Main body, types, health benefits, covid, nutritionist recommendations, disease prevention and excessive use

Types

The terms "prebiotics" and "probiotics" are often misconstrued due to similar dialect but serve distinct purposes.

Probiotics

Live microorganisms that confer a health benefit on the host when consumed in sufficient amounts as part of the diet. ​(FAO/WHO Expert Consultation, 2001)​

Prebiotics

Non-digestible fibres that nourish these bacteria, misunderstanding the differences can lead to confusion about their functions and health benefits.

How is a prebiotic defined

A food ingredient that is not hydrolysed by the human digestive enzymes in the upper gastrointestinal tract and beneficially affects the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of beneficial bacteria in the colon, which can ultimately improve host health. ​(Gibson, 2004).​ 

Postbiotics

Beneficial compounds produced by microbes, such as short-chain fatty acids and metabolites, that can be consumed to promote health. ​(Vera-Santander et al., 2023).

What do postbiotics not contain

Live microorganisms. In contrast to probiotics, which require live cells to confer health benefits, postbiotics are non-living microbial preparations. They consist of various components, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), exopolysaccharides, and bacteriocins.

What can postbiotics support

Gut health, modulate immune responses, and exert anti-inflammatory effects. Their consumption can lead to various health benefits without the complications that may come with live microorganisms.

What are synbiotics?

A combination of beneficial live bacteria found in probiotics and non-digestible fibres that feed these bacteria, known as prebiotics

What are the effects of synbiotics

There is a synergistic relationship between the two, as prebiotic compounds provide a carbon or energy source for probiotics in the colon. This interaction leads to an increase in the probiotic population while reducing the presence of harmful pathogens in the gut. ​(Gupta and Abu-Ghannam, 2012).​

What is the extensive research of probiotics proving

Advancing the development of innovative food products while uncovering their numerous health benefits. Studies have shown that probiotics can have a positive impact on various health conditions, particularly gastrointestinal issues, allergies, and infections.

What have regular intakes of probiotics been linked to

Wound healing, reduced risk of skin infections, and effective treatment for antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and acute diarrhoea in children. They may also aid in managing inflammatory bowel diseases, facilitate weight loss, enhance metabolic health, prevent viral respiratory infections, and improve immune responses to vaccinations. ​(Maftei et al., 2024).​

As a result of covid

Heightened focus on enhancing wellbeing holistically and minimise the spread of the virus.

Why have people started consuming probitics

Consuming foods that may help bolster the immune system. Foods associated with probiotics include fermented products containing live probiotics, foods with encapsulated probiotics, and foods that contain postbiotics.

What is ongoing research stipulating the benefits of probiotics

The health benefits provided by metabolites produced during bacterial probiotic fermentation and the various foods associated with these probiotics. ​(Mugambi et al., 2014).​

What do nutritionists recommend?

Nutritionists and healthcare providers advocate the valuable effects of probiotics on human wellbeing, especially in maintaining and repairing the gut environment. Probiotics enhance human and animal health by competing with pathogenic bacteria within the intestines, thereby improving digestion and reducing the gut's pH level. ​(Gul et al., 2024).​ 

How do probiotics aid disease prevention

They create an unfavourable environment for the growth of harmful enteric bacteria by preventing them from colonising the intestines. They reduce the host's inflammatory responses by strengthening the intestinal barrier and stabilising the gut microbial ecosystem

What do probiotics do in disease prevention?

Target antigens, making the gut microbiota more resilient and stable in the face of disturbances. ​(Gul et al., 2024)​ Lactic acid bacteria (Streptococcus, Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacterium) have probiotic capabilities that include survival in the host's GI tract, adherence to the intestinal epithelium, and the prevention of pathogenic microbe invasion or ingrowth in the animal intestine, such as Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli. 

Excessive use of probiotics

The potential spread of antibiotic resistance genes and intestinal overgrowth. While probiotics are generally perceived as safe, recent studies have raised concerns about their safety, highlighting the need for careful evaluation of associated risks and benefits.

Excessive probiotics GI effects

nausea, diarrhoea, and bloating are often inadequately reported in clinical trials. Additionally, probiotics can pose infection risks, particularly in immunocompromised individuals or those with leaky gut syndrome.

Positive impact of probiotics in medical research

Probiotics may be beneficial in preventing infections for specific populations, including children and patients undergoing chemotherapy. However, current regulations surrounding probiotics are deemed insufficient to protect consumers, particularly in cases involving severe health conditions. ​(Montassier et al., 2021)​.