Prebiotics & probiotics | Source | benefit and side effect

Prebiotics & probiotics

Have you seen that people recently are very much talking about ‘prebiotics’, ‘probiotics’, ‘gut health’ etc.? Are you confused about all these terms? Then you’re at the very right place to learn about them. Today, in this blog we are going to be discussing about what is prebiotics and probiotics, how are we dependent on them, how can we consume prebiotics and probiotics.

Human body is made up of various systems and all these systems are connected to each other. All these systems work with the connection of our brain or central nervous system. But digestive system is also controlled by something else then brain and its stimulation. That something else is microorganisms. Bacteria, fungi and viruses are present inside our gut in plenty of numbers. 

Let’s say if we have human cells in millions, then microorganisms in our gut are in trillions!!! Isn’t that very surprising!!! I mean, we are more of microorganisms than human??!! These microorganisms are collectively called as gut flora. This includes bacteria of various species, fungus of various types as well as viruses. We have all known them as culprits that cause infections in our body. And that is true also, the last time you got throat infection was probably because of a rod shaped bacteria. The day you had itching over certain part of your body, it was probably because of a type of infection by fungus. But microorganisms are more than that. I will get flora is flourishing with bacteria and fungus that help us. Yes, we do have microorganisms that are bad but the good once overpower them most of the time. The time when the bad bacteria take control of system you fall sick you get diarrhea or fever. All thanks to our immune system this get balanced out and you are back to happy gut. The balance in between this good and bad microorganisms define good health.

Health of gut flora is directly related to gut health. The gut health directly affects our overall health, be it physical health, hormonal health or mental health. To keep gut health improving certain food items and health habits needs to be perceived. Prebiotics and probiotics are very much in talk these days. In this blog we are going to talk about all these only. So let’s dive in, shall we?

What are prebiotics?

Prebiotics are compounds that help grow healthy microorganisms in gut. According to international scientific association of probiotics and prebiotics the definition of ‘dietary prebiotics' is “a selectively fermented ingredient that results in specific changes in the composition and or activity of the gastrointestinal microbiota does conferring benefits upon host health.”

So basically, prebiotics are food to our gut microbiome. It is basic to understand that whatever we eat gets into our gut or intestine and the bacteria present there be feeding on the same. So our diet is the key holder for keeping the gut microbiota in balance. Especially the indigestible fibers in our diet help flourish bacteria that are beneficial to us. Our diet influences the type of gut microbiome. Basically the gut microbiota is unique as fingerprints. But this can alter sometimes because of dietary changes. Even use of antibiotics to cure certain infections can kill large population of gut microbiome. Intake in digestible fibers in your diet it will enhance healthy bacteria in the gut. Let’s see how it works. Disclaimer! this is going to be a little nerdy, if scientific terms isn’t your thing. But trust me, this will increase your interest in gut health.

How does prebiotics work? What are their health benefits?

The bacteria present in the gut will ferment these fibers or carbohydrates, what we call as prebiotics. This fermentation or digestion will increase the survival strength of beneficial microorganisms in the colon. The fermented products would be short change fatty acids (SCFA) like butyric acid, lactic acid etc. This short chain fatty acids help our body in many ways. They improve innate immune system by triggering production of T cells and dendritic cells in bone marrow. SCFA can also diffuse in blood from intestine and hence can give beneficial effects to many other systems like cardiovascular system, nervous system etc. 

Crohn’s disease and IBD are found to be managed well by consumption of certain type of prebiotics.

Skin inflammation can also be kept in check by taking appropriate prebiotics.

Certain prebiotics can reduce the population of unwanted microorganisms in gut by increasing beneficial bacteria population.

Source of prebiotics:

Now the question is how to consume prebiotics? Naturally prebiotics are present in many food items like onions, garlic, peas, bananas, asparagus etc. Prebiotics are also manufactured synthetically. There are various types of prebiotics available in the market. To name a few: Fructans, Fructo-oligosaccharides, galacto-oligosaccharides, starch and glucose-derived oligosaccharides etc. Various brands produce these.

Side effects of prebiotics:

Workings of prebiotics is different in each body. Because the digestive products of prebiotics fermentation depends majorly on the type of flora present in the intestine. If a person has such type of gut microflora it cannot ferment the prebiotics then one may not get any benefits from the pre biotic consumption. Rather the person might experience stomach pain or gas formation after taking prebiotic capsules. It is recommended that the type and the dosage of prebiotics should be decided by health practitioner.

What is Probiotics?

After understanding the concept of prebiotics let’s get into the second part which is probiotics. Probiotics are totally different then prebiotics. Prebiotics are dead substances in our diet whereas probiotics are the live organisms. We can say that prebiotics and probiotics go well with each other for gut health. But they are poles apart in their formation.

Let's understand probiotics with its definition. According to WHO, probiotics are live bacteria that when administrated in adequate amount, confer a health benefit on the host. These live bacteria will end up in the gut in make colonies there. The beneficial gut flora will flourish along with the probiotics. Noble prize winner Eli Metchnikoff found out in his research that certain type of bacteria had great beneficial impact on human digestion as well as general wellbeing. This gave rise to further studies and gave birth to a study branch called as ‘probiotics’. Lactic acid bacteria(LAB) are the largest part of probiotics studies. Other than that a strain of Escherichia coli is also present in probiotics list. After getting a basic idea of what is probiotics, lets understand their health benefits.

Benefits of probiotics

Probiotic bacteria help our body in many ways. Not only digestive system but immune system, cardiovascular system, nervous system, endocrine system etc. are also positively affected by probiotics.

Probiotics produce certain acids such as lactic acid, this decreases pH of the gut and help to get rid of pathogens.

Antimicrobial agents such as bacteriocin are also found to be produced by probiotic bacteria. This will reduce pathogenic microorganisms in gut.

Improves metabolism of lactose. These days people are becoming more and more lactose intolerant. Consumption of Lactic acid bacteria as probiotic can help digest lactose well and hence reduce the intolerance.

Consumption of probiotics after or during antibiotic treatment can help replenish the lost gut microflora. Similarly probiotics can help heal faster from diarrhea.

 Studies have also shown reduction in serum cholesterol after adequate consumption of probiotics.

A healthy gut flora is found to be leading to a healthy hormonal balance in studies. Hence, probiotics can help with that also.

Gut-brain axis is a term which tells us that brain health and gut health go hand in hand. Also, studies have shown that having good probiotics can lead to better mood.

Sources of Probiotics

Probiotics are heavily found in fermented food products. Indian staple food items like idli, dosa, dhokla, khaman have good amount of Lactic Acid bacteria. As well as curd, yogurt and other milk products also contain great probiotic bacteria. Nowadays probiotic infused food are also available in market. They add on certain strains of probiotic bacteria to the food item in large quantities, so when you consume that food item, bacteria also gets to the gut where it can colonize. Probiotics are also available in the form of tablets and syrups. You just have to pop that pill or drink the probiotic syrup and your work is done.

Side effects of probiotics

Probiotics are live bacteria, so it needs to be handled very carefully. Probiotics, when had in natural or homemade food items don’t generally show side effects. But this is highly dependent on the food habits of the person. One major problem with ready-to-consume probiotic products is contamination by other pathogens. You consume that pill for addition of good bacteria but the contaminated pill can add pathogens which can lead to mild to severe infections. Probiotics consumption should not be generalized, because tolerance of every gut is bio-individual. A dose of probiotic that might be beneficial to one, can lead to diarrhea or other inflammatory response to another. 

Prebiotics and probiotics are talk of the town these days. They are really beneficial to humans. But the benefits only happen when the consumption is done mindfully. Prebiotics and probiotics, when taken together show the best results. But this needs to be shaped by an experienced health practitioner. Your bio-individuality plays an enormous role in making pre- and pro- biotics work out for you. Probiotics are well researched, whereas research on prebiotics is not that wide, hence you will find more benefits on Probiotics. But the truth is both are equally beneficial. Prebiotics is the fuel needed by probiotics to grow.  The combination of prebiotics and probiotics is called as Synbiotics.

Now I believe that basics of prebiotics and probiotics are clear in your head. Next time I know, when you’re going to buy these products, you will understand each and every thing written on the back of the product. I am so thankful that you found this blog interesting. So don’t forget to let us know in the comment section below what you want to know about in next Blog. We hear you!!

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Stay healthy! Stay happy!

Urvi Bhanushali
Manish Mevada