Many helpful and harmful microorganisms live in our bodies, especially in the gastrointestinal tract. Alteration or imbalance of the gut microbes might contribute to the development of certain illness. Keep­ing your gut microbes bal­anced is impor­tant to help main­tain and improve your over­all health. One of the ways to favorably alter the gut microbes is through the use of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics.

 

What are probiotics?

Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host. They can be found in fermented foods, yogurt, or dietary supplements.
The most common probiotics are bacteria that belong to groups called Lactobacillus (such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus) and Bifidobacterium (such as Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium infantis, and Bifidobacterium bifidum). In addition to bacteria, probiotics also include yeasts such as Saccharomyces boulardii.

 

What are prebiotics?

Prebiotics are nondigestible and nonabsorbable compound (such as inulin and other fructo-oligosaccharides) that, through its metabolization by the microorganisms in the gut, modulates composition and/or activity of the gut microbes, thus conferring a beneficial physiologic effect on the host. Sources of prebiotics are in foods such as whole grains, bananas, garlic, soybeans and red beans.
Simply put, prebiotics are the food of probiotics. If you eat foods that contain prebiotics, it will help enhance the effects of probiotics even further.

 

What are synbiotics? 

Synbiotics are products that combine probiotics and prebiotics. 

 

What are pro­bi­ot­ic supplements? 

Pro­bi­ot­ic sup­ple­ments con­tain live microor­gan­isms that can include a sin­gle strain of a microbe or a combination of mul­ti­ple dif­fer­ent microbes. The products in the market often come in the form of tablets, capsules, chewable tablets, powders, and liquids.

 

What do probiotics do?

Probiotics may have a variety of effects in the body, and different probiotics may act in different ways. Basically, they beneficially affect the host by the following:

• Maintaining a healthy community of microorganisms in your body, or helping your body’s community of microorganisms return to a healthy condition after being disturbed
• Producing bacteriocin which can kill or inhibit the growth of similar or closely related bacterial strains
• Competing against invading microorganisms for adhesion to the epithelium
• Changing your immune system so it works more effectively

 

What are the potential health benefits of probiotics?

Many clinical studies have been done on probiotics. Some studies indicate that probiotics are effective for:

• preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea
• preventing diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile
• inducing or maintaining remission in ulcerative colitis
• preventing necrotizing enterocolitis and sepsis in premature infants
• treating infant colic
• treating periodontal disease

Probiotics may also be helpful for:

• Constipation
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Traveler’s diarrhea
• Diarrhea caused by cancer treatment
• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
• Atopic dermatitis
• Allergic rhinitis
• Bacterial vaginosis
• Vaginal candidiasis
• Urinary tract infections
• Dental caries
• Anxiety/Stress
• Insomnia

 

However, the data from clinical studies on the use of probiotics for the above diseases or conditions may not be sufficient to draw clear conclusions. If you are considering taking probiotic supplements, it is recommended that you consult your doctor first to make sure that the probiotics are right for you.

 

 

Can probiotics be harmful?

Probiotics are considered safe and are associated with only a few mild adverse effects, including gas, bloating, and nausea. In rare cases, probiotics have been linked to allergic reactions and systemic infections. People with weaker immune systems should consult with their doctors before using probiotics.