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Understanding Probiotics, Prebiotics, Synbiotics
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Manish Malhotra anD Vaibhav Verma
April 01 , 2015
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The pace at which our lifestyles and diet are changing, gut infection in the form of indigestion, diarrhoea, bloating, discomfort, and ulceration is getting more and more common. And then to make that worse, we pop in antibiotics so easily that our gut health goes for a toss. According to experts, the need of the hour is feed your gut, do not pamper your tongue!
Prebiotics is the term given to fibre that provides nourishment for the probiotic bacteria in one’s body. These will help the healthy bacteria in the body become stronger, and avoid any problems caused by harmful bacteria.
Prebiotics act as food for probiotic bacteria, helping healthy bacteria grow. Two of the most common prebiotics are inulin and oligofructose. These carbohydrates are found naturally in plant products, but are also added to some foods.
Prebiotics are found in natural food sources such as chicory root, asparagus, onions and garlic, bananas, barley and other grains. Often prebiotics and probiotics are added to the same products. When used together we call them synbiotics because they work better together than apart.
What are Pro-biotics?
There are over 400 distinct species of microorganisms that inhabit the various regions of the adult human digestive tract, making up nearly two kg of total body weight. This includes harmful as well as useful bacteria. Pro-biotics are foods or concentrates of live organisms that contribute to a healthy microbial environment and suppress the potential harmful microbes. Probiotics can be bacteria, moulds or yeast. But most probiotics are bacteria. Among bacteria, lactic acid bacteria are more popular. The first recorded probiotic was fermented milk.
Foods such as yoghurt, fermented milk, paneer, buttermilk, dhokla, idli, snack bars, energy drinks and even baby food can contain probiotics. And packaged probiotic foods such as Amul Flaavyo (probiotic vitamin fortified flavoured yoghurt), Amul Prolife probiotic lassi, Mother Dairy’s b-Activ probiotic dahi, b-Activ probiotic lassi, b-Activ curd and Nutrifit (Strawberry and Mango), Nestle Nesvita dahi, Nestle Actiplus dahi, Attune granola bars, and Yakult dairy drink (fermented milk) are available in the Indian market.
The probiotic of medicinal importance can also be supplemented via capsules or bacteria sachets available in pharmacy. Ranbaxy (Binifit), Dr Reddy's Laboratories, Zydus Cadila, Unichem, JB Chem, and Glaxo SmithKline are the competitors in this field.
What are Pre-biotics?
Prebiotics are selectively fermented, dietary ingredients that result in specific changes in the composition and/or activity of the gastrointestinal micro flora thus conferring benefits upon host health. Unlike probiotics, a prebiotic targets the micro flora already present within the ecosystem, it acts as a ‘food’ for the target microbes.
The most widely accepted prebiotics are FOS (fructo- oligosaccharides) and GOS (galacto- oligosaccharides). FOS and GOS occur naturally in foods such as asparagus, garlic, artichoke, onion, wheat and oat, as well as soybean. However, it would take a large quantity of these foods for their active oligosaccharides to exert a useful prebiotic effect. A more realistic method involves fortifying popular foodstuffs with defined amounts of prebiotics. Thus, you will find that prebiotic compounds are added to many foods including yogurts, cereals, breads, biscuits, milk desserts, nutritional supplement bars, ice creams, spreads, drinks, water, infant formula, as well as some animal foods. Prebiotics are soluble plant fibres that assist in maintaining healthy levels of beneficial gut bacteria. Prebiotics provide nourishment for the healthy bacteria in the colon. In a sense, prebiotics act as a form of fertiliser or food that helps good bacteria grow. There are many different kinds of prebiotic fibres and each has a different impact on the growth and development of helpful gut bacteria.
What are Syn-biotics?
Probiotic bacteria taken together with prebiotics that support their growth are called “synbiotics.” Both work together in a synergistic way more efficiently promoting the probiotics’ benefits
The human body relies on a variety of live bacteria for proper digestion, but they also contribute to regulation of the neurological, immune and endocrine systems. With all the positive press probiotics receive these days, most people have heard about this form of beneficial gut flora. Fewer people have heard about prebiotics.
Getting the Most Out of Probiotics and Prebiotics
Prebiotics are fermented by gut bacteria, wherever they are found, and can help support bacteria already present in the gut or being introduced by a functional food or dietary supplement. To get the most out of probiotic supplements, take a prebiotic supplement just before a meal and then take a probiotic supplement about at least 30 minutes after taking the prebiotic and finishing the meal. This timeframe allows the body to begin processing the prebiotics so they can work as an effective food source for the probiotics. Food acts as a buffer between stomach acids and live probiotics. Without this buffer, fewer active probiotics will make it through the stomach and into the rest of the digestive system.
In some cases, individuals require specific strains of probiotics. For example, to treat infectious diarrhoea, a probiotic strain known as Saccharomyces boulardii is recommended. However, if your goal is to improve your overall health, it's important to choose a multi-strain probiotic formula. Multi-strain supplements may include beneficial live bacteria such as L. acidophilus, S. thermophilus, L. rhamnosus, B. infantis, L. salivarius and B. longum, in addition to other strains. Prebiotics further enhance the benefits of a multi-strain probiotic formula.
Common uses for Prebiotics and Probiotics
Many people take probiotic supplements to achieve improved intestinal function or to optimise the health of their immune system. By introducing a probiotic supplement to one’s diet, gut dysfunction and other digestive disorders can be prevented or alleviated. A daily routine that includes taking both prebiotics and probiotics will enhance the benefits of introducing good bacteria to the gut.
Many people also choose to introduce probiotics into their diet while taking antibiotics or after they have undergone a round of antibiotics. Antibiotics inhibit or kill bacteria within the body’s system in order to fight off infection or disease. However, helpful bacteria are affected in addition to the harmful bacteria, causing significant imbalance in gut microflora. It’s important to allow at least two hours between taking probiotics and antibiotics. Probiotics are killed by antibiotics, so allowing considerable time between the two is essential.
Taking Probiotics and Prebiotics
They can also be added as ingredients to various foods, including yogurts. Try to buy probiotic or prebiotics from recognised brands. This will ensure that they benefit your health as much as possible. If you do not like the idea of taking tablets or capsules, then it will be easiest to eat some of the foods which have added probiotics or prebiotics. Bacteria often sounds like something that you would want to rid your body of. However, there are plenty of helpful bacteria which need to be cared for. By encouraging the healthy bacteria in your body, it is possible to avoid any problems with dangerous or harmful bacteria.
Amul was the first to make a dent at national level with its probiotic ice creams Prolife in February, 2007. Having tasted success in the probiotics category with its ice cream, the company introduced probiotic lassi. Probiotic products contribute to 10% to its ice cream sales and 25 per cent of its dahi (Indian yoghurt) sales. Mother Dairy has the largest milk (liquid/unprocessed) plants in Asia selling more than 25 lakh litre of milk per day. b-Activ probiotic dahi, b-Activ probiotic lassi, b- Activ curd and Nutrifit (Strawberry and Mango) are the company’s probiotic products. Probiotic products are contributing to 15% of the turnover of their fresh dairy products. Nestle Nesvita was India’s first dahi with probiotics – for healthy digestion. Yakult Danone India Pvt Ltd (YDIPL) is a 50:50 joint venture between Japan’s Yakult Honsha and The French- Danone Group and is offering Yakult, a probiotic drink made from fermented milk, Lactobacillus and some sugar.
Major players in the probiotics drug market in India include companies like Ranbaxy (Binifit), Dr Reddy's Laboratories, which has four probiotic brands, Zydus Cadila, Unichem, JB Chem, and Glaxo SmithKline. While probiotics in the form of drugs are widely accepted, probiotic foods are still viewed with scepticism. Acceptance is growing slowly, but it will take a long time before changing the mindset of Indian consumers.
With all the different types of prebiotics and strains of probiotics available, it may be worth consulting with a trained professional to learn which kind would most likely benefit a particular circumstance. Probiotics and prebiotics can be helpful for a variety of complaints and conditions and are worth giving a try.
(The authors are asst professors at Banarsidas Chandiwala Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology)
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