe the almost 100 trillion microbes that inhabit the entire alimentary tract particularly the large intestines or colon.
Probiotics are live bacteria and yeast. There are good and bad bacteria in the colon- cecum, ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, sigmoid colon and rectum. Prebiotics are non-living, non-digestible special form of dietary fiber not digested by enzymes in our stomach, thus they go down the digestive tract intact and until further down the colon where they provide food for micro-organism especially the good bacteria, thus providing a defense mechanism from the harmful microbes therein.
Most common type of prebiotic is from the soluble dietary fiber inulin found in asparagus, garlic, leek, onions, skin of apples, beans and chicory roots. Fermentation process occurs in the colon with the fermented substances feeding the good microbes.
Lactobacillus is the most common probiotic found in yoghurt and there fermented food. It has been found that it can help in loose bowel movement and in patients with lactose intolerance.
Bifidobacterium is another helpful probiotic found in dairy product, found to ease signs and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, ease constipation and may even boost the immune system.
Probiotics became popular when it was found that abuse or excessive, useless intake of antibiotics disrupted the normal microbial flora, with the overgrowth of harmful bacteria like Clostridium difficile.
The take home message is, for an optimum beneficial effects of probiotics, there should be a simultaneous intake of prebiotics, to provide food and sustenance for the good bacteria in their battle against the harmful microbes. Anyone?