Most people know that prebiotics and probiotics are key to gut health and an important part of overall health. Prebiotic compounds are also another weapon in the arsenal of molecules thatpromote healthy intestinal bacteria. But how exactly do both types work and are they all the same? Researchers wanted to break this down and figure out how people can get the most out of these benefits and recently published their overview. Current medical literature describes how such treatments work.
Effects of prebiotics and probiotics on the gastrointestinal tract
The key finding of this research is that the effectiveness of prebiotics and probiotics can go beyond simply promoting gut health. This is because they promote healthy gut bacteria, or in the case of prebiotics, because they are the right sugar. In fact, some of these molecules have a direct impact on the integrity of the intestine itself by keeping the intestinal barrier strong. However, what is the difference between a prebiotic and a probiotic? Probiotics are microorganisms that can enter your gastrointestinal tract when consumed. Prebiotics are non-living sugars such as oligosaccharides that can also be absorbed. The colostrum that newborns get from their mother's milk, for example, is full of prebiotics. What is crucial is that the prebiotics are not digested by the infant, but rather provide food for the bacteria living in the intestines.
However, the scientific review found that both species are also involved in repairing damage to the mucous membrane. This is the layer of epithelial cells that protects each intestinal lining from the contents of the intestine. Prebiotics and probiotics actually bind to the epithelial receptors and cause genetic and physiochemical differences. These accordingly stimulate both the epithelial cells to produce more proteins and to generate signals that cause specific proteins to migrate to weak areas of the mucosal barrier and strengthen them. The authorthis studyhopes that more knowledge about the effects of such therapies can help researchers develop more effective pre- and probiotic combinations that are better suited to the gut. In addition, they can supplement drug therapies with these bioactive compounds by using them in addition to or even instead of medications.
