Facebook Pinterest X Email Probiotics are beneficial live bacteria, while prebiotics are the fiber-rich foods that feed those bacteria. Together, they form a powerful team to keep your digestive system balanced and your immune system strong. Your gut is home to a vibrant community of microorganisms that play a powerful role in your overall health, affecting everything from digestion and nutrient absorption to immunity, mood, and even hormone balance. To keep this community thriving, your body relies on two key players: probiotics and prebiotics. In this article, you’ll learn exactly what prebiotics and probiotics are, how they differ, how they work together, and how to incorporate both into your daily routine for better gut and overall health. The Importance of a Healthy Gut A healthy gut is essential for overall health (1), and plays a role in the immune system, as well as in digesting food, absorbing nutrients, eliminating waste, and regulating mood. About 70% of the body’s immune cells are located in the gut (2), and the microbes that live there (collectively known as the gut microbiome) produce compounds that influence everything from inflammation to brain function. An imbalanced gut microbiome has been linked to conditions like IBS (3), allergies (4), autoimmune disorders (5), mood disorders (6), and even metabolic diseases (7). While the gut microbiome is a complex and evolving field of research, one thing is clear: maintaining gut health is important for everyone. To learn more about the importance of a healthy gut microbiome, read these articles: The Vast Health Benefits of Probiotics Restoring Gut Health After Antibiotics: A Guide For Families What Is Leaky Gut, And How Do You Heal It? What Are Probiotics? Probiotics are live microorganisms (mostly beneficial bacteria and certain yeasts) that support your health when consumed in adequate amounts. These microbes naturally exist in your digestive tract and play a key role in keeping your gut ecosystem balanced. While your body hosts trillions of bacteria (8), probiotics specifically help maintain the right ratio of helpful versus potentially harmful microbes. They assist in breaking down food, producing vitamins (like B12 and K) (9), supporting immune responses, and creating compounds that keep the gut lining strong and healthy. Researchers have studied probiotics for their potential to: Support regular bowel movements (8) Reduce occasional bloating and gas (9) Restore gut flora after antibiotic use or illness (10) Modulate immune responses (11) Support skin, vaginal, and urinary tract health (12,13) Contribute to mood balance through the gut-brain axis (14) You can get probiotics from both foods and supplements. Fermented foods like yogurt with live cultures, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, ginger bug soda, and kombucha all contain naturally occurring probiotics. Supplements typically contain strains such as Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, or Saccharomyces boulardii, and it is important to look for quality supplements with a high CFU number (Colony Forming Units) and third-party test result. What Are Prebiotics? While probiotics are the beneficial microbes themselves, prebiotics are the food that feeds them (15). Prebiotics are specific types of fiber that pass through the digestive tract undigested, reaching the colon where they are fermented by gut bacteria. This fermentation process promotes the growth and activity of beneficial bacteria (15). Sources of Prebiotics: Prebiotics are found in many common whole foods and also available in supplemental form. High-fiber plant foods: garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, chicory root, dandelion greens, green bananas, oats, apples, flaxseeds, and legumes Supplemental forms: Prebiotics can be supplemented as inulin, fructooligosaccharides (FOS), galactooligosaccharides (GOS), and resistant starch NOTE: It’s important to increase prebiotics gradually if you’re not used to a high-fiber diet, especially if you struggle with bloating or IBS symptoms, because increasing your prebiotic intake suddenly may produce excess gas or lead to discomfort as your microbiome adjusts. Probiotics & Prebiotics Key Differences Here is a quick-guide to understanding the difference between probiotics and prebiotics: Probiotics Prebiotics Live microorganisms Non-digestible fibers that feed beneficial microbes Replenish and balance the gut microbiome Nourish and support existing gut microbes Fermented foods, supplements High-fiber plant foods, resistant starches Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces Inulin, fructooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, resistant starch Should You Take Both Probiotics and Prebiotics? Taking a probiotic supplement while also consuming plenty of prebiotics means the probiotics will have more “fuel,” allowing the good bacteria to colonize as effectively as possible, and as such, support a healthy, balanced gut-microbiome. For most people, a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, seeds and nuts is sufficient to provide enough prebiotic fuel, and additional prebiotic supplementation isn't always needed. Summary Prebiotics and probiotics both support gut health, but in different ways. Probiotics are beneficial live bacteria, while prebiotics are the fiber-rich foods that feed those bacteria. Together, they form a powerful team to keep your digestive system balanced and your immune system strong, and they even support mood and hormone health. You can get probiotics from fermented foods or supplements, and prebiotics from high-fiber plant foods like garlic, onions, oats, and bananas, or supplements like inulin. Facebook Pinterest X Email PRODUCTS MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE See Product See Product See Product See Product SHOP & EARN REWARDS. JOIN TODAY! RELATED ARTICLES The Vast Health Benefits of Probiotics Read more What Is Leaky Gut, And How Do You Heal It? Read more Restoring Gut Health After Antibiotics: A Guide For Families Read more Medicinal Mushrooms For Immunity, Gut Health, & More (Plus Three Family Friendly Recipes) Read more The Benefits Of Ginger & How To Make Probiotic Ginger Ale Using A Ginger Bug Read more How To Stop Bloating: A Practical Guide To Feeling Your Best Read more References: Jandhyala SM, Talukdar R, Subramanyam C, Vuyyuru H, Sasikala M, Nageshwar Reddy D. Role of the normal gut microbiota. World J Gastroenterol. 2015 Aug 7;21(29):8787-803. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v21.i29.8787. PMID: 26269668; PMCID: PMC4528021. Wiertsema SP, van Bergenhenegouwen J, Garssen J, Knippels LMJ. The Interplay between the Gut Microbiome and the Immune System in the Context of Infectious Diseases throughout Life and the Role of Nutrition in Optimizing Treatment Strategies. Nutrients. 2021 Mar 9;13(3):886. doi: 10.3390/nu13030886. PMID: 33803407; PMCID: PMC8001875. Menees S, Chey W. The gut microbiome and irritable bowel syndrome. 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