This week I have a discussion post from one of my Nutrition students on the differences, purposes, and sources of prebiotics and probiotics! Thanks to Madison L. for allowing me to share!
Prebiotics are food components that feed the good microbes in your gastrointestinal tract. When prebiotics are consumed they help the good bacteria that is already in your gut thrive and multiply (Newgent, 2014). Prebiotics are found in foods such as bananas, artichokes, onions, garlic, leeks, yams, legumes, bran, leeks, chicory, whole grains, corn and apples (Marie, 2014). These foods contain prebiotics know as fructo-oligosaccharides that are non-digestible components for humans, but the microbes in your intestines are able to digest them as their own food source. For infants, prebiotics come in the form of galactooligosaccharide which is in breast milk. This helps set up the microbes that are getting established in the intestines and protect the infant from dangerous microbes (Marie, 2014). Prebiotics are also available in tablets if you don’t eat these foods or don’t eat enough of them.
Probiotics on the other hand are the actual microbes that are found in foods that you consume and they are “just like those naturally found in your gut. These active cultures help change or repopulate intestinal bacteria to balance gut flora” (Newgent, 2014). Foods that contain probiotics include yogurt, sour cream, kefir, cream cheese, some cheeses, sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, kombucha, ginger beer, kefir water, soy sauce, and miso paste. There are many other probiotic-containing foods found throughout various cultures in the world, but those are some of them. There are also probiotic supplement pills that can be taken as well. Probiotics help to introduce different strains of bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract that you may be lacking for whatever reason. These varied strains are part of what makes up the composition of your gut microbiota and the benefits of different probiotic strains each have some specific things they help with, like processing of a certain vitamin or boosting your immune system (Newgent, 2014). Here are some conditions probiotics have shown to directly help with: irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, infectious diarrhea, skin conditions, urinary and vaginal health, allergy prevention, cold prevention, and oral health (DiLonardo, 2014). Probiotics can also help in a kind of “pre-digestive” fashion. For instance, they can increase the availability of minerals and vitamins in grains, legumes, and vegetables because of the lactic acid which, for example in the case of grain products, can “make the vitamins and minerals in the flour more available to the body by helping neutralise the phytates in flour that would interfere with their absorption. The acids slow down the rate at which glucose is released into the blood-stream and lower the bread's glycaemic index (GI), so it doesn't cause undesirable spikes in insulin” (Blythman & Sykes, 2013). This action of increasing the healthy parts of foods and lowering the bad ones is a very beneficial aspect of probiotic foods because it can help us make sure we get all of the essential nutrients in our diet. The benefits of probiotics could relate to much more but not enough research has been done to conclusively determine an exhaustive list of their effects.
Both of these foods play a role in promoting a healthy gut microbiota. A healthy gut microbiota is important for various reasons, and in an informative Tedx talk by Jeroen Raes (2012) implicates an unhealthy microbiota population within our intestines to be culpable for many diseases and health conditions such as cancer, IBS, eczema, diabetes, obesity, Crohn’s disease, arthritis, autism, asthma, and more. Also, he notes that our digestive system has a lot of nervous tissue and he suggests that the mircrobial content of our gut has an effect on our mental state and behavior, citing studies that show “anxiety behavior or exploratory behavior of mice is determined by what flora they have,” which could be the case in humans as well. Since our gut microbe is impacted by prebiotics and probiotics we consume, our consumption of them could relate to the health effects and conditions listed above and care should be taken to make sure that it remains in an optimal, stable state.
Probiotics on the other hand are the actual microbes that are found in foods that you consume and they are “just like those naturally found in your gut. These active cultures help change or repopulate intestinal bacteria to balance gut flora” (Newgent, 2014). Foods that contain probiotics include yogurt, sour cream, kefir, cream cheese, some cheeses, sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, kombucha, ginger beer, kefir water, soy sauce, and miso paste. There are many other probiotic-containing foods found throughout various cultures in the world, but those are some of them. There are also probiotic supplement pills that can be taken as well. Probiotics help to introduce different strains of bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract that you may be lacking for whatever reason. These varied strains are part of what makes up the composition of your gut microbiota and the benefits of different probiotic strains each have some specific things they help with, like processing of a certain vitamin or boosting your immune system (Newgent, 2014). Here are some conditions probiotics have shown to directly help with: irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, infectious diarrhea, skin conditions, urinary and vaginal health, allergy prevention, cold prevention, and oral health (DiLonardo, 2014). Probiotics can also help in a kind of “pre-digestive” fashion. For instance, they can increase the availability of minerals and vitamins in grains, legumes, and vegetables because of the lactic acid which, for example in the case of grain products, can “make the vitamins and minerals in the flour more available to the body by helping neutralise the phytates in flour that would interfere with their absorption. The acids slow down the rate at which glucose is released into the blood-stream and lower the bread's glycaemic index (GI), so it doesn't cause undesirable spikes in insulin” (Blythman & Sykes, 2013). This action of increasing the healthy parts of foods and lowering the bad ones is a very beneficial aspect of probiotic foods because it can help us make sure we get all of the essential nutrients in our diet. The benefits of probiotics could relate to much more but not enough research has been done to conclusively determine an exhaustive list of their effects.
Both of these foods play a role in promoting a healthy gut microbiota. A healthy gut microbiota is important for various reasons, and in an informative Tedx talk by Jeroen Raes (2012) implicates an unhealthy microbiota population within our intestines to be culpable for many diseases and health conditions such as cancer, IBS, eczema, diabetes, obesity, Crohn’s disease, arthritis, autism, asthma, and more. Also, he notes that our digestive system has a lot of nervous tissue and he suggests that the mircrobial content of our gut has an effect on our mental state and behavior, citing studies that show “anxiety behavior or exploratory behavior of mice is determined by what flora they have,” which could be the case in humans as well. Since our gut microbe is impacted by prebiotics and probiotics we consume, our consumption of them could relate to the health effects and conditions listed above and care should be taken to make sure that it remains in an optimal, stable state.
Based on what I have learned, I would make the following recommendations:
- Read labels to know if something actually contains probiotic strains. Some foods can be either probiotic or not, depending on how they were made. For instance, pickles can either be preserved with heat and vinegar or they can be cultured with probiotics. On the package you will see things like, “contains live and active cultures” and specific strains listed on the ingredients list on most foods that do contain probiotics.
- If you don’t like the taste of fermented/cultured foods that contain probiotics (they are usually sour) a supplemental probiotic pill can be taken instead. It is important to note that there are a lot of brands and some have different strains of probiotics than others or they have more probiotic units. This can also be kind of pricey as opposed to including probiotic-rich foods in your diet. Generally speaking though, you can get more probiotics from a serving of probiotic food than out of a pill.
- If you do not usually eat/drink probiotic-rich foods it may be beneficial to ease into it, consuming a small amount and working your way up to a normal serving. Sometimes people experience digestive discomfort and a sort of unpleasant purging reaction if too much is taken at one time and someone is not used to it. Besides this, there is no mention of any harmful consequences of consuming prebiotics or probiotics.
- Be aware of high sugar content in some probiotic foods. For example, yogurt can often have very high sugar content, even as much as ice cream. In this situation the large amount of sugar negates the health benefits of the probiotics. That being said, there are many brands that do not have much sugar or offer plain, unsweetened versions.
- Pair prebiotic foods and probiotic foods together. This is called synbiotics. Doing this maximizes the benefits of these foods because the probiotics have an immediate, direct source of fuel. An example would be topping a bowl of yogurt (the probiotic source) with a banana (the prebiotic source)(Newgent, 2014).
- Keep in mind that pasteurization and heat kills probiotics. For instance if you cook up some chicken with some fermented soy sauce, the probiotics will be destroyed by the heat. Also, some foods that use probiotics in the process may or may not have them in the end if they are pasteurized or heated (like sourdough bread for example).
- After taking antibiotics the composition of our gut flora changes and may or may not recover during our lifetime (Raes, 2012). Some researchers have conducted research around prebiotic and probioitic use with antibiotic use and have concluded that probiotics can help reestablish good bacteria back into our intestines after a dose of antibiotics have wiped them out and that prebiotics can help the remaining good bacteria proliferate back to balanced levels (Kresser, 2014). This would help people avoid fluctuations in their gut microbiota that could lead to negative consequences down the road.
- Read labels to know if something actually contains probiotic strains. Some foods can be either probiotic or not, depending on how they were made. For instance, pickles can either be preserved with heat and vinegar or they can be cultured with probiotics. On the package you will see things like, “contains live and active cultures” and specific strains listed on the ingredients list on most foods that do contain probiotics.
- If you don’t like the taste of fermented/cultured foods that contain probiotics (they are usually sour) a supplemental probiotic pill can be taken instead. It is important to note that there are a lot of brands and some have different strains of probiotics than others or they have more probiotic units. This can also be kind of pricey as opposed to including probiotic-rich foods in your diet. Generally speaking though, you can get more probiotics from a serving of probiotic food than out of a pill.
- If you do not usually eat/drink probiotic-rich foods it may be beneficial to ease into it, consuming a small amount and working your way up to a normal serving. Sometimes people experience digestive discomfort and a sort of unpleasant purging reaction if too much is taken at one time and someone is not used to it. Besides this, there is no mention of any harmful consequences of consuming prebiotics or probiotics.
- Be aware of high sugar content in some probiotic foods. For example, yogurt can often have very high sugar content, even as much as ice cream. In this situation the large amount of sugar negates the health benefits of the probiotics. That being said, there are many brands that do not have much sugar or offer plain, unsweetened versions.
- Pair prebiotic foods and probiotic foods together. This is called synbiotics. Doing this maximizes the benefits of these foods because the probiotics have an immediate, direct source of fuel. An example would be topping a bowl of yogurt (the probiotic source) with a banana (the prebiotic source)(Newgent, 2014).
- Keep in mind that pasteurization and heat kills probiotics. For instance if you cook up some chicken with some fermented soy sauce, the probiotics will be destroyed by the heat. Also, some foods that use probiotics in the process may or may not have them in the end if they are pasteurized or heated (like sourdough bread for example).
- After taking antibiotics the composition of our gut flora changes and may or may not recover during our lifetime (Raes, 2012). Some researchers have conducted research around prebiotic and probioitic use with antibiotic use and have concluded that probiotics can help reestablish good bacteria back into our intestines after a dose of antibiotics have wiped them out and that prebiotics can help the remaining good bacteria proliferate back to balanced levels (Kresser, 2014). This would help people avoid fluctuations in their gut microbiota that could lead to negative consequences down the road.
References:
Blythman, J. & Sykes, R. (2013). Why sourdough bread is good for you. The Guardian. Retrieved October 9, 2015, from http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/jun/22/sourdough-bread-good-for-you
DiLonardo, M. (2014). What are probiotics? WebMD Retrieved October 7, 2015, from http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/features/what-are-probiotics
Kresser, C. (2014). What to do if you need to take antibiotics. Chris Kresser. Retrieved October 7, 2015, from http://chriskresser.com/what-to-do-if-you-need-to-take-antibiotics/
Marie, J. (2014). The best prebiotics to eat. Livestrong. Retrieved October 7, 2015, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/476744-the-best-prebiotics-to-eat/
Newgent, J. (2014). Prebiotics and probiotics: The dynamic duo. Eat Right- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Retrieved October 7, 2015, from http://www.eatright.org/resource/food/vitamins-and-supplements/nutrient-rich-foods/prebiotics-and-probiotics-the-dynamic-duo
Raes, J. (2012). The gut flora: You and your 100 trillion friends. TedxTalks Brussels. Retrieved Oct. 7, 2015 from http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/Jeroen-Raes-at-TEDxBrussels;Belgium
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