Although the words probiotics and prebiotics are very similar, they should not be confused, as each has a different meaning and a very different impact when consumed. While a probiotic refers to a living microorganism that has a beneficial impact on health, a prebiotic is the “food” for that microorganism.
Probiotics consume prebiotics, thus becoming “stronger” and carrying out their beneficial action optimally in our body. That is why it is important to understand their properties and differences. Something that we will explain to you in this article so that you can take advantage of them.
MICROORGANISMS AND MICROBIOTA
When we think of microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi or viruses, we often give them a negative connotation, associating them with diseases, infections or poisoning. Generally speaking, and as their name suggests, microorganisms are tiny organisms that are present everywhere.
What does this mean? We find them in the air, water, soil, food, and even in our bodies and guts. In fact, there are over 39 billion bacteria living inside us, and most of them have many effects that directly impact our health and well-being.
These bacteria that live in our body are called “microbiota”, and it has been discovered that they vary in each of us, depending on different factors such as our genotype, our sex as well as our lifestyle, including diet and physical activity.
According to a recent study, published in the scientific journal “Antibiotics”, a deficient and unbalanced diet, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle generate an imbalance in the intestinal microbiota, which contains more than 500 species of bacteria, leading to a multitude of diseases.
Fortunately, nowadays we have a large amount of foods containing probiotics and prebiotics, which can help us keep our microbiota in balance, but it is important to know how to differentiate them and how to consume them.
PROBIOTICS AND THEIR BENEFITS
The term probiotic was defined as early as 1908, when the Nobel Prize winner in medicine, Ilya Metchnikovargued that the presence of certain “friendly” or “good” bacteria in foods could change the microbial composition of our bodies when they are consumed, replacing harmful (pathogenic) microorganisms.
Since then, many studies and research have been carried out and an official definition has been established, stating that probiotics are live microorganisms that, when administered in sufficient quantities, confer a benefit to the health of the person who consumes them.
Some of the most studied probiotics include Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria, which can be found in fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kombucha, and kimchi, among others. However, it is important to make sure that these foods have not been treated at high temperatures for preservation and that they are always refrigerated.
This ensures that the microorganisms present in them are alive and reproduce in a controlled manner, so that when consumed they can exert their benefits, such as, among others, the exclusion of pathogens, facilitating the digestion of certain food components such as lactose, improving the function of the intestinal barrier and the production of bioactive compounds such as vitamins, neurotransmitters and short-chain fatty acids.
PREBIOTICS AND THEIR BENEFITS
The concept of prebiotics is more recent. It was defined in 1995 as foods containing certain components that are not digestible by humans and that feed probiotics, thus strengthening our intestinal microbiota. Among the non-digestible components are soluble fibers, including fructooligosaccharides, inulin, galactooligosaccharides, pectins, mucilages and resistant starch.
These compounds are commonly found in foods such as fruits and vegetables, garlic, onion, artichoke, chickpeas, beans and other legumes. The main beneficial effect of prebiotics is that their consumption stimulates the activity of “friendly” bacteria in our microbiota, keeping it healthy and balanced. Therefore, including them in your diet is very favorable so that, if you consume probiotics, their effect is more effective.
Now that you know their differences, we recommend that you include both in your diet and continue to practice physical activity to enhance the health benefits and stay in great shape.
The article PROBIOTICS AND PREBIOTICS: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE AND WHAT ARE THEY FOR? is published in Salud Laboral – Bienestar en el poesto de laborajo.