{"id":46498,"date":"2015-12-29T07:15:59","date_gmt":"2015-12-29T12:15:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=46498"},"modified":"2016-07-14T16:06:33","modified_gmt":"2016-07-14T20:06:33","slug":"prebiotics-probiotics-health-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/prebiotics-probiotics-health-benefits\/","title":{"rendered":"Daily Burn Face-Off: Prebiotics vs. Probiotics"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Prebiotics
Photos: Pond5<\/a> (top); Perry Santanachote<\/a> (bottom)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Probiotics<\/a> have been a household term ever since Jamie-Lee Curtis started touting the digestive benefits of her favorite brand of yogurt. (Who could really forget those Activia commercials?) But have you heard of prebiotics? Both compounds, which live in the gut, are microscopic, but they play no small role in our digestive health. In fact, we have 10 times as many bacterial cells in our intestines than we have total human cells in our entire body, according to Maitreyi Raman, MD, in The Complete Prebiotic & Probiotic Health Guide<\/em><\/a>. To get the low down on how these tummy residents benefit your body \u2014 and which ones we really need\u00a0\u2014 we turned to Raman and the Nutrition Twins<\/a> \u2014 aka Lyssie Lakatos and Tammy Lakatos-Shames \u2014 and authors of The Nutrition Twins\u2019 Veggie Cure<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>What\u2019s the Story With Teatoxes?<\/a><\/p>\n

What Are Probiotics and Prebiotics? <\/strong><\/h3>\n

Simply put, probiotics are the good bacteria living in your digestive system. \u201cWe all have good and bad bacteria,\u201d says Lakatos-Shames. \u201cYou\u2019ll always have some of both, but probiotics work to keep a good balance so you stay healthy,\u201d she says. That’s because they\u00a0limit the ability of bad bacteria, or pathogens, that live in your gut. Probiotics are commonly found in fermented foods like Greek yogurt<\/a>, sauerkraut, miso soup<\/a>, kombucha, kefir and some soft cheeses. Lakatos-Shames notes that for probiotics to stay living and viable, it\u2019s essential to keep these foods and drinks cold before you consume them. (A mini-fridge, like this one<\/a>, is perfect if you\u2019re a desk jockey.)<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 9 All-Natural Sources of Probiotics<\/a><\/p>\n

Prebiotics, on the other hand, aren\u2019t a bacterium, despite the similar name. \u201cPrebiotics are fiber \u2014 carbohydrates that aren\u2019t digested by the body \u2014 and they feed probiotics and help them to flourish,\u201d says Lakatos. Specifically, this type of fiber stimulates the growth of healthy gut bacteria like Lactobacillus<\/em>, Bifidobacterium<\/em> and Faecalibacterium<\/em>, adds Raman.<\/p>\n

And there are plenty of ways you\u2019re probably already getting your prebiotics, which are\u00a0found in bananas<\/a>, oatmeal<\/a>, Jerusalem artichokes (also called sunchokes), garlic, onion, chicory root and leeks. Companies have also started adding them to packaged foods including yogurts, nutrition bars such as Gnu Foods Fiber Love,<\/a> and certain desserts like Arctic Zero ice cream<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Many Health Benefits of Both<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Since prebiotics help feed the growth of probiotics, know that they\u2019re both <\/em>important to have within a healthy diet. Probiotics may help with conditions like diarrhea, IBS, stomach ulcers, diabetes, obesity and allergies, says Raman. Plus, they aid regular healthy functions like digestion. And probiotics also play a big role in keeping your immune system functioning properly, since the gut is the largest immune organ in the body, with more than 70 percent of immune cells residing there, she explains.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>16 Recipes That Will Help You Detox<\/a><\/p>\n

Prebiotics can also help alleviate diarrhea and IBS, and may help prevent colon cancer, according to a 2013 study<\/a> in the journal Nutrients<\/em>. And since they\u2019re fibrous, including them on your plate can help you feel fuller, longer, Raman says.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not necessarily all about how many prebiotics or probiotics you can tally up in one day. Keeping the two properly balanced is the key for feeling healthy and avoiding illness in the long run, Raman says. While there\u2019s no hard or fast set of guidelines on finding the ideal balance, you\u2019ll likely end up with a good mix if you eat a healthy, clean diet, she adds.<\/p>\n

The Story With Those Supplements, Though<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When clean, healthy eating gets tough, you may wonder, “What about the bottled stuff?” In the last few years, probiotics supplements have made a splash in the wellness world. A good rule of thumb if you decide to take a probiotic supplement, is to look for one with at least three different strains of bacteria, says Lakatos, since each probiotic strain has its own individual function. Likewise, refrigerated bottles are best \u2014 after all, they are live <\/em>bacteria that need to be stored in a cool, dry and dark place to stay alive. And while not yet available, prebiotic supplements are on the horizon, though they may end up being expensive, says Raman.<\/p>\n

However, getting both nutrients from food is probably the best way to go, says Lakatos. \u201cMy concern with taking a supplement is that any bacteria can potentially weed out another bacteria, because there\u2019s never room for them all of them. So if you take a good strain of this and a good strain of that, they could cancel each other out,\u201d she adds. \u201cIf you get them from food, though, your body will figure it out. Your body selects naturally from food. You might be throwing off the balance from supplements.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> How to Choose the Right Probiotic for You<\/a><\/p>\n

The goal: Incorporating foods that contain probiotics into your meals daily. \u201cThey\u2019ll help each person differently, so not everyone will have the same effects,\u201d Lakatos\u00a0says. \u201cIf you\u2019ve been taking antibiotics, for instance, you might need more. It\u2019s a matter of trial and error, seeing what works best for your body.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Bottom Line<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s not exactly one or the other when it comes to pre- and probiotics; they\u2019re really two pieces of a puzzle that fit together, says Raman. So keeping a healthy balance of both \u2014 and focusing on getting them from whole foods \u2014 is the key for racking up the most health benefits.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ve heard of probiotics and maybe you\u2019ve heard of prebiotics. But do you know the difference? And should you be adding one \u2014 or both \u2014 to your diet? Find out here. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,7,11,18],"tags":[291,51,224,341,388],"class_list":["post-46498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-diet-nutrition","category-health","category-health-hacks","category-weight-loss","tag-clean-eating","tag-food-choices","tag-illness","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2nutrition"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46498","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46498"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46498\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}