Probiotics VS Prebiotics

Ever wonder what’s the difference between the two?

While PRObiotics and PREbiotics sound very similar, they’re actually very different and play separate roles in the digestive system.

Prebiotics are a type of dietary fibre that is made from non-digestible parts of foods. Some examples which contain such fibre are bananas, onions and garlic, artichoke, apple skins, beans, and many others. A particularly good source of prebiotic fibre is muesli.

Prebiotic fibre goes through the small intestine undigested and is fermented when it reaches the colon. Prebiotics don’t actually contain any bacteria, they are the food for the probiotic bacteria!

Probiotics, on the other hand, are the friendly bacteria that are naturally created by the process of fermentation in foods like yoghurt, miso soup, kimchi, and others. They help promote healthy digestion and immunity, as well as help treat digestive issues such as diarrhoea and IBS.

So not only are Probiotics and Prebiotics two different things, they actually work together as a smart little team!

Prebiotic fibre actually nourishes and feeds the probiotic bacteria. You don’t need to take a prebiotic for probiotics to work, however, taking them together makes your probiotics even more effective for inner gut goodness.

When prebiotics mix with probiotics it creates a fermentation process in the gut. This fermentation process feeds beneficial bacteria colonies (including probiotic bacteria) and helps to increase the number of desirable bacteria in our digestive systems that are associated with better health and reduced disease risk.

When we eat food sources that contain both prebiotics and probiotics, the combination is symbiotic, one feeds the other.  So if you combine a probiotic such as our Kefir pourable yoghurt and a prebiotic such as our Balance+ Muesli or our new Probiotic+ Muesli, this creates the perfect symbiosis. It’s great to use together every morning for a gut happy start to your day.