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Are probiotics and prebiotics important for health?
By Mayo Clinic staffOriginal Article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/probiotics/AN00389
- With Mayo Clinic nutritionist
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the nutrition and healthy eating guide, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.
A Marinette, Wis., native, Katherine is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in wellness nutrition at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and nutrition education related to weight management and practical applications of nutrition-related lifestyle changes.
Other areas of interest include food and nutrition for all life stages, active lifestyles and the culinary arts.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
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Question
Are probiotics and prebiotics important for health?
Is it important to include probiotics and prebiotics in a healthy diet?
Answer
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
You don't necessarily need probiotics — a type of "good" bacteria — to be healthy. However, these microorganisms may help with digestion and offer protection from harmful bacteria, just as the existing "good" bacteria in your body already do.
Prebiotics are nondigestible carbohydrates that act as food for probiotics. When probiotics and prebiotics are combined, they form a synbiotic. Fermented dairy products, such as yogurt and kefir, are considered synbiotic because they contain live bacteria and the fuel they need to thrive.
Probiotics are found in foods such as yogurt, while prebiotics are found in whole grains, bananas, onions, garlic, honey and artichokes. In addition, probiotics and prebiotics are added to some foods and available as dietary supplements.
Although more research is needed, there's encouraging evidence that probiotics may help:
- Treat diarrhea, especially following treatment with certain antibiotics
- Prevent and treat vaginal yeast infections and urinary tract infections
- Treat irritable bowel syndrome
- Reduce bladder cancer recurrence
- Speed treatment of certain intestinal infections
- Prevent and treat eczema in children
- Prevent or reduce the severity of colds and flu
Side effects are rare, and most healthy adults can safely add foods that contain prebiotics and probiotics to their diet. If you're considering taking supplements, check with your doctor to be sure that they're right for you.
Next questionCandida cleanse diet: What does it treat?
- An introduction to probiotics. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/probiotics. Accessed July 26, 2011.
- Kligler B, et al. Probiotics. American Family Physician. 2008;78:1073.
- Sartor RB. Probiotics for gastrointestinal diseases. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 26, 2011.
- Leyer GJ, et al. Probiotic effects on cold and influenza-like symptom incidence and duration in children. Pediatrics. 2009;124:e172.
- Vouloumanou EK, et al. Probiotics for the prevention of respiratory tract infections: A systematic review. International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents. 2009;34:197.e1.
- Douglas L, et al. Probiotics and prebiotics in dietetics practice. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2008;108:510.
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