The power of probiotics and prebiotics

Prebiotics and probiotics – both work together to support a healthy gut, but how are they different? Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria that make up your gut microbiome and contribute to your overall health. Prebiotics are dietary fibres that the human body can’t digest. They are food for probiotics, allowing them to create a healthy gut environment.

The word “probiotic” has roots in the Greek language and translates to “for life”. This is fitting given that there are over 100 trillion live microorganisms in our gut, which make up our gut microbiome, and probiotics are an important part of this ecosystem.

There are several families of probiotics, or ‘good’ bacteria, and each has different strains, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum. There also several strains of harmful, ‘bad’ bacteria, like Streptococcus pneumoniae, which causes pneumonia, and Escherichia coli and Salmonella, responsible for food poisoning. Having more of these beneficial bacteria in our guts can help crowd out the ‘baddies’ so they don’t take over, causing illness.

In the name

If probiotic is “for life”, then antibiotic must mean “against life”.  (Of course, in this case, we’re merely referring to our microbiome, as the development of antibiotics has revolutionised modern medicine and increased the human lifespan.) As we know, several antibiotics have been developed to kill off these bad bacteria, or pathogens, but they can also attack the good living microorganisms. This is why your GP may recommend you take a probiotic supplement when undergoing a course of antibiotics to increase the balance of good bacteria in your gut.

Supplements

Probiotic supplements are measured by CFUs (colony forming units). This refers to the amount of beneficial bacteria you receive in each dose. Most doses range from one to 10 billion CFUs and the recommended dose varies from person to person. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are the most common types of bacteria found in probiotic supplements. And more important than the quantity of microorganisms is the specific type of probiotic strains.

Different strains of probiotics target different health concerns, for example Saccharomyces boulardii may help reduce inflammation, while Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium infantis may help alleviate symptoms such as gas and bloating. If opting for a supplement, CBHS dietitian Stephanie Liang suggests that practitioner-only supplements such as BioCeuticals and Metagenics can give you access to high quality, science-based probiotics.

But the best way to get a variety of these good bacteria in your daily life is through the foods we eat. “The recommended dosage for probiotic strains to look for in food products is 10 billion CFUs,” says Stephanie, who suggests we look for the following strains when shopping for products like yoghurt or kefir:

• Lactobacillus rhamnosus, LGG®
• Bifidobacterium, BB-12®
• Lactobacillus acidophilus, DDS-1®
• Lactobacillus paracasei, L. CASEI 431®
• Lactobacillus acidophilus, LA-5®

And the best way to ensure these good bacteria thrive is through consuming plenty of prebiotics in the form of plant foods, such as mushrooms, garlic, wholegrains, apples and artichokes.

A word on resistant starch

One particularly beneficial type of prebiotic is resistant starch, a type of carbohydrate that is resistant to digestion in the small intestine. The preferred food of our good gut bugs, resistant starch travels through the gut and reaches the large intestine where it becomes fermented by our good bacteria. Good sources of resistant starch include:

• Sweet potato
• Green bananas
• Legumes, e.g. chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans
• Wholegrains, e.g. oats and barley
• Cooked then cooled rice, pasta and potato (cooking and cooling changes the structure of the starches, making them resistant to digestion)
  TIP: Precooked microwavable rice or pasta has already gone through the heating and cooling process, so you can just reheat and go without the wait!

So, the next time you’re putting a meal together or planning your weekly grocery shop, take a moment to think about how you can best feed your gut, through a variety of gut-loving vegetables, fruits and wholegrains. By nurturing your gut, you’re helping to care for your overall health, now and into the future.

All information contained in this article is intended for general information purposes only. The information provided should not be relied upon as medical advice and does not supersede or replace a consultation with a suitably qualified healthcare professional.