Medical Research By Frank W. Jackson, M.D., Gastroenterologist, Jackson GI Medical

What Is a Prebiotic vs Probiotic?

Prebiotics are not probiotics.

Probiotics are live bacteria in yogurt, other dairy products and pills. And while probiotics have been shown effective in managing certain gastrointestinal conditions, they do not have the same power that prebiotics do. First, they’re delicate — heat and stomach acid can kill them, rendering them ineffective before they’ve even been digested. Also, those who don’t eat dairy foods for taste or dietary reasons may find ingesting adequate amounts of probiotics difficult, if not impossible.

What is a prebiotic, then? In short, the Prebiotic is a specialized plant fiber that beneficially nourishes the good bacteria already in the large bowel or colon. The body itself does not digest these plant fibers; instead, the fibers act as a fertilizer to promote the growth of many of the good bacteria in the gut. These, in turn, provide many digestive and general health benefits.

The Prebiotin formula of prebiotic supplements contains both inulin and oligofructose. This full spectrum formula treats the entire bowel wall for maximum effectiveness. And Prebiotin has been proven by numerous independent scientific studies to increase the number of healthy bacteria in the colon, the benefits of which are impressive and essential to overall health and well being.

Probiotic vs Prebiotic

Prebiotics and probiotics both accomplish important health tasks for the human gut. Trying to decide between a probiotic and prebiotic supplement regimen? Consider these prebiotics vs probiotics facts:

PREBIOTIC VS PROBIOTIC
PREBIOTICS	PROBIOTICS
PREBIOTICS are a special form of dietary fiber	PROBIOTICS are live bacteria in yogurt, dairy products and pills. There are hundreds of probiotic species available. Which of the hundreds of available probiotics is best is still unknown.
PREBIOTIC powders are not affected by heat, cold, acid or time.	PROBIOTIC bacteria must be kept alive. They may be killed by heat, stomach acid or simply die with time.
PREBIOTICS provide a wide range of health benefits to the otherwise healthy person. Most of these have been medically proven.	PROBIOTICS are still not clearly known to provide health benefits to the otherwise healthy. Some are suspected but still not proven.
PREBIOTICS nourish the good bacteria that everyone already has in their gut.	PROBIOTICS must compete with the over 1000 bacteria species already in the gut.
PREBIOTICS may be helpful or preventative for irritable bowel (IBS), or inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s Disease,Ulcerative Colitis), colon polyps and cancer and those people with a leaky gut.	Certain PROBIOTIC species have been shown to be helpful for irritable bowel disease and for recurrence of certain bowel infections such as C. difficile.

Prebiotin prebiotic supplements provide a range of important benefits not just to lower gut health but to overall well being, too. Our formula has been rigorously tested and medically proven to increase the number of healthy bacteria in the gut. Learn more about the health benefits of adding Prebiotin to your diet.