In recent years, more and more people are beginning to gain an understanding of what probiotics and prebiotics are. However, even though they sound similar, they play different roles in the body.
In this article you can find:
- What are probiotics?
- What are prebiotics?
- Can I take a probiotics and a prebiotic together?
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are a combination of live beneficial bacteria and/or yeasts that are naturally found in the human body. They are a part of the human microbiome, which is a collection of microorganisms that live inside the human body. The most common place linked to beneficial microbes is the gut. The collection of microorganisms found here are known as the gut microbiome.
Probiotics can help colonize the gut with ‘good bacteria’. This benefits the body by fighting off ‘bad bacteria’, by preventing them from over growing and competing with them for space and nutrients. Good bacteria can even produce different acids to lower the pH of our gut, making it unfavourable for bad bacteria to live there. While we can tolerate a certain percentage of bad bacteria, or harmful microorganisms within the gut, having too much can potentially cause disease. Even having just an imbalance of harmful microorganisms in the gut can cause the immune system to get confused and begin attacking its own cells, even healthy cells, making it a lot easier for the body to get sick, and a lot harder to recover.
What are prebiotics?
Prebiotics are essentially food for probiotics. Prebiotics are found in carbohydrates that humans cannot digest, such as insoluble fiber. As the body cannot digest them, they are transported to your lower digestive tract so they can be consumed by the probiotics.
Can I take a probiotic and prebiotic together?
You can take a probiotic and prebiotic together. In fact, taking a probiotic and a prebiotic together can enhance the effectiveness of the probiotic.
Sona Acidophilus Complete capsules contain 210mg of inulin, a prebiotic, to enhance the growth and activities of selected beneficial bacteria. Moreover, this probiotic contains 7 billion of the highest quality probiotics per capsule, with 3 strains of bacteria - Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Lactis, and Lactobacillus Paracasei.
References
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- Jungersen, M., Wind, A., Johansen, E., Christensen, J., Stuer-Lauridsen, B., & Eskesen, D. (2014). The Science behind the Probiotic Strain Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12®. Microorganisms, 2(2), 92-110. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms2020092.
- Kligler, B., & Cohrssen, A. (2008). Probiotics. American family physician, 78(9), 1073–1078.
- Sniffen, J., McFarland, L., Evans, C., & Goldstein, E. (2018). Choosing an appropriate probiotic product for your patient: An evidence-based practical guide. PLOS ONE, 13(12), e0209205. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209205.
- The BB-12® strain – The world’s most documented Bifidobacterium. (2021). Retrieved 3 June 2021, fromhttps://www.chr-hansen.com/en/human-health-and-probiotics/our-probiotic-strains/bifidobacterium-animalis-subsp-lactis-bb-12.
- Zhang, Y., Li, S., Gan, R., Zhou, T., Xu, D., & Li, H. (2015). Impacts of Gut Bacteria on Human Health and Diseases. International Journal Of Molecular Sciences, 16(12), 7493-7519. doi: 10.3390/ijms16047493.