What Is The Difference Between Prebiotics and Probiotics?

Prebiotics and Probiotics, are you confused as I am?

Don't they mean the same thing, fermented bacteria for our gut health???

These two words are universally heard in the nutrition industry. Both Prebiotics AND Probiotics have a huge impact in our gut health. But more than that, they are also important for our skin's health.

What are Probiotics?

Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts present in your body that are good for you - especially for your digestive system. Your body is full of bacteria, both good and bad. Probiotics are often called "good" or "helpful" bacteria because they help keep your gut healthy.

When you have an inflammation or infection, there is more bad than good bacteria produced in the gut, which can put your system out of balance. Good bacteria (the famous Probiotics) help to rebalance your system.

How Do Probiotics Work?

• Antibiotics can kill the good bacteria in your body. A Probiotic can help replace the bad bacteria with good bacteria instead.
• Probiotics create the right balance between "good" and "bad" bacteria in your body, making you feel better, no inflammation, and strong immune system.
• Helps aid in digestion
• Help support the overindulgence of food and drinks that may have been consumed.
• Breakdown and absorb medications.

You can also consume probiotics in foods rather than taking a Probiotic. Probiotics are found in foods like yogurt, tempeh, kefir, and kombucha.

What are Prebiotics?

Prebiotics are a type of fibre that the human body cannot digest. They serve as food for the Probiotics.

These food components help promote beneficial bacteria by providing food and creating an environment where microorganisms can flourish and promote healthy gut flora.

How Do Prebiotics Work?

• Prebiotics are a component of some fibre-rich foods that the body cannot digest. They serve as food for good bacteria and other beneficial microorganisms in the gut.
• Prebiotics support a healthy gut, aiding in better digestive health and fewer antibiotic-related health problems, among other benefits.
• Improve calcium absorption.
• Prebiotics aid in how the body processes carbohydrates.
• They support the Probiotic growth, potentially enhancing digestion and metabolism.

Prebiotics are found in rich fibre foods such as whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.

An overview would be that Probiotics are good gut bacteria and Prebiotics are the food for the good bacteria.

Also read: Prebiotics and Probiotics in skincare - What do they do for your skin?

The Bestow Gut Love + contains probiotics to help populate your gut with helpful microbes. These microbes have a protective coating to enable them to resist stomach acid and make their way down to the intestines where we want them to be. Once they are there we need to make sure they can establish themselves. So we have added prebiotics to the Bestow Gut Love + to feed and nourish them. Another great ingredient it contains is a special digestive enzyme that clears away digestive plaque. I didn’t realise until a few years ago that we can develop a thin, gooey film that lines our gut. This film acts like the plaque on our teeth, shielding bad bacteria and fungi. This digestive enzyme breaks this plaque down, exposing those harmful microbes to our immune system for removal.

You can’t heal a constipated skin. In a well-functioning body, skin cells are bathed in a nutrient rich fluid. However this is only possible when the liver and bowel are eliminating toxins efficiently. When these organs are not working well, the toxins in the digestive tract start to build up like a traffic jam, eventually backing up right up to the skin cells. When this happens, instead of your skin cells bathing in goodness, they end up sitting in little sewers.

Bestow ‘Be Cleansed’ purifies the skin from within by ensuring toxins and waste hormones are eliminated efficiently from the body. It contains fibre to promote proper elimination and ingredients like slippery elm and liquorice to soothe and repair the gut wall.

About The Author

My name is Sari Pols,

I have been in the skin care industry for over 15 years. My passion lies in ‘Health’. Health for the skin and body. My philosophy is if we have a good well being on the inside, then it shows our vitality on the outside.

I have furthered my knowledge in Skin Anatomy, Skin Concerns and Fitness. I am a true believer in how to make my clients feel their best both inside and out. My emphasis is on guiding my clients through their personal journey of skin concerns and conditions. I do not like to bandaid a concern or condition but want to get down to the root of the cause. I aim to give personalised consultations with treatment and correct prescribed skin products.