Probiotics are microorganisms that beneficially affect the intestinal tract. Their beneficial properties include helping with digestion and offering protection against harmful bacteria. According to a June 2000 article in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," prebiotics are nondigestible food ingredients or dietary fiber that selectively stimulate the growth and/or activity of one or some bacteria in the colon.
Significance
Probiotics and prebiotics are considered functional foods. Functional foods are described as a foods that provide nutrition, health and well being when consumed. According to the June 2000 article in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," the most promising benefits for functional foods are the gastrointestinal functions, such as controlling transit time, bowel habits, and mucosal motility, as well as modulating epithelial cell proliferation.
Probiotics
The bacterial most often used as probiotics are the species of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Probiotics can be formulated into foods, drugs and dietary supplements and help maintain equilibrium of intestinal flora by helping with digestion and protecting against harmful bacteria. According to the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" June 2000 article, several health-related effects including alleviation of lactose intolerance, immune enhancement, a decrease in fecal enzymes and mutagenicity and the reduction of risk of certain diseases -- possibly colon cancer -- have been associated with the intake of probiotics.
Prebiotics
Prebiotics are indigestible substances, such as dietary fiber, which stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestine and serve as a source of energy for microflora. According to the June 200 article in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," the only prebiotics for which sufficient data has been generated to allow an evaluation of their possible classification as functional food ingredients are the inulin-type fructans. Benefits of prebiotics can include improvement of functions in the gastrointestinal tract, improved mineral absorption, a possible decrease in serum triglycerides, and they may reduce the risk of certain diseases, although, further research is needed.
Sources
Probiotics are found in nutritional supplements or foods such as yogurt, fermented and unfermented milk and buttermilk, some fermented cheeses, miso, and some juices, soy drinks and in products that contain live and active cultures such as Lactobacillus. Prebiotics classified as functional food ingredients are inulin-type fructans. Inulin-type fructans are used as sugar substitutes, fat replacer and are used in some products such as fermented dairy products, jellies, ice creams, cookies, breads, pastries, spreads, and infant formulas.
Precautions with Probiotics
According to a November 2001 article in the journal "Cereal Chemistry," there are a limited number of reported side effects related to the use of probiotics. Some cases of pneumonia, endocarditis and nonsymptomatic fungal infections have been reported with the use of some probiotics; although, some examples were found in people with compromised immune systems. Probiotics can also cause an interaction when taken with certain medications.
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