Prebiotics - hint…they’re not the same thing as probiotics.
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🔬 The official scienc-y definition for a prebiotic is a "substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit." (1) This simply means that prebiotics are food/energy for the good-bacteria (aka the probiotics) . 📚💡
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Here’s my simple cheat-sheet way to think about prebiotics vs. probiotics:
prEbiotic = ENERGY for the probiotic ⚡
prObiotic = ORGANISM 🦠
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Not all prebiotics are fibers. And even further, only some fibers are prebiotics. Prebiotics can also be non-fiber substances, like polyphenols. 🌿
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🌱 Prebiotics can occur naturally in foods or be synthesized. In terms of naturally occurring food sources, you can find prebiotics in: bananas 🍌, onion 🧅, chicory root 🌿, garlic 🧄, jerusalem artichokes 🥕
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Commonly studied prebiotics include inulin, fructooligosaccharides (FOS), galactooligosaccharides (GOS), and human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). 🌟
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🔎 Health Benefits: Prebiotics have been studied for multiple health benefits, such as: increase the good bacteria in your gut, improved digestive health, and improved mineral absorption. (1,2)
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📜 How much do I need per day? There are no official recommendations for prebiotics. However, if you’re looking for some guidance, a good rule of thumb is to aim for at least 3 grams of prebiotics per day to achieve the health benefit, for FOS and GOS the guidance is around 5 grams per day. 🍌🌾
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Want to learn more? I did a podcast 🎧 a while back with @melissajoyrd about probiotics and prebiotics. Click the link in bio to listen (and earn free CPEU’s if you’re a dietitian)! 🌟💚
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1. DOI: 10.1038/nrgastro.2014.66
2. DOI: 10.1097/MOG.0000000000000249
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