Did you know Prebiotics and Probiotics are not the same?
Prebiotics and probiotics are wrongly considered to be same. Quite naturally because their names are similar, and they are related to the good bacteria. Humans need good bacteria to maintain good digestive health. However, beyond this point there is no similarity between them.
What are Prebiotics?
Prebiotics are non-digestible carbohydrates that serve as food for the beneficial bacteria present in the gut and aid in their growth.
Example of Prebiotics
Oligosaccharides.
Sources of Oligosaccharides
- Breast milk (3rd largest component of breast milk is oligosaccharide)
- GOS (galactooligosaccharides) is derived from lactose.
- FOS (fructooligosaccharides) is found in fruits and plants like chicory, banana, asparagus, and oats are common examples of foods that contain oligosaccharides.
What are Probiotics?
Probiotics are live micro-organisms that help maintain the balance of bacteria in the gut and provide health benefits.
Probiotics Examples
Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium
Sources of Probiotics
- Breast Milk Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are some of the most common good bacteria found in breast milk.
- Kefir Kefir is fermented milk, made by adding kefir grains in cow or goat milk.
There are many products in the market which claim to have probiotics, but one needs to evaluate carefully, if there is any clinical evidence on benefits of probiotics. Prebiotics like GOS/FOS in ratio of 9:1 have shown to increase the count of Bifidobacterium, lactobacillus in the intestine.
To conclude prebiotics, serve as food for probiotics and thus help them work effectively. Together, prebiotics and probiotics can help boost gut health and immunity in new-born babies, reducing the chances of falling sick and decreasing the usage of antibiotics, aiding overall health and wellbeing.
