Prebiotic vs Probiotic - Everything You Need to Know

Prebiotic vs Probiotic - Everything You Need to Know

We’ve heard a lot about probiotics and their importance in alleviating diarrhoea and other tummy related problems. Just like probiotics, there is also prebiotics that plays a crucial role when it comes to the digestive system. But, they are way different from probiotics. Let’s know more about prebiotics and probiotics for diarrhoea.

Prebiotic vs probiotic

While they may sound very similar, prebiotics and probiotics have nothing in common. They play completely different roles in the digestive system or the gut. As far as the confusion of prebiotic vs probiotic is concerned, below are some points that show how both of them are different from each other.

Probiotics are nothing but a certain class of bacteria that live in your body naturally and helps the intestines to break down the food. They are the same or somewhat similar to the bacteria that your body requires for healthy digestion.

As for prebiotics, they are made up of carbohydrates, which your body is not able to digest. Prebiotics exist as food for the probiotic bacteria that you’re consuming into your body. You wouldn’t need to take a prebiotic for probiotics to work. However, taking prebiotics can add to the effectiveness of probiotics in the body. The use of prebiotics and probiotics together is called "microbiome therapy".

What are prebiotics actually?

Prebiotics would not necessarily contain bacteria, but they are helpful in bacterial growth. All prebiotics are a type of dietary fiber. Prebiotics are found in chicory root, bananas, and asparagus. Other sources of prebiotics include legumes, onions, garlic, and artichokes. Prebiotics are also easily available for purchase as a commercial food additive. They come in the form of capsule, liquid, or powder.

However, on their own, prebiotics has not been proven to be of much use. It is only when prebiotics is used with probiotics that the combination offers positive impacts.

What about probiotics?

Coming to digestive probiotics, they are generally two families of bacteria. Experts say that strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are both associated with probiotic formulas. Some slightly fermented food products come packed with natural probiotics. Yoghurt, idli, dosa, dhokla, and pickles are some of the popular forms of probiotic foods.

Probiotics are also available for purchase as a food-grade health supplement. They come in liquid or powder form. It is important to note that probiotics are required to be stored in the refrigerator so that the bacteria in them are alive and ready to multiply.

What are their benefits?

Many studies have revealed that consuming probiotics is very helpful in maintaining digestive health. A 2012 study found that almost 4 million adults used probiotics for varied health reasons, including supplementing gut bacteria. As a result, more and more people prefer taking probiotics to keep their digestive system, especially the gut, healthy and trouble-free.

To overcome diarrhoea and other tummy problems, most doctors suggest going for digestive probiotics along with other dietary and lifestyle modifications. A combination of prebiotics and probiotics is suggested in treating diarrhoea along with allergic disorders, common cold, and irritable bowel syndrome, etc. Besides, they are also effective in treating obesity, cancer, and inflammatory arthritis as well.

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