Let’s talk about “probiotics” and “prebiotics”

"Probiotics" and "prebiotics" appear frequently in our daily lives, especially among the vast number of mothers. In fact, both of them belong to microecological regulators, and microecological regulators are a term with a relatively broad connotation. At present, the more consistent opinion at home and abroad is to divide them into three parts: probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics. So how do they regulate the microecological environment of our intestines? What is the difference between the three?

The human intestinal microbiome

There are more than 1,000 species of bacteria living in the human intestine. Most of the bacteria in the intestine are colonized in the human colon. The intestinal microecology system is the largest and most important microecology system in the body. It plays an important role in the health and nutrition of the host and is a key factor in activating and maintaining the physiological functions of the intestine. Under normal circumstances, the human body selectively allows certain microorganisms to colonize the intestine and provides them with a suitable habitat and nutrition. These microorganisms and their metabolites play a biological barrier function in the human body, participate in the maturation of the immune system and the regulation of immune responses, and play an important role in various physiological metabolisms in the body. Probiotics and probiotic preparations

Probiotics are microbial preparations that can promote the ecological balance of intestinal flora and have a beneficial effect on the host. Probiotics must be living microbial members. Probiotics are the most widely used microecological preparations in clinical practice. They can be divided into native bacteria preparations, symbiotic bacteria preparations and fungal preparations based on the source of strains and the mechanism of action. Native bacteria preparations: The strains used are derived from the native flora of the human intestine. After taking them, they can directly supplement the native bacteria and play a role.

Symbiotic bacteria preparations: including Bacillus, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecium, etc. The strains used are derived from outside the human intestine and have a symbiotic effect with the native bacteria. After taking them, they can promote the growth and reproduction of the native bacteria, or directly play a role, such as Bacillus, Bacillus subtilis, etc.

Fungal preparations: such as Saccharomyces boulardii fungal preparations, can be used with antibiotics, but not with antifungal preparations. They cannot act on the entire intestine, but mostly act in the anaerobic area of ​​the intestine.

About Prebiotics

Prebiotics are nutrients that are not digested by the upper gastrointestinal tract. They can directly reach the colon and selectively stimulate the growth and proliferation of one or several physiological bacteria, thereby improving the health of the host. They mainly include hundreds of oligosaccharides such as fructooligosaccharides, isomaltooligosaccharides, soy oligosaccharides, xylooligosaccharides, galacto-oligosaccharides, stachyose, and resistant starch. Many studies have shown that prebiotics can promote the proliferation of beneficial bacteria such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, and can acidify the pH of the intestine, increase the proportion of beneficial bacteria in the intestine, and help stabilize the microecological balance of the intestine. The use of prebiotics has more advantages than probiotics in some aspects, based on their higher survival after passing through the gastrointestinal tract and long-term stability in food or medicine.
About Biostime

Some people figuratively compare prebiotics to the best culture medium for probiotics. If the intestinal environment is not suitable for the colonization and growth of probiotics, the effect of probiotic supplementation alone may not be very good. This brings up the concept of synbiotics: preparations composed of probiotics and prebiotics, or with the addition of vitamins, trace elements, etc., and some Chinese herbal medicine promoters, such as Shuangru Tablets; Wei Silian Live Bacteria Tablets with biological promoters, etc. There are not many synbiotic preparations developed at present, but they are ecological preparations with great development prospects. Many diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic diseases, irritable bowel syndrome, etc. are accompanied by intestinal flora imbalance. The regulatory role of microecological regulators in the intestinal microecological system has been recognized by many scholars, and with the deepening and development of human microecological research, the varieties of microecological regulators developed and produced are becoming more and more widely used. Choosing the microecological preparations that suit us can make our intestines healthier! References

1. Microecology Branch of Chinese Preventive Medicine Association, Li Lanjuan. Consensus on the clinical application of digestive tract microecological regulators in China (2016 edition)[J]. Chinese Journal of Clinical Infectious Diseases, 028(3):621-631.2. Xu Haiyan, Zhang Heping. Research progress of probiotics and prebiotics[J]. Chinese Journal of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 2019, 3(3):213-216.3. Zhou Jingxin, Yuan Jieli, Li Xincang. Study on the effects of several prebiotic preparations on intestinal flora[J]. Chinese Journal of Microecology, 2008, 020(002):145-146,153. (Jia Chenhong, Hebei Children's Hospital)