Probiotics and Prebiotics = Synbiotic

Probiotics and Prebiotics Go Together To Become Synbiotic

Very simply, probiotics are the living organisms like good bacteria. Prebiotics are the food that help probiotics survive.

Synbiotic is the term that means when you have both prebiotics and probiotics combined.

When you eat various fruits, legumes and whole grains you are automatically consuming prebiotics, carbohydrate fibers called oligosaccharides.

Prebiotics are inulin and oligofructose, along with fructooligosaccharides (FOS), galactooligosaccharides (GOS), and other oligosaccharides. Pectin, too, appears to have some prebiotic potential, but you will most likely see inulin and FOS on the labels of probiotic supplements.

Probiotic and Prebiotic Food List

Probiotic Food List (partial)

Dairy products such yogurt, kefir, and cottage cheese are some of the best food sources of probiotics.

sauerkraut
pickles
wine
sourdough bread
miso
tofu
tempeh
tamari

Prebiotic Food List (partial)

Bananas are one of the better sources of prebiotics.

barley
garlic
fruit
onions
soybeans
whole grains
honey
leeks

The following is a short list of the most recognized benefits of probiotics:

Probiotics for Children

With clinical studies that reveal the potential link between bacterial imbalances and the occurrence of childhood eczema in children, probiotics were employed as a remedy that not only reduced the symptoms of eczema, but at the same time, on some occasions, eliminating it entirely.

Minimizing the symptoms of acute diarrhea and rotavirus shedding are two other benefits of probiotics for children.

Probiotics may shorten viral infections and diarrhea in otherwise healthy children if administered on the beginning of the illness. It furthermore found that probiotics may prevent diarrhea in children who are taking antibiotics, which often destroy good intestinal bacteria along with the harmful ones.

A Chinese study found small children who drink a mixture of probiotic bacteria mixed in milk twice a day during the winter and spring was up to fewer common colds, needed fewer antibiotics, and missed fewer days of school.

Probiotics for Infants

Infants given probiotic fortified formula experienced fewer instances of diaper rash.

Researchers from the University of Turin, Italy, found that a few daily drops of Lactobacillus reuteri, a bacterium that can help improve digestion, significantly reduced crying among infants with colic.

Extremely low birth weight infants (ELBW) who received feedings supplemented with probiotics chalked up better weight gain than infants who were not given the supplements.

Probiotics for Adults

Men think about experienced a lowering of overall cholesterol levels with the use of probiotics.

Women given probiotics know proven to relieve symptoms of yeast infections by promoting the growth of vaginal flora.

Because of the well-known ability of probiotics to regulate the digestive process, the elderly permit experienced marked improvements in episodes of constipation.

The probiotics strain, Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, PTA-6086, was found to cause significant increases in T-cell production of TNF-alpha, a key immune system activity marker, when health adults were exposed to influenza. This increases the body’s immune response to the flu virus.

Probiotics for Everyone

Workers who took a daily dose of beneficial bacteria were much less likely to call in sick than their colleagues given a placebo.

Probiotic supplements may help remedy certain types of diarrhea caused by the use of antibiotics. Probiotics may be used preventively to prevent or reduce symptoms of traveler’s diarrhea.

Probiotic bacteria such as Lactobacilli or Bifidobacteria are believed to positively affect the immune response by improving the intestinal microbial balance leading to enhanced antibody production and phagocytic (devouring or killing) activity of white blood cells.

Probiotics enhance systemic cellular immune responses and may be useful as a dietary supplement to boost natural immunity in otherwise healthy adults. Children who take probiotic containing milk often teem with fewer respiratory infections.

While more research is needed to help solidify the evidence, there is plenty of encouraging evidence that probiotics may help the following:

Treat diarrhea, especially following treatment with certain antibiotics.
Prevent and treat vaginal yeast infections and urinary tract infections.
Treat irritable bowel syndrome.
Reduce bladder cancer recurrence.
Speed treatment of certain intestinal infections.
Prevent and treat eczema in children.
Prevent or reduce the severity of colds and flu

Probiotics and prebiotics we are learning are very essential to our good health.