Probiotics, Prebiotics, And Synbiotics: An Introduction

Food provides essential nutrients for the average growth and development of an organism.

-  Jyoti Praksh Singh* and Priyanka**

The age-old quote of Hippocrates, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”, is the ideology of today’s health-conscious population. Changing lifestyle leads to consumption of processed food, but the concern associated with this is its composition and safety. In recent years, new aspects are opening new quests to study different food components in enhancing health and counteracting chronic diseases. In recent years, probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics are receiving much attention in health, the scientific arena, and public awareness.

PROBIOTICS

The word “probiotic” is derived from Greek, meaning “for life”. The latest definition, formulated in 2002 by FAO and WHO, is “live strains of strictly selected microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit to the host”. In 2013, the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) accepted this definition. Clinical studies have shown a positive effect of probiotics on atopic dermatitis, gastrointestinal disorders, diarrheas, irritable bowel syndrome. Probiotics are also effective in treating many diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance syndrome.

Probiotics have numerous advantages in humans, among them the development of a proper balance between the beneficial microorganism and pathogens inhabiting within the host. Probiotics meetings the criteria are employed to restore the natural micro biota after antibiotic therapy. It also inhibits the development of pathogenic microorganisms, such as salmonella, clostridium, staphylococcus, Escherichia coli, entering into the human intestine from contaminated food and environment.