What are probiotics and prebiotics? Do children need to supplement them?

What are probiotics?

Probiotics are a type of active microorganisms that are beneficial to the host by colonizing in the human body and changing the composition of the flora in a certain part of the host. Beneficial bacteria are commonly found in the human and animal bodies, such as lactic acid bacteria, bifidobacteria, yeast, etc.

What do probiotics do?

Probiotics play a very important role in human health, mainly including the following aspects.

1. Promote digestion and absorption

Probiotics can improve the digestion and absorption function of the gastrointestinal tract by improving the structure of the intestinal mucosa, increasing the absorption efficiency of nutrients, regulating intestinal pH, and changing the activity of digestive enzymes. In addition, intestinal probiotics can produce proteases, amylases, acidic substances, vitamin B, etc., which can effectively decompose food residues and facilitate the absorption and utilization of nutrients.

1. Improve human immunity

On the one hand, probiotics can adhere to the intestines, effectively regulate gastrointestinal balance, improve the resistance and immune function of the intestinal mucosa, and form a gastric mucosal barrier; on the other hand, probiotics can directly act on the host's immune system, induce intestinal immunity, and stimulate immune organs such as the thymus and spleen to enhance the body's immune function.

3. Regulate intestinal flora

Probiotics can colonize in the intestines and form a natural biological barrier with the intestinal mucosa by regulating the intestinal flora and increasing the expression of adhesion proteins. This barrier can reduce the number of harmful intestinal bacteria, increase the number of beneficial bacteria, and maintain the balance of intestinal flora.

4. Lowers Cholesterol

Probiotics have a strong assimilation function, which can prevent the increase of cholesterol in the human body and keep cholesterol synthase in a stable state. They utilize the bile salt hydrolase function of probiotics themselves to promote the precipitation of bile salts hydrolyzed in the small intestine and cholesterol in food, preventing the human intestine from absorbing large amounts of cholesterol and accelerating the excretion of cholesterol, thereby greatly reducing the impact of cholesterol on the human body.

5. Other functions

Probiotics can prevent cancer, improve constipation and diarrhea, and relieve symptoms of lactose intolerance.

What are prebiotics?

The concept of prebiotics was proposed by Glenn Gibsone, the international "Father of Prebiotics" in 1995. It refers to some organic substances that are not digested and absorbed by the host but can selectively promote the metabolism and proliferation of beneficial bacteria in the body, thereby improving the health of the host.

The most basic prebiotics are carbohydrates. At present, commonly used prebiotics are oligosaccharides, including oligofructose, oligogalactose, oligoxylose, oligomaltolide, soy oligosaccharide, inulin, etc. Some microalgae can also be used as prebiotics, such as spirulina, arthrospira, etc. In addition, polysaccharides (such as Coriolus versicolor polysaccharides, carrot nitrogen-containing polysaccharides), protein hydrolysates (such as casein hydrolysates, α-lactalbumin, lactoferrin, etc.) and vegetables, Chinese herbal medicines, wild plants, etc. in natural plants can also be used as prebiotics.

What do prebiotics do?

1. Increase intestinal motility and reduce constipation

Prebiotics are non-absorbable and thus have an osmotic laxative effect. At the same time, the acidification of the intestinal environment caused by prebiotics during the fermentation process also stimulates increased intestinal motility. As we all know, lactulose, as a prebiotic, has become a commonly used drug for constipation treatment in clinical practice.

1. Prevent intestinal infection and inhibit diarrhea

Studies have shown that prebiotics can promote the growth and reproduction of probiotics, allowing them to compete with pathogenic microorganisms for adhesion sites and nutrients, and causing them to produce different antimicrobial compounds, namely "colonization resistance" and "competitive exclusion." In addition, prebiotics can also directly affect the resistance of bacteria to digestive enzymes in the human intestine, change the fermentation capacity of colonic microbiota and reduce pH. Therefore, prebiotics can inhibit certain potential pathogens and prevent related diarrhea.

3. Other functions

Promote mineral absorption, immune regulation, regulate lipid metabolism, etc.

Do children need to supplement with probiotics and prebiotics?

The human flora should be kept in a balanced state, so the more probiotics, the better. Excessive intake and supplementation of probiotics not only fail to have a positive effect on the human body, but may also cause an overload on human organs, produce negative effects, and seriously disrupt the intestinal environment. Only the scientific and reasonable use of probiotics can truly benefit the balance of the human microecology, benefit human health and enhance immune function.

The following situations require appropriate probiotic supplementation:

l Artificially-fed infants, premature infants, low-birth-weight infants, infants born by caesarean section, etc. who have low immunity and are prone to colds and intestinal diseases need to supplement with probiotics to promote intestinal absorption and increase immunity.

l Constipation and diarrhea. Probiotics can promote intestinal motility and enhance the balance of intestinal flora, thereby effectively treating constipation and diarrhea.

l Patients with indigestion and enteritis.

l Congenital lactase deficiency. Abdominal distension and diarrhea may occur when the enzyme is lacking or lactose cannot be broken down. Appropriate supplementation of probiotics has a good effect.

l Other situations where probiotic supplementation is recommended by a doctor.

Generally speaking, milk powder contains prebiotics and there is no need for special supplementation unless there are special circumstances (babies who do not drink milk powder need to supplement prebiotics appropriately). If the baby has indigestion, diarrhea, poor immunity, repeated illness, etc., prebiotics can be supplemented.

References

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[2] Wei Mingying, Wang Yuhan, Yang Qian, et al. Research progress on the functional characteristics of intestinal probiotics[J]. Grain and Oils, 2020, 33(4): 14-16.

[3] Jiang Chen, Zhou Zhou. Prebiotic effects: review and prospect[J]. Journal of Clinical Digestive Diseases, 2017, 29(3): 176-179. DOI: 10.3870/lcxh.j.issn.1005-541X.2017.03.15.

[4] OFIAFTI, Tienen, Anne Franck. Prebiotics in infant nutrition[J]. Food Industry Science and Technology, 2007, 28(5): 40-42.

[5] Yue Yuguo. Intestinal microecology and children's nutrition, immunity and prebiotics[J]. Foreign Medical Sciences·Pediatrics, 1998, 25(3):143-145.