Probiotics probiotics

Food Business Network News People often mix "prebiotics" and "probiotics" into one type of substance. Although prebiotics and probiotics are only one word apart and have similar functions, they do not mean that there is no difference between the two. On the contrary, the two are simply completely different substances.

People often see the conspicuous words of “prebiotics” and “probiotics” on some food advertisements and food packaging. Products containing these ingredients emphasize the efficacy in maintaining intestinal health during publicity. So that people subconsciously mix "probiotics" and "probiotics" into a class of substances. Although prebiotics and probiotics are only one word apart and have similar functions, they do not mean that there is no difference between the two. On the contrary, the two are simply completely different substances. Probiotics: There are some flora in the human intestine that keep their balance. In general, most bacteria are safe with the human body, but some flora will metabolize some toxic or harmful substances, which are called “harmful bacteria” and some “ecological environment” that can protect them. Make a contribution, such as through metabolism to produce some ingredients that are beneficial to the human body. Such bacteria are called "good bacteria" and it is an active bacteria such as lactic acid bacteria, Bulgarian bacteria and the like. Prebiotics: Prebiotics are completely another substance. It is an indigestible carbohydrate that does not contain any active bacteria, but only provides food for beneficial bacteria. Specifically, probiotics are an active bacterium; prebiotics are generally recognized as three types: oligofructose (FOS) and galactooligosaccharides (GOS), inulin.

Both prebiotics and probiotics affect the balance of the intestinal flora, but the effects are completely different. The key difference is that the prebiotics act on the flora already present in the intestines, while the probiotics are externally added bacteria. Probiotics can be added directly to maintain the balance of the intestinal flora, but some probiotics can be killed in the stomach and small intestine, and the probiotics are foreign bacteria, relative to the "indigenous" bacteria in the intestines. The probiotics at the entrance do not necessarily all reach the intestines, and even function. Probiotics are exogenous bacteria that work more directly. However, it has a more obvious pertinence, that is, different strains are added for different causes and constitutions, such as bifidobacteria, which have significant effects on gastrointestinal diseases. Prebiotics can be digested through the stomach and small intestine, directly to the large intestine, and remain undigested. After entering the intestine, the prebiotics stimulate the "indigenous people" beneficial bacteria in the intestines and proliferate more beneficial bacteria. Beneficial bacteria can enhance proliferation and better function in the prebiotic environment, while prebiotics can not be used by harmful bacteria at all. As a oligosaccharide in simulated breast milk, prebiotics enter the gastrointestinal tract in undigested form, and promote the growth of beneficial bacteria such as bifidobacteria by lowering the pH value, indirectly promoting the absorption of gastrointestinal health and nutrients. In addition, the prebiotics have some advantages that probiotics do not have in the mechanism of action. In the environment where the stomach is strongly acidic, the viability of the foreign bacteria will be tested, because only the beneficial bacteria that live into the gastrointestinal tract can function, and the prebiotics are not biological, and there is no problem of survival rate. The immune system recognizes probiotics from the outside. When external probiotics are added, different babies may have different reactions. From the perspective of characteristics and mechanism of action, prebiotics are superior to probiotics in terms of stability, effective period and safety. At the same time, experts say that both probiotics and prebiotics are meaningful not only for infants but also for people of all ages.