Probiotics and Prebiotics

What is a probiotic? Are all bacteria probiotics?

Probiotics are living micro-organisms which, administered in the correct dose, are beneficial to our health and help balance and maintain our intestinal flora. Not all bacteria are probiotic; there are bacteria that are beneficial to health, such as probiotics, and others that are pathogens which can cause illnesses and imbalances in intestinal flora. For this reason, it is extremely important that there is a healthy balance between “good” and “bad” bacteria in order to maintain good health.

Are probiotics and prebiotics the same thing?

No.

When we talk of probiotics we are talking about the living micro-organisms that are beneficial to our health.

Prebiotics are food stuffs which allow probiotics to thrive and reproduce in our bodies.

What is intestinal flora?

Intestinal flora is the collection of bacteria¹ that live in our intestinal tracts, mouths, etc., that help us to take the best advantage of the nutrients from the food that we eat.

(1) These are living flora that inhabit a range of places, including the human body (skin, intestines, mouth, etc.), where they carry out their function of helping us to digest the food that we eat. As well as these beneficial micro-organisms there others that are not so beneficial, and it is important that there is a balance between the two in order to maintain good health and avoid infections.