Pre and Probiotics: How do they differ in Action?

The human gut flora is made of trillions of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other single-celled microbes, that live in and on us. The largest population of these microbes is present in the gut. Studies show that roughly one-third of the gut microbiome consists of certain ‘’core’’ bacterial species that are common to all healthy humans, but the rest of the composition of each individual’s microbiome is mostly unique. The microbial composition is influenced by several factors, including genetics, dietary habits, lifestyle, environment, and even the delivery method.

Two parts of our diets uniquely affect the gut microbiome — prebiotics and probiotics.

• Prebiotics are live microorganisms that perform many important functions in the body.
  
  
• On the other hand, prebiotics is the food components used by these microbes. They are carbohydrates (usually fiber) that nourish gut bacteria.

Prebiotics and probiotics both help your body to build and maintain a healthy microbial colony, which aids digestion and various other functions of the gut. That’s why prebiotics and probiotics are important topics of interest among scientists.

	Probiotics	Prebiotics
What are they?	Probiotics are good bacteria (and sometimes yeast) that keep your body healthy and contribute significantly to your overall wellbeing. The word “probiotic” comes from the Greek word pro, which means promoting, and bios, meaning life. Since probiotics have to be taken orally, their efficacy depends on their ability to survive the stomach acid. High-quality probiotics will pass through the stomach and colonize the intestines, where the probiotics do most of their good work. Many organisms found in the human body are similar to those found in probiotic foods and dietary supplements. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are by far the two most well-studied groups of bacteria. The human body hosts about 500 different bacterial strains.	Prebiotics are the dietary fiber that humans can’t digest. They help your digestive system work better. All prebiotics are fiber but not all fibers are prebiotics. Certain fibers can be digested by both good and bad bacteria. To qualify as a prebiotic, the fiber should be selectively used by good bacteria and provide some kind of benefits to human health. Fibers contain small building blocks linked together with chemical bonds. Humans lack the enzymes to break down these bonds and cannot digest these fibers, but your gut microbes can digest them. The fermentation of prebiotics produces other by-products that are released into the bloodstream, which not only affects the GI tract but also various other organs.
Role in gut health	Probiotics fight off bad bacteria in the gut, making you feel better. They help fight chronic inflammation. They support your gut lining by providing energy to the intestinal cells and preventing bad bacteria from entering the blood. They produce several neurotransmitters that ensure healthy brain function. They synthesize most of the water-soluble B vitamins and vitamin K. They help break down and absorb medications. They produce lactic acid that makes your stomach acidic which promotes the growth of good and beneficial bacteria and inhibits the growth of bad bacteria. They act as signals to bolster the gut barrier.	Prebiotics feed the helpful bacteria in the digestive tract. They make it all the way to the colon. There, the gut microbes’ ferment and metabolize prebiotics. This process produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as butyrate, acetate, and propionate. They maintain the ratio and diversity of healthy bacteria in the gut. Prebiotics help in calcium absorption. They promote satiety and produce appetite-regulating hormones, helping you manage your weight. They reduce the glycemic index of foods, which prevents blood sugar level spikes. They regulate your cortisol levels as well as cholesterol and triglyceride levels. They reduce the risk of certain cancers. They ferment food faster so that it spends less time in your gut. Thus, preventing constipation. They improve your bowel movements. SCFAs improve the brain’s neuroplasticity.
Nature of occurrence	They originate from the GI tracts of humans and animals, foods, human breast milk, air, and soil. They are present in the gut, mouth, nose, skin, lungs, urinary tract, and vagina. The probiotics one gets from taking supplements are usually the ones isolated from humans and cultured subsequently. But certain probiotic supplements contain soil-based bacterial strains.	Prebiotics occur naturally in plant-based foods. Oligosaccharides are present in cruciferous vegetables, whole grains, and some fruits. They are formed by the partial breakdown of complex carbohydrates. Cellulose is a polysaccharide made up of glucose fibers, found in the cell walls of plants. Beta-glucan is found in the cell walls of certain bacteria, fungi, yeasts, and algae. They are also present in plants such as barley and oats.
Food sources	Probiotic foods include kefir, yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut (fermented cabbage), buttermilk, natto (fermented soy), pickles, and kombucha (fermented tea), tempeh, sourdough bread, miso, and certain types of cheeses including mozzarella, cheddar, and gouda.	Food sources of prebiotics include asparagus, onions, spring onions, garlic, flaxseed, chia seeds, shallots, wheat bran, radishes, leeks, tomatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, cocoa, avocado, celery, seaweed, dandelion greens, chicory roots, konjac root Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, and cabbage. Legumes such as peas, chickpeas, and beans. Fruits such as apple, pear, banana, berries, and watermelon. Nuts such as pistachios and almonds. Grains such as oats, barley, and soy. Starchy foods such as rice and all tubers contain resistant starch, especially if your first cook them and then let them cool down before eating.
Supplements	These supplements contain live microbes to help optimize your gut health. Lactobacillus acidophilus manages digestion, blood pressure, cholesterol, and allergies. Lactobacillus fermentum boosts your immunity and prevents GI and upper respiratory tract infections. Lactobacillus paracasei helps to ease inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and improves the skin barrier. Lactobacillus Plantarum improves your digestive health and helps in vitamin synthesis. Lactobacillus reuteri helps control your blood cholesterol levels and supports vaginal health. Lactobacillus rhamnosus improves your overall gut health and protects against cavities. Bifidobacterium bifidium improves digestion, boosts immunity, and improves symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Bifidobacterium longum ssp. Longum protects against colon cancer, intestinal infections, and depression. Bifidobacterium longum ssp. Infantis. Is used to treat eczema, lactose intolerance, bowel problems, vaginal yeast infections, and urinary tract infections. Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. Lactis. Protects against various infections and produces certain important chemicals and vitamins. Bacillus subtilis improves IBS symptoms, increases lipid metabolism, and strengthens immunity. Efficacy depends on the type of strains, intended use, quality of the product, and storage. Forms: foods, drinks, pills/capsules, liquids, powders Companies are coming up with probiotic-fortified foods, such as ice cream, candy, beverages, and more.	Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and Galactooligosaccharides (GOS) both stimulate the growth of the good bacteria in the lactobacillus and bifidobacterium family. Inulin is a type of FOS extracted from chicory root which is particularly beneficial for healthy bowel movements. Beta-glucan inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria, prevents cardiovascular disease, and helps regulate cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Apple pectins improve the adhesion of certain gut bacteria and prevent the adhesion of pathogens on intestinal cells. Resistant starch is the starch that is not digested in your small intestine. Rather, it is fermented in the colon. It provides prebiotic action when its solubility is enhanced. Efficacy depends on the type of prebiotic fiber and the quality of the product. Forms: foods, drinks, pills/capsules, powders
Side effects	Increase in gas, bloating, or constipation in the first few weeks of taking probiotics. Amines in fermented foods may cause headaches. One may opt for supplements in this case. May cause histamine intolerance. May not suit people with compromised immunity. Some probiotics may contain trace amounts of allergens, such as lactose, gluten, or soy. So, they may not be appropriate for people who are allergic to them.	May worsen irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms. Prebiotics are not recommended for people with FODMAP intolerance or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).

Which of the two is more important; Probiotics or Prebiotics?

Because your gut health is so intimately connected with various other bodily functions, you need both prebiotics and probiotics in your diet and both are equally important. Think of probiotics like seeds in a garden and prebiotics as the fertilizers that help them grow. Prebiotics has little use on their own and probiotics are powerless without prebiotics. It is the combination of prebiotics and probiotics that improves your gut and gastrointestinal health. Prebiotics are usually present in the food you eat and you don’t need to take prebiotics for probiotics to function, but they can make the probiotics more effective.

The problem is that most people don’t eat enough fiber. Moreover, cooking methods can alter the fibers present in the food. It is, therefore, a good idea to include lots of fresh vegetables and fruits in your diet. Studies show that a change in your diet can modify your gut microbiome within a day. It is important to note that not all fermented foods have probiotics. Some foods undergo aggressive processing treatments that make the bacteria ineffective.

Colony-forming units (CFUs) tell the number of viable bacteria in one dose. In general, probiotic supplements contain 1 to 10 billion CFUs per dose. Some prebiotic or probiotic supplements may have more than 10 billion CFUs per dose, such as the Biotics 8 and YourBiology’s Gut+. Certain probiotics use advanced technologies, such as freeze-drying, which allows them to be stored. For prebiotics, most supplements contain 4 to 5 grams of prebiotics per day.

Probiotics should be stored and sealed in their original containers in a refrigerator to protect them from heat, bright light, and exposure to air. Whereas, you don’t have to worry about storage with prebiotics.

What happens when combined or taken separately?

Prebiotics and probiotics can be taken together. This is called microbiome therapy. Some probiotic supplements contain prebiotic fibers in them to provide the probiotic bacteria with energy when they reach your large intestine. This way, they can be taken together very well. You don’t have to take prebiotics and probiotics at the same time to get their health benefits, but they should be a regular part of your diet. You may take larger quantities of prebiotics as a separate supplement. In this case, it is better to take your probiotics at a different time of the day than your prebiotic supplement to avoid over-fermentation and the discomforts that come with it.

Symbiotic foods contain both prebiotics and probiotics. They work together synergistically and help to increase the number of good bacteria that establish in your gut by providing them with an energy source. They also help the probiotics to overcome their ‘’survival difficulties’’ while reaching your gut. Symbiotic foods include sauerkraut, kimchi, and tempeh.

If you are considering taking more than one probiotic supplement together to address your health concerns, remember that bacteria can interact. In the case of a multi-strain supplement or two different probiotic supplements, bacterial strains can out-compete each other. In such cases, it is recommended that you check the product’s website to ensure that the strains were tested together.

Conclusion

Today’s highly processed diets are starving our microbiome. Refined foods are easily digested by humans and don’t provide any nutrients for the microbes in your gut, making them starve and die off. By making prebiotic foods a part of your regular diet, you feed the probiotics in your gut. They help the probiotics survive and thrive in your gut and improve your overall wellbeing. Prebiotics are best taken naturally as they also have essential nutrients and antioxidants that provide health benefits.

The main difference between prebiotics and probiotics is that probiotics are good bacteria and prebiotics are the food for these bacteria. Probiotics are responsible for better digestion, immunity, inflammation, brain health, and much more. Probiotics are not one-size-fits-all treatments, and specific bacterial strains are more effective for a particular condition than others. 

Eating a healthy diet that includes prebiotics and probiotics is one of the best ways to repopulate gut bacteria. Supplements can be particularly beneficial when the good gut bacteria are killed off by a significant change in your lifestyle, such as the use of antibiotics and re-boot your system. Nowadays, a lot of research is being carried out on prebiotics and probiotics in both foods and dietary supplements to study their future implications.

Also Read:

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