Prebiotics and probiotics are everywhere. Whether it is on a breakfast food advert on your telly, or on the glossy pages of a magazine - everyone seems to know about them. But what really are they? And what’s the difference between the two?
Here is a simple blog to break them down and show you what they are and how they can help.
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are live bacteria and yeast. Whilst that may sound pretty disgusting - they are actually good for you, and are especially good for your digestive system.
How do they work?
Probiotics are believed to help the health of your gut by restoring the levels of good and bad bacteria after they have been disrupted by something like an illness or treatment.
Often after taking antibiotics your body can ‘lose’ good bacteria. This is because the antibiotics work by killing off the bad bacteria but cannot distinguish between the two types (good and bad). Probiotics can help to replace any of the good bacteria that is lost.
What are prebiotics?
Prebiotics are a type of fibre that feed the good bacteria (probiotics) in your gut. As humans we can’t actually digest fibre, so all of the prebiotics are left for the probiotics in our bodies to enjoy.
How Do they work?
In simple terms, prebiotics work by feeding the probiotics in our systems and allowing them to do their job. These are often found in common foods that we eat regularly. Ranging from garlic, onion and asparagus to sweeter options such as oats, apples and bananas and even cocoa beans.
By eating foods that are high in prebiotics, we are leading the way towards a healthier gut.
What are the differences between the two?
Both are forms of good bacteria that are important for our health. But, they each play different roles. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that whilst prebiotics are the fibre that feed the bacteria.
Probiotics tend to be thought of as the main bacteria here but there is no harm in increasing your intake of prebiotics, especially as they’re in so many foods that we regularly consume.
How do they help our bodies?
How do they help our bodies?Probiotics
Probiotics can be consumed through fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kombucha tea, and kimchi, as well as through supplements. Once consumed probiotics have numerous health benefits on our bodies.
As well as helping to balance the level of good and bad bacteria in your gut, probiotics can also help a range of problems such as diarrhoea, blood pressure, and can even boost your immune system.
Prebiotics
Not only are they good for feeding the probiotics in your system - prebiotics also help your health in other ways!
Prebiotics can help you absorb calcium, help with your blood sugar levels, ferment food faster so they spend less time in your digestive system and keep the cells that line your gut healthy.
Do they have any side effects?
Although they are both great to take and can help your overall health - it is important to note that some side effects can occur.
Both prebiotics and probiotics can lead to digestive problems such as bloating or gas. This is because changes in the gut can cause bacteria to produce more gas than usual which can lead to bloating. However, these symptoms should reside within a few days or weeks of taking the biotics, but if they do persist you should seek medical advice from your doctor.
If you are taking any prebiotic or probiotic supplements then be sure to read the instructions and stick to the daily dosage recommendation.
Can Pre and Pro Biotics help my skin?
Yes! We all have these microorganisms living in (and on) our bodies. We’ve already spoken about how these help us by balancing the levels of bad bacteria so it’s really important that we nourish them to keep them working as best as they can to protect our skin and bodies!
Probiotics help to balance our skin and reduce inflammation. This is why we’ve decided to launch our first ever probiotic skincare product! Our 360 Eye and Lip Contour will include probiotics alongside caffeine which will help to reduce puffiness and dark circles. We’ve added in some natural peptides, green tea and pomegranate as well - to help with fighting the signs of ageing.
We’ve also decided to reboot our Daily Defence Moisture Mist by adding in some prebiotics. These prebiotics work to feed our good bacteria which helps to restore and balance our microbiota - reducing irritation and protecting against bad bacteria.
| 360 EYE AND LIP CONTOUR | DAILY DEFENCE MOISTURE MIST |
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Reduce signs of ageing and rejuvenate skin with our brand new 360 Eye and Lip Contour.
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Hydrate and calm your skin with our newly boosted Daily Defence Moisture Mist.
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