Prebiotics vs Probiotics: What’s the Difference Between the Two and Why They Matter for Gut Health

How often do you have problems with your gut? It’s common for people to experience minor issues like gas, bloating, heartburn, constipation, or mild diarrhea every so often. But if these small discomforts are an everyday part of your life, it may be a sign that your gut health isn’t doing so well. Poor digestive health in the long term can affect the rest of your body and cause everything from fatigue and skin issues to increased risk of illnesses. It can even affect your mental health. It's important to learn how you can support your gut health to prevent these issues.

One crucial aspect of gut health is ensuring that you have a balance of good microorganisms in your digestive system. This is where probiotics and prebiotics play a role in your overall gut health; they help maintain a healthy gut microbiome, which can then positively impact your health as a whole.

So, what are the differences between the two, how do they interact, and how do they affect your gut? Here’s what you need to know about probiotics vs prebiotic and how they can help your overall well- being.

What’s The Difference Between Prebiotics and Probiotics?

Prebiotics and probiotics work together to help maintain the gut flora. The gut flora, or gut microbiome, is the ecosystem of microbes that naturally live in the digestive tract, which include bacteria, fungi, archaea, protists, and viruses. These microorganisms help with digesting food, absorbing nutrients for the rest of the body, and regulating the immune system.

Probiotics contain strains of healthy, live bacteria that are already in the gut, allowing them to further support the gut microbiome. On the other hand, prebiotics are non-digestible components of foods, such as fiber, that feed the gut microbiome, supporting it and keeping it healthy in the process.

How Do They Affect Gut Health?

The primary role of probiotics and prebiotics is to support the gut microbiome. A healthy and thriving gut microbiome can ease symptoms of gastrointestinal disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome or chronic constipation, and it can also improve overall digestive health. It helps with regulating your bowel movements, encourages nutrient absorption, reduces inflammation, and lessens the likelihood of issues like bloating, gas, or heartburn.

Where Can You Get Prebiotics and Probiotics?

Fermented foods are the most well-known foods with probiotics, as they have live strains of healthy bacteria. Eating dairy products like yogurt or cheese, or pickled vegetables like kimchi or sauerkraut, will help support your gut microbiome. Other foods you can add to your diet include non-dairy yogurt, soy products like miso and natto, or fermented drinks like kombucha.

Meanwhile, many foods already naturally contain prebiotics, especially fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. If you’re maintaining a healthy diet, it’s likely that you’re already reaching the recommended amounts of prebiotics every day. If you aim to increase your prebiotic intake, however, consider adding more foods such as beans, peas, oats, berries, asparagus, garlic, apples, leeks, artichokes, flaxseeds, and onions into your diet. And as you can imagine, some of these will also be foods rich in probiotics. Fermented or pickled vegetables, for example, are both rich in fibers and full of beneficial bacteria, making them excellent sources of both prebiotics and probiotics. To make sure you’re getting enough of both, you might want to look into taking probiotic and prebiotic food supplements.

What Are Other Ways to Support Gut Health?

Besides eating foods rich in both prebiotics and probiotics, there are other lifestyle habits you can adopt to support long-term digestive health. Fatty foods, spicy foods, chocolate, and caffeine, in excessive amounts, can all irritate your digestive tract and trigger GERD symptoms, so it’s best to limit these foods in your diet. It’s also best to limit your alcohol consumption, as it can disrupt the composition of your gut microbiome.

Chronic stress can disrupt your gut health, so it’s important to find healthy ways to manage stress, including exercise, meditation, or simply taking time to unwind.

When Should You Consider Supplements?

Taking probiotic and prebiotic food supplements alongside maintaining a healthy diet ensures that your gut microbiome stays balanced and regulated, helping contribute to long-term gut health. You can also consider adding supplements to your diet after taking antibiotics for an infection. This is because antibiotics kill both harmful and beneficial bacteria, thus damaging your gut flora. Taking probiotics can replenish good bacteria and help maintain healthy digestive function in the aftermath of an illness and treatment regimen.

Trust Your Gut and Take Care of It, Too

If you think there are issues with your gut, it’s best to speak to a medical professional immediately. Be on the lookout for any warning signs such as irregular bowel movements, constipation, or frequent minor issues such as gas or bloating. Skin issues such as eczema or rosacea can sometimes also be a sign of poor gut health, as well as minor immune system illnesses like colds and hay fever.

A gastroenterologist can examine your gut and help you determine the necessary diet and lifestyle changes you need to adopt for your long-term gut health. You can also speak to them about taking probiotic supplements so you can determine the right kind and dosage that will suit your everyday routine. With time and dedication to the right lifestyle changes, you can better manage any persistent symptoms and take control of your overall gut health.

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