Prebiotics are a type of fiber-rich food that enhance the effects and benefits of probiotics. Although the names of these two (probiotics and prebiotics) are very similar and cause confusion, they actually have many differences.
Since they are not the same, they have different properties and benefits and can also be found in various types of food. We will explain step by step what a probiotic is, the foods where they are found with many examples, whether they are natural or not, and which of them are the most beneficial for our health, including the differences with synbiotics.
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What are prebiotics?
They are a type of carbohydrate that humans cannot metabolize, meaning that when we consume prebiotics, the intestine does not digest them.
The prebiotic serves as food for probiotics, the live bacteria beneficial to health that make up the intestinal flora and the entire human microbiota.
They are dietary fiber and this is why they cannot be digested. However, consuming prebiotics provides many benefits to the body, which we will explain below.
Possible properties and benefits of prebiotics
There are many benefits of prebiotics but, perhaps, the most notable of all is their importance in maintaining a strong and healthy gastrointestinal bacterial colony.
However, when we consume them, they also provide other properties such as the following:
- They capture water as they pass through the intestine, improving intestinal transit.
- They serve as food for probiotics and anaerobic bacteria beneficial to health.
- Increase the growth of intestinal flora, especially Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, also improving the proliferation of other microorganisms such as Saccharomyces yeasts.
- Improve the amount of organic acids in the body through fermentation in the intestinal tract.
- Stimulate the immune system.
- Improve the absorption of essential nutrients.
- Increase the absorption of minerals such as magnesium, iron, zinc, and calcium.
- Enhance the function of antioxidants.
- Increase vitamin synthesis.
- Act as food for the bifidobacteria and lactobacilli that form the human microbiota, regulating digestion and providing resistance against bacterial and viral infectious diseases such as those caused by Escherichia coli, Clostridia, Salmonella Typhimurium, etc.
- Reduce constipation in babies who are formula-fed, making stools softer.
- Help young children and newborns develop the intestinal flora they lack.
- Help adults and the elderly with the growth of beneficial bacteria for health, regardless of the reason for its weakening.
- Regulate diarrhea symptoms, being beneficial for both constipation and cases of liquid stools. In the latter case, caution should always be taken as it could increase it.
Although prebiotics are indigestible, meaning we do not process them naturally, they can provide nutrients to the bacteria in the intestine and colon. These microorganisms are capable of processing much of them, using this type of fiber as food.
The most common types of prebiotics
- Fructooligosaccharides (FOS).
- Galactooligosaccharides (GOS).
- Inulin.
- Lactulose.
Fructooligosaccharides
They are polysaccharides composed of a glucose molecule and fructose monomers. Fructooligosaccharides are often referred to as oligofructoses or oligofructans and are simply abbreviated as FOS.
Fructooligosaccharides can be used as a sugar substitute since they have a sweet taste, so they work as a natural sweetener.
This type of prebiotic with uses as a sweetener, very common in syrups and preparations to add to foods and achieve the sweet taste that many people seek, modifies the glycemic index less.
However, despite having sweetening properties, fructooligosaccharides are less potent than sugar, which is why more of them must be added to achieve the same flavor intensity.
But an advantage they have is that they contain fewer calories than other sweeteners, which is why they are widely used for diets and people with blood sugar problems like diabetics.
One characteristic or property of fructooligosaccharides is that they withstand decomposition when in contact with saliva. The hydrolysis that human enzymes produce in foods does not damage fructooligosaccharides, maintaining all their potency, properties, and benefits for the prebiotics that can take advantage of them.
The enzymes in saliva and the gastrointestinal tract cannot hydrolyze them (they do not dissolve them with water) and they pass through without being absorbed, making their caloric value very low or null. This is one of the reasons why fructooligosaccharides are used as an alternative to white sugar.
Properties of fructooligosaccharides
- They capture water as they pass through the intestine.
- Improve intestinal transit.
- Serve as food for probiotics and anaerobic bacteria beneficial to health.
Probiotics and prebiotics are closely related since, when the prebiotic reaches the intestine and colon, the probiotics can ferment them, using them as food.
Types of fructooligosaccharides
- Inulobiose (Fru2).
- Inulotriose (Fru3).
- Inulotetraose (Fru4).
- Kestose (Glu-Fru2).
- Nystose (Glu-Fru3).
- Fructosylnystose (Glu-Fru4).
- Bifurcose (Glu-Fru3).
Foods with fructooligosaccharides
- Jerusalem artichoke.
- Chicory.
- Kestose.
Galactooligosaccharides
Galactooligosaccharides are a type of prebiotic derived from lactose, generally produced through the enzymatic conversion of cow's milk.
They are very common in baby food products and nutritional supplements for adults, produced from bovine milk.
The galactooligosaccharide is abbreviated as GOS, but it is also called galacto-oligosaccharides, oligolactose, oligogalactose, or transgalactooligosaccharides (TOS). All these names refer to the same type of prebiotic, that is, substances that serve as food for the human microbiota, the collection of live bacteria that protect us against infections and pathogenic bacteria.
Benefits of Galactooligosaccharides
- Increase the growth of intestinal flora.
- Improve the amount of organic acids in the body through fermentation in the intestinal tract.
- Stimulate the immune system.
- Improve the absorption of essential nutrients.
- Enhance the function of antioxidants.
- Increase vitamin synthesis.
- Act as food for bifidobacteria and lactobacilli that form the human microbiota, regulating digestion and providing resistance against bacterial and viral infectious diseases such as those caused by Escherichia coli, Clostridia, Salmonella Typhimurium, etc.
- Reduce constipation in formula-fed babies, making stools softer.
- Help young children and newborns develop the intestinal flora they lack.
- Help adults and the elderly with the growth of beneficial bacteria for health, regardless of the reason for its weakening.
Inulin
It is a fructosan or fructan, present in foods such as tubers and plant roots. Inulin is a prebiotic found in yacon, chicory, dandelion, burdock, etc., and other plants like elecampane (Inula helenium), the first species from which it was isolated and from which its name originates.
The prebiotic inulin is a dietary fiber, like other prebiotics. It is not digestible by the intestine but serves as a nutrient for lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.
People allergic to fructose should be cautious as it can have contraindications for them. Upon reaching the stomach and beginning digestion, it releases a certain amount of fructose, which can be counterproductive for this population group.
It is hydrolyzed in the colon, similarly to other natural prebiotics. The bacteria inhabiting the upper part of the large intestine degrade it for use, producing short-chain fatty acids like butyric acid and other elements such as carbon dioxide, which can produce intestinal gases, methane, and hydrogen.
It is also contraindicated for people who frequently suffer from flatulence, have a strong urge to burp, or are prone to bloating.
It is recommended to take inulin in small doses. Start with a small amount and gradually increase it once the body has adapted to it.
Lactulose
It is a prebiotic produced from heating milk. Its purity or grade depends on the amount to which the temperature is raised.
Lactulose has beneficial properties for constipation, acting to relieve or prevent it. It captures water molecules, which causes the stools to soften, facilitating defecation and regularity. Care should be taken when consuming it as it can cause diarrhea, especially in people prone to it.
It can also be used for other human conditions, such as treating hepatic encephalopathy, a liver and gallbladder disorder where lactulose increases the elimination of ammonia from the body. However, these effects or properties of lactulose are being studied as there is currently some controversy about whether it truly benefits this disease.
It has a yellow color, and lactulose is composed of galactose and fructose monosaccharides.
Differences between Prebiotic and Probiotic
We have already mentioned some basic differences between these two types of foods, which generally cause much confusion and many doubts. But to help you understand better and provide a comprehensive summary, we indicate below the differences between prebiotics and probiotics:
- The former are dietary fiber, while the latter are live bacteria.
- Prebiotics serve as food for intestinal flora, whereas probiotics are the intestinal flora.
- Prebiotics are not alive; they are substances present in food. Probiotics are alive; they are microorganisms that live in symbiosis within the bodies of humans and animals, helping with digestion and inhibiting the proliferation of harmful microbes.
- Both can be prepared in different ways and used to stimulate the body's defenses, but each has its role.
As you can see in the explanation of the differences between probiotics and prebiotics, some are live microorganisms within humans and animals, playing an important role in regulating digestion and metabolic processes. The others, prebiotics, are often used as ingredients in food preparation. Being a special type of fiber, prebiotics can also be used to create a prebiotic diet, particularly to strengthen intestinal, vaginal, and oral flora.
Are prebiotics natural?
Yes, although they can also be obtained artificially, meaning you can take prebiotics in foods or get them through certain types of nutritional supplements.
Are they the same as synbiotics?
No. Synbiotics are a mix of natural probiotics and prebiotics, meaning they are foods with both types of elements. They contain both, and therefore, have a much higher likelihood of providing health benefits.
List of prebiotic foods (examples)
The first thing to mention is that prebiotic foods are all those that contain a substrate that serves as food for the bacteria that make up human microflora. These are generally fresh and natural products, mostly fruits, vegetables, and greens.
However, you might not be aware of all the alternatives available, so below we list the list of all prebiotic foods and many examples that will be helpful:
- Chicory.
- Garlic.
- Artichoke.
- Sweet potato.
- Onion.
- Cereals such as:
- Oats.
- Barley.
- Corn.
- Wheat.
- Asparagus.
- Dandelion.
- Honey.
- Yam.
- Lettuce.
- Legumes such as:
- Lentils.
- Beans.
- Chickpeas.
- Etc.
- Jerusalem artichoke or sunchoke.
- Potato.
- Plantain and banana.
- Leek.
- Yacon.
Foods that contain probiotics and prebiotics
- Soy yogurt and fruits like coconut, strawberry, banana, etc.
- Fermented vegetables.
- Miso.
As you can see, there are many examples of foods rich in prebiotics and probiotics, which can be alternated to complement your diet and make it much healthier for your body.
Ideally, you should alternate your favorite foods. One day you can have a prebiotic food and the next include some of the foods that contain probiotics or, on the day you feel like having, for example, a yogurt that contains both.
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References
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