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Probiotics and Prebiotics, build balance and immunity

A lot of you guys may have heard of Probiotics and Prebiotics from drinking yogurt and yogurt advertisements. Still, you may wonder whether these two which are similar in name are different from each other or not and which one is better. If you want to know the answer, follow ACU PAY to find out.

Get to know Probiotics and Prebiotics

What is Probiotics?

Usually, our bodies have a lot of microbes, especially in the gastrointestinal tract, and there are both useful and pathogenic microorganisms. Probiotics are small good microorganisms that are beneficial to the body. It helps stop the growth of pathogenic microbes in the intestines. 

Probiotic food sources are often caused by certain fermentation foods such as fermented milk, yogurt, kimchi, pickles, miso, and fermented tea.

Probiotics can be divided into 2 main categories as follow;

  1. Lactobacillus: It is the most common type of good bacteria in probiotics. It is found in foods such as yogurt, fermented milk, and various fermented foods. It is good for the excretory system and good for those who have difficulty digesting lactose in milk.
  2. Bifidobacterium: It is considered one of the best probiotics. It can be found in dairy products. It helps to relieve intestinal variability.

In addition, Saccharomyces boulardii, a yeast found in probiotics, also helps relieve diarrhea and gastrointestinal-related health problems.

Benefits of Probiotics to health

It helps to balance the intestines, reduce diarrhea, reduce inflammation and other intestinal disorders such as bloating, abdominal discomfort, prevent Colon cancer, promote nutrient absorption, improve immunity, and etc. Having sufficient probiotics in the intestines will help to balance and reduce the chance of disease.

In addition, probiotics also help balance vaginal bacteria by preventing mold infections in the vagina, including genitourinary tract diseases. Studies have also shown that regular probiotics help maintain mood levels.

What id Probiotics?

Prebiotics is a type of food that is non-living. When intake, the body cannot digest it in the digestive system, so these foods can enter the large intestine directly and are the food of probiotics.

Prebiotics food source: Found in breast milk, onions, garlic, soybeans, red beans, and fiber in various vegetables and fruits.

Benefits of Prebiotics to health

Prebiotics help stimulate the growth of healthy intestinal microorganisms, prevent disease-causing microbes, balance the intestines, reduce weight, and improve calcium and mineral absorption against colon cancer.

It also helps to control blood sugar levels, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and contribute to improving the immune system.

What is the difference between Probiotics and Prebiotics?

In fact, both prebiotics and probiotics work in relation to each other and have the same benefits for digestive and excretion systems. Nevertheless, the difference is that prebiotics are nutrients while probiotics are living microorganisms, both of which can be obtained from eating different foods or supplements as well.

As the prebiotic is known to not be digested in the small intestine, it requires good microorganisms such as probiotics to substitute for digestion. It can be seen that our body should not lack any of these two to make the intestines work in a balanced and efficient manner.

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