Prebiotics and Probiotics – what you need to know

Potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto…sometime things that sound different are the same, and some times things that sound a little different, really are different…

This month our blog is all about prebiotics and probiotics, and spoiler alert… they sound similar, but are actually different.

If you are interested in gut health you will no doubt have heard about prebiotics and probiotics, you may even have spotted the words on the front of our Daily Gut Health Boost packs and wondered what they are. Read on to find definitions of probiotics and prebiotics, plus some common examples. We also recommend what to look for and what to avoid if you have IBS or a sensitive tummy.

What are Probiotics?

Probiotics are foods or supplements that contain live microorganisms (usually bacteria) intended to maintain or improve the "good" bacteria in the body.

They may produce compounds that have direct benefits on health, or they may act to help promote other beneficial bacteria, for example through changing the pH in the gut.

Fermented Foods as a Source of Probiotics

Probiotics can be found in a wide range of fermented foods from around the world including yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, natto, or my favourite, kombucha. (If you live in Perth check out Hippie for a range of extremely delicious premium kombucha.)

These fermented foods may be made with a starter culture of specific strains or contain a cocktail of different beneficial bacteria.

Probiotic Supplements

Probiotics are also available as convenient supplements. These can be in capsules, powders, drinks or they can be added to foods.  Supplements may need to be kept in the fridge or may be shelf stable, for example if the bacteria has a stable spore stage. Supplements are more likely to provide specific strains of bacteria, with documented clinical effects.

What to look for if you have a sensitive tummy?

If you are avoiding lactose or other FODMAPs you may need to be careful about which probiotic foods you consume. Look for a lactose-free yoghurt. Stick to a safe serve (180ml) or unflavoured kombucha – the fruit flavoured ones are likely to have higher levels of fructose or fructans. A low FODMAP serving of kimchi is 1/3 cup per meal and a low FODMAP serving of sauerkraut is 1 tablespoon.

When choosing a supplement, go for a strain with well researched benefits for people with IBS. We chose to add LactoSpore®️ (Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856) to our Superflora products. There is good clinical evidence to demonstrate that LactoSpore®️ supports the health and diversity of the gut microbiome and reduces irritable bowel discomfort and bloating.

Whilst it promotes a healthy microbiome, LactoSpore®️ doesn’t colonise the gut, so it is a very safe option. And the manufacturer Sabinsa check that it isn’t contaminated with harmful bacteria, endotoxins or antibiotics. You can read more about LactoSpore®️ here.

What are Prebiotics?

Prebiotics are foods that act as food for the human gut microbiome.

Prebiotics are used with the intention of improving the balance of these microorganisms. They may also be fermented by the microbiome into beneficial metabolites like short chain fatty acids.

Sources of Prebiotics

Most experts include foods containing fermentable fibre and fermentable small chain carbohydrates in the prebiotic category. Particularly good sources of prebiotics are whole wheat products, oats, lentils, beans, greens, onions, garlic, inulin, soybeans, artichokes, and resistant starch from green banana, or cooled cooked potatoes and rice.

Our reading has led us to broaden out the group to include many other plant derived foods that have been shown to have beneficial effects on the microbiome. That includes the flavanols in dark chocolate that enhance the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Anthocyanins in berries also have beneficial effects on the gut microbiome.

What to look out for if you have IBS

If you have IBS, then the word fermentable may have set alarm bells ringing. You will probably have noticed that many foods on the prebiotics list contain high levels of FODMAPs. This puts them either in the ‘completely off limits’, or ‘consume in small amounts’ categories if you are on the exclusion phase of the diet.

This is because they are readily fermented by the gut microbes. This is good for the microbes, but if it happens rapidly, and higher up the digestive tract and you have IBS, it can cause excessive bloating, gas and abdominal pain, which isn’t great for you!

A delicate balancing act is needed to ensure you include as many prebiotics in your diet as possible without triggering symptoms. This is one reason why dietitians recommend not remaining in the elimination phase of the low-FODMAP diet, but try to reintroduce as many groups as possible. Even if you are in the elimination stage, try to include foods that contain FODMAPs, but at the green serving size amount. If all that is gobbledegook for you, check out our beginner’s blog explaining the low FODMAP diet and it’s stages.

One ingredient you will probably still have to avoid is inulin or chicory root powder. It is commonly added to ‘gut health foods’ as a prebiotic. Ironically, it is a very poor choice for people with IBS. There is no green, low FODMAP serving size of inulin.

Also take care with whole grains. Wholemeal bread is low FODMAP at a serving size of 1 slice per meal. The fructans in the wheat grain are problematic. Typically, 2 slices of sourdough bread is a better option. Whole grain rice is also a good choice.

When it comes to legumes – use canned and rinsed chickpeas or lentils and stick to ¼ cup per meal. Legumes contain galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS). GOS are prebiotics, and also highly fermentable FODMAPs and unsuitable for people with IBS.

We also recommend avoiding onions if you are sensitive to GOS or fructans. Similarly, using garlic infused olive oil is a better option than fresh garlic.

There are many fruit and vegetables with safe low FODMAP serving sizes that you can add to your diet to help keep you and your microbiome well-fed. Eat a rainbow of colourful fruit and vegetables for variety, even if you only have a small slice. This blog may give you some ideas.

Easy options

You can also opt for prebiotic fibre sources that are more slowly fermented in the gut or used by the gut microbes further along the digestive tract. We carefully selected the fibre sources in our products to meet to keep you and your microbiome happy. All our products are low FODMAP.

Our Superflora Gut Health Shakes contain 7g of fibre. We use a mix of psyllium, chia seeds, flax seeds and partially hydrolysed guar gum (PHGG).

Why PHGG is a specially good choice

Our Daily Gut Health Boost options all have 5g of PHGG per serve. PHGG is a great prebiotic for people with IBS.

It is gently fermented further along the digetive tract than other prebiotics like wheat bran, so is less likely to cause bloating.

It also helps to make bowel motions more regular whatever type of IBS you struggle with.

You can read our recent blog on PHGG to find out more about its prebiotic effects.

What else can you do if you want to boost your microbiome?

Getting outside bare foot or growing your own vegetables can be a great way to expose yourself to new beneficial microbes from the environment.

Moderate exercise also promotes a healthy microbiome. Exercise increases the levels of good bacteria and decreases harmful strains. You can find out more here.

Written by: Dr Mary Webberley, Chief Scientific Officer at Noisy Guts. Mary has a background in biology, with two degrees from the University of Cambridge and post-doctoral research experience. She spent several years undertaking research into the diagnosis of IBS and IBD. She was the winner of the 2018 CSIRO Breakout Female Scientist Award.