Symbiotics are foods and food products that contain probiotics and prebiotics. These provide everything necessary for the human microbiota, satisfying the needs of the bacteria that inhabit the body and stimulating the growth of the intestinal, vaginal, and other important flora that protect us.
The content of natural symbiotics is crucial for human life. These contain probiotics like lactobacilli, bifidobacteria, and some species of microorganisms that help us stop infections and protect the respiratory tract, but also regulate intestinal transit, reducing, in many cases, diarrhea and constipation.
For a food to be considered symbiotic, it must contain another fundamental element for the microbiota, prebiotics like Inulin, Fructooligosaccharides (FOS), Galactooligosaccharides (GOS), and Lactulose.
Symbiotic foods don't need to contain all types of probiotics and prebiotics, but they must have at least one of each to be called "symbiotic."
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What are the benefits of symbiotics?
There are many benefits of these foods or products intended for consumption, especially their role in increasing the human bacterial flora.
In 1995, doctors Gibson GR and Roberfroid MB created the definition for symbiotic: “a mixture of probiotics and prebiotics that have beneficial properties for the host (person or animal) that consumes them.”
This flora consists of a huge number of small bacteria beneficial to health, which colonize the intestines, oral cavity, and even the genitourinary tract. The presence of flora in these body areas competes with pathogenic bacteria, reducing their ability to cause harm and infections.
We can say that symbiotics have benefits for:
- Increasing the intestinal flora and the overall microbiota of humans and animals.
- Strengthening the body's defenses, the immune system.
- Stopping the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria.
- Preventing constipation.
- Reducing cases of diarrhea.
Symbiotic foods
In this section, we will indicate the best symbiotic foods:
- Sauerkraut.
- Miso.
- Dairy products like yogurt.
- Breast milk.
- Tempeh.
- Soy and fermented derivatives.
- Fermented vegetables.
- Pickled foods like pickles, onions, etc.
Symbiotic foods are those that contain a mix of prebiotics and probiotics, understanding that prebiotics are dietary fiber that serves as a nutrient substrate for probiotics, the live bacteria that help in body functions.
For a food to be considered symbiotic, it must contain at least one species of health-beneficial bacteria (bifidobacteria, lactobacilli, etc.) and one type of prebiotic like fructans, fructooligosaccharides, oligofructose, etc.
Good examples are fermented foods like miso, and sauerkraut, which is fermented cabbage with juniper berries. Another example of a symbiotic is tempeh.
These foods are characterized by needing the fermentation produced by microorganisms and, once ready, can be consumed safely, increasing human microbiota.
In the case of breast milk, you have surely heard that it is always recommended for babies. One reason is what we have explained. As a symbiotic food, it plays a fundamental role in forming the microbiota of newborns. Without it, babies have a harder time since, at birth, we do not possess microflora; we must acquire it during development.
Prebiotics, Probiotics, and Symbiotics
As we have indicated, the mixture of prebiotics and probiotics produces a symbiotic. It is very important to understand the concept and definition clearly; otherwise, we could confuse the different types of foods.
If we consume food that only contains bifidobacteria, it will be a probiotic food.
If we consume food that only contains dietary fiber, it will be a prebiotic food.
If we consume foods with prebiotics and probiotics, then we can say they are symbiotics.
In addition to natural products, foods, and meals, various nutritional supplements are currently produced that provide all the above. That is, under a presentation of capsules or pills, different brands of symbiotics are available to supply these elements to our body.
Is it good to take symbiotics with prebiotics and probiotics?
Much more than taking them separately. Including probiotic foods in our diet provides millions of good microorganisms for health, but they must survive inside us. Probiotics need nutrients like all living beings. Including prebiotics will allow them to grow, reproduce, and colonize the areas of the body where they are essential.
By including prebiotics along with probiotics, we provide great food for healthy bacteria, allowing them to grow, double, and adapt to the intestine, improving the digestive process, reducing heavy digestion, stomach problems, intestinal gas formation, lactose intolerance due to the breakdown produced by lactic bacteria, and, of course, preventing many cases of constipation and reducing the duration of diarrhea.
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References
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