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Probiotics vs. Prebiotics: What's the Difference?

Written by Resurchify | Updated on: April 19, 2022

Probiotics vs. Prebiotics: What's the Difference?

It is all-important to understand the difference between these two because nowadays, we insist on eating healthy food. People suggest we should avoid dead food& give priority to live food. Many questions arise in our minds like, what is the requirement of healthy food or is it beneficial or not, etc. Due to not clearing our concept, we even consume balanced food for some days but stop taking it after a few days due to being tasteless.

Even at parties & gatherings, we emphasize oily & spicy food items & become victims of many diseases. These are the reasons why choose food according to health benefits. On your plate, give a place that keeps you fit n fine.

Probiotics & Prebiotics have some properties that promote a healthy body & some people lack information about them. Sometimes, some people see a dilemma about them, so let's try to clear these misconceptions today & know more things related to probiotics & prebiotics; but for this, you need to know about bacteria.

As we know, there are many bacteria inside our body, also say our body is a mine of bacteria & some of these are harmful to the body & beneficial also, which we consider helpful & futile bacteria. Harmful bacteria work to bring diseases like Nimoniya, typhoid, etc. But the good bacteria that are in our intestines help in the digestive system. It also fights bacteria & also produces vitamins in the body & due to this, our immunity is boost-up. So from this, the importance of good bacteria can recognize.

But you will be astonished to know that anti-biotic are harmful to these bacteria because anti-biotic medicines work to kill harmful bacteria in the body, in these good ones also die. The result is in the body, fatigue, weakness, can feel. This is when we need probiotics. The job of probiotics is to produce good bacteria in the body & for this; you must take food containing probiotics.

Prebiotics, we understand how all-important healthy or good bacteria are & you should also know that they also need nutrients. So that it does its job properly & the responsibility of prebiotics is to give them the nutrients.

So this was the difference between probiotics & prebiotics. Let's, look at its difference in more points.

Different Functions of Probiotics & Prebiotics

Both have different functions & work in their way. If we talk about probiotics, they can use for better improvement of health. Our bodies of full of microbes & have different functions such as protecting against diseases, strengthening the digestive system & many more. They improve food digestion and consumption. It fulfills all the deficiencies in the digestive system so that it continues to digest food without any interruption. But, there are also variants after these microbes in our body, whose work is to make the body diseased. They even obstruct the digestive process, due to which many diseases diagnose.

When damaging microbes attack our digestive system, they will incorrectly ferment food & toxins, the consequences of which can be harmful. Even in such circumstances, the necessity of probiotics increases. Probiotics work to revive & produce the good microbes & give them the strength to fight against the bad ones. They provide nutrition to them by which they will ferment our food correctly and improve our health. That's why food containing probiotics must consume in the food. It wouldn't be wrong to say that probiotics are the food of helpful microbes. There are many sources of probiotics. We can also take it from our daily diet & supplements are also available in the market.

Like probiotics, prebiotics is also imperative for health & in this direction, it works in their way. For the good bacteria present in the body to work productively, they must continue to get vital nutrients & prebiotics can accomplish that. In nutshell, prebiotics is the food of favorable microbes, by eating these microbes makes the digestive system healthy.

A plant fiber diet should take to recharge effective bacteria. Remember that good bacteria need prebiotics to function.

Briefs: The central duty of probiotics is to produce effective microbes & this is very necessary for our digestive system, they can also be weak & need food, prebiotics fulfill this.                                     

Different Sources of Probiotics & Prebiotics

Our body contains effective & ineffective bacteria called microflora. Effective bacteria help in maintaining the microflora. We get these effective bacteria from probiotics. Probiotics are food items that carry living bacteria, which are good. It helps in the proper functioning of the digestive system. To add probiotics food to your diet, you can go with the option suggested below:

Fermented foods consider being the best source of probiotics.

Tempeh: It is soybean-based food & used as a meat substitute. It is also similar to Tofu. These are fermented bean cakes, patties, or blocks. This involves first cooking the beans & fermenting them with a mold known as Rhizopus Oligosporus. Using soybean to prepare tempeh is an old practice. Eventually, it also took some experiments. Sometimes, grains like rice, barley, & millet did add to tempeh.

Soybean has always been an alternative to meat. That's why tempeh has a meaty texture. It is a delicious option for vegetarians to gain probiotics.

According to the USDA, a 200-calorie serving of tempeh offers 21.1 grams or 42 percent of the Daily Value of protein.

Yogurt: First, clear the difference between Yogurt & Curd because many people get puzzled about these. It is natural to be like this because both of them are dairy products, they have the same taste, texture, & color, and even both are excellent sources of probiotics.

Some people also believe that the word curd uses in India & yogurt in foreign countries, but this is also an illusion. Both prepare from different bacteria & the number of nutrients in both may also differ.

Curd contains bacteria called Lactobacillus that are beneficial for the gut. However, the curd doesn't consider a standard because these bacteria die after curdling & do not reach our intestine.

But there are two bacteria, The Lactobacillus bulgaricus & the Streptococcus thermophiles in yogurt, which are standard products. Because both these are good bacteria that reach out to our intestine alive. Incidentally, both of them are sources of probiotics.

Kefir: Who does not know kefir? The name of kefir can include giving the best example of fermented food. There is nothing better than fermented food to consume probiotics.

Kefir can use for weight loss. It can prepare from cow & goat milk & also contains lactose bacteria which convert to lactic acid & its taste is also like yogurt, it is a better probiotic source than yogurt because it has up to 61 different species of bacterial and fungal species, as suggested by Frontiers in Microbiology.

Buttermilk: This is popular in every household because of its taste & benefits. It is a light liquid made by churning curd. Buttermilk has less fat than milk because the cream takes out before the butter form.

Milk cream contains lactose sugar which gets converted into lactic acid & is favorable in our digestive system.

It keeps the stomach cool & should consume in summer.

Chees: Children also need probiotics as much as adults & they are more picky & moody when it comes to food. They will compromise on their health but never will taste. In such a situation, it can be difficult to identify a healthy & yummy combination of food for children. So end your search with cheese as it also contains probiotics, especially cheese made from unpasteurized milk. Old cheese, such as Parmigianino Reggiano, cottage cheese, or any other artisanal cheese, has an abundant microorganism culture and is beneficial for the gut.

Pickle: Mouthwatering just after hearing the name of the Pickle. It also works in tasteless food even tastier. It also has prebiotic values because the presence of vinegar in it makes it deep-rooted. Vinegar continues to stimulate the growth of microorganisms during the fermentation method.

These are some tasty ways to get probiotics. Plant fibers are called prebiotics & we can get them from row vegetables. It is the food for effective microbes. Here are some prebiotic sources that are effortlessly available.

Banana: Select a fully ripe banana. To add a prebiotic to the food, you can take its shake or even with Greek yogurt.

Onion: Generally, vegetable gravy can't be ready without onion, so we consume it often, but eating raw onion is more beneficial for acquiring prebiotics & therefore, its salad with tomato & cucumber is a good alternative.

Apple: The child knows the merits of an apple. It is a fruit that has vitamins & prebiotics. Apple is rich in antioxidants, aids in digestion & boosts metabolism.

Garlic: Like onions, garlic also works to make gravy flavoury. To eat prebiotic food, eat it row because roasting or cooking it probably also kills its properties & it is useless.

Lentils: Can't imagine a plate of food without lentils. This is the importance of it & even if it is not, the deficiency of prebiotics can fill with lentils, especially pink lentils. It includes not only healthy bacteria but also protein.

Barley: Barley is a cereal that involves a prebiotic called beta-glucan. It helps in the growth of probiotics in the intestine. Add these to your diet too.

Coffee: Coffee beans lead to growing good bacteria in our body & during the digestion process, cocoa beans create flavonols in the colon; that carry immense prebiotic benefits.

Flaxseeds: Talking about fiber, Flaxseeds are also not behind in terms of fiber, they absorb dietary fat from ingested food. Not only this, but it also has qualities of antioxidants that control cholesterol levels.

Briefs: Probiotics & Prebiotics can only obtain from live food (vegetarian food). Its sources are fermented food & plant fiber like row vegetables & fruits etc.

Different Types of Probiotics

Probiotic is food that comprehends live bacteria or microbes. According to the World Health Organization, probiotics are living microorganisms that provide essential nutrients to the body by consuming them & not only this; it increases the number of healthy bacteria in the body. Increasing their quantity is necessary for our digestive system. Let's discuss its types now.

Lactobacillus Acidophilus

It is also known as Lactobacillus acidophilus or Lactobacillus bulgaricus acidophilus. They break down carbohydrates to form lactic acid. It uses to control diarrhea. They also come in medicines form & help in the production of healthy bacteria. It may also help treat vaginal yeast infections.

It may also help:

  • Treat lactose intolerance
  • Prevent gastrointestinal ulcers
  • Help manage human papillomavirus (HPV) infection
  • Restore normal intestinal flora
  • Reduce the level of cholesterol
  • Lower the risk of colon cancer

A related species of Lactobacillus may control the growth of cancer cells.

Bifidobacterium Lactis

It supports immune & digestive fitness. It has a biggish figure in the gut & works impressively on the problems related to the digestive system. For skin & respiratory systems, it also shows admiring input. We can find it:

  • Yogurt
  • Cheese
  • Cottage Cheese
  • Buttermilk

Bifidobacterium lactis produces acid peroxides, and bacteriocins and helps to transform minerals into bioavailable forms.

Lactobacillus Brevis

It is a microaerophilic & contains lactic acid bacterium. It represents the main extraneous heterofermentative lactobacilli identified in different cheeses. Its sources are as follows:

  • milk
  • cheese
  • plant
  • sewage
  • cereal product
  • fermented vegetables
  • fermented meat

Lactobacillus Casei 

These are micro probiotics particles, but their punch is powerful on unhealthy bacteria. It is necessary for the digestive system because it works to increase the good bacteria against the bad ones. We can fulfill its requirements through:

  • vegetables & fruits
  • nut
  • milk
  • nuts
  • eggs
  • beans

Lacto-Bacillus Planetarium

Pickles, kimchi & fermented vegetables are its home. It is versatile & is also considered an anti-biotic resistance prebiotic. If you are suffering from anti-biotic medicine, it can get you relief & effective for soy-based food allergies.

Lactobacillus Rhamnosus

We can see its effect on children & adults & can describe the benefits like:

  • to prevent an allergic reaction
  • to prevent rotavirus & other types of diarrhea
  • helpful to weight loss

The doctor advises you to take more fiber food. It means that they suggest taking prebiotics & we have already explained how one is. The consumption of prebiotics also becomes necessary because we give priority to our gut health. Prebiotics are a type of dietary fiber that feeds and fuels what is known as the good bacteria in the gut & these are also two types, let's understand their central points.

Fructooligosaccharides (FOS)

These are carbs & found in some vegetables, but they are either non-digestive or slightly digestive. They end up in the colon, where it helps make good bacteria effective & contain a small chain of fructose molecules.

Research shows that among FOS carbs, the name inulin comes at the top & located in the roots of some plants, such as the chicory root, elecampane root, Jerusalem artichoke, leeks, sweet potato, asparagus, onions, garlic, dandelion root, and burdock. Its health benefits include:

  • increases healthy bacteria
  • reduces the number of harmful bacteria in the column
  • metabolize friendly bacteria
  • increase the absorption of magnesium and calcium
  • eliminate toxins from the body
  • help to decrease the colon pH
  • manage cholesterol levels in the blood

Galactooligosaccharides (GOS)

GOS are non-digestive & concluded from lactose composed of glucose. They are commonly present in milk. They may have two categories; the GOS with an overabundance of galactose and the GOS which makes from lactose through enzymatic trans-glycosylation.

As the research suggests, it converts bifidobacteria & lactobacilli into bifidogenic nature. Its positive impact can see on the digestive system.

Briefs: There are also many types of probiotics & prebiotic & everyone has different sources. The working styles of all these may also be dissimilar, but everyone's purpose is the same & that is a healthy digestive system.

Different Benefits of Probiotics & Prebiotics

Probiotics perform many essential functions for our body & chiefly work to help the digestive system like synthesizing all-important vitamins equally, the B vitamins thiamine and riboflavin, absorbing water, and fending off dangerous bacteria that can upset our gut microbiome. We can see the effect of:

  • Gut Balance
  • Immune System
  • Regular Bowel Movement
  • Bowel Transit System
  • Vaginal wellness
  • Ideal Weight
  • Less Gas

Prebiotics: Friendly bacteria will only be able to perform when you are friendly to them & for this, you must nourish them & increase their growth. It is the job of probiotics to fill it with nutrition, & then it plays its friendship like this:

  • Help overall digestive health
  • Work with probiotics to support a more resilient microbiome
  • Reduce pH in the colon and increase absorption of significant minerals like calcium and magnesium
  • Increase levels of Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs) that have many direct and indirect health benefits
  • Feed healthy bacteria in the digestive tract
  • Improve and maintain regularity

Briefs: Consuming Probiotics & Prebiotics daily not only remove the problems of infinity & but its effects are also visible on weight loss, and the immune system. Apart from this, it can consider profitable in the production of good bacteria & elevating them.

The Bottom Line

Probiotics & Prebiotics are directly related to our gut health & the chief work of probiotics is the healthy microbes located in our intestine, which are also known as good bacteria to increase their growth. On the other hand, Prebiotics give strength to the good bacteria so that it does not cause any problem in the intestine.

Its accomplishment can be live food, including fermented & plant fiber food, as it contains microorganisms, which reach our intestines alive & they are living when they are uncooked.

There are groups of Probiotics & Prebiotics whose working mechanism is different & provides many benefits to the body.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the side effects of probiotics?

Probiotics always work with a positive attitude & their side effects are fewer. Still, access to anything is harmful. This theory also applies here in the case of probiotics. The above collection of food containing probiotics can be baneful & as for as possible, we can also have such diseases, for which we may have to live lifelong with the help of medicines. That's why you are advised to make sure that the doses of probiotics before taking it & avoid them strictly if you have lactose or histamine intolerance. It may have side effects like:

  • harsh on the digestive system
  • result in headache
  • adverse reaction
  • infection

How are probiotics & prebiotics beneficial for men & women?

Men & women have different anatomy, eating habits, & lifestyle. Accordingly, their health problems are also dissimilar. Now it is clear that according to their body need, the sources of probiotics & prebiotics also differ from two. It can say that nowadays men & women are more cautious about their weight & fitness. Therefore their quantity & its sources may be more or less which has a different effect on both them. Let's see their benefits to women:

  • Gut Balance
  • Immune system
  • weight management
  • vaginal wellness

Benefits to men:

  • Good digestion
  • strong bones
  • healthy urinary tract
  • healthy heart

Which things to keep in mind before buying probiotics & prebiotics?

When it comes to dietary supplements, the name probiotics comes at the top. It needs people of all ages, whether it is a child or adults. That's why we should consume it as much as we can. The reason behind this is that it restores our gut health. Its best sources are fermented foods & living bacteria are found in plant fiber. There are many supplements also available in the market. It can fulfill your daily requirement, with which you can meet the probiotic deficiency, keep the following things in mind while choosing it:

Requirement: Why do you need it, following a gluten-free diet, or need any prescribed probiotic strain? Think about this & choose probiotics.

Ingredients: Contains high-quality ingredients that do not increase the risk of side effects.

Effective Dose: The effectiveness of the supplements also matters & the proof of its efficiency is that there should be 1 million colonies-forming units per gram.


         

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