Prebiotics and probiotics are often mentioned in the same breath, but they are two different things. In this article, we explain exactly what they are, how they differ and which foods contain them. No hype, just the facts laid out clearly.
What is the difference between prebiotics and probiotics?
The difference in a nutshell: probiotics are live bacteria, whilst prebiotics are the fibres that serve as a food source for bacteria. Probiotics are therefore alive, whereas prebiotics are not.
This leads to a practical difference. Because prebiotics are ordinary plant fibres, they are stable and have a long shelf life. Probiotics are live cultures and are therefore more sensitive to factors such as heat and time. The table below shows the main differences side by side.
| Prebiotics | Probiotics | |
|---|---|---|
| What they are | Indigestible plant fibres | Live micro-organisms |
| Alive? | No | Yes |
| Examples | Inulin, FOS, baobab, acacia gum | Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium |
| In food | Onions, garlic, oats, pulses | Yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi |
| Shelf life | Stable | More sensitive (live cultures) |
What are prebiotics?
Prebiotics are fibres from plant-based foods that your own digestive system cannot break down. They reach the large intestine undigested, where bacteria ferment them.
Well-known prebiotic fibres include inulin, fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and the soluble fibres found in baobab and acacia gum. You don’t necessarily need to get them from a supplement: many common vegetables, pulses and whole grains contain them naturally. If you’d like to take a broader look at your diet, do read our 5 tips for healthy eating.
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are live micro-organisms, usually bacteria or yeasts. They occur naturally in fermented foods and are also found in supplements.
The best-known groups are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Labels often state how many live cultures a product contains, expressed in CFU (colony-forming units, i.e. the number of viable bacteria). Good to know: strictly speaking, the EU regards the word ‘probiotics’ as an implicit health claim. In practice, though, the term is widely tolerated as a category designation, provided no specific effect is attributed to it. No specific health claims for probiotic strains have been approved to date. We explain why later on.
Which foods contain prebiotics and probiotics?
Prebiotic fibres are mainly found in plant-based, high-fibre foods. Probiotics are found in fermented products containing live cultures.
A handy overview:
- Prebiotics: onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, artichokes, oats, barley, pulses (lentils, chickpeas), bananas, apples, linseed and chia seeds.
- Probiotics: yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, tempeh and kombucha.
Please note: fermented products that have been heated or pasteurised (such as many tinned sauerkrauts) usually no longer contain live cultures.
Can you take prebiotics and probiotics together?
Yes, you can take prebiotics and probiotics together. A product that combines both is called a synbiotic.
Such a combination contains both live cultures (the probiotics) and fibre that is fermented in the large intestine (the prebiotics). Whether this makes a difference, and for whom, varies depending on the strain and the individual, and a great deal of research is still being carried out in this area. We’ll come back to this honestly in the next section.
Baobab, acacia gum and Lactobacillus acidophilus
These are the three ingredients in our pre- and probiotics. Here’s a brief, purely factual description of what they are:
- Baobab: the dried pulp of the baobab tree. It naturally contains soluble fibre.
- Acacia gum: a soluble fibre from the acacia tree that ferments slowly in the large intestine.
- Lactobacillus acidophilus: one of the most extensively studied lactic acid bacteria, which also occurs naturally in the human gut.
What does the science say about pre- and probiotics?
In short and to be honest: research into gut flora is rapidly evolving, and the EU has not yet approved any specific health claims for pre- or probiotics. This is because the effects often depend heavily on the exact strain and the dose.
What does that mean for you? It means we don’t make any health claims here that we can’t back up. Fibre-rich and fermented foods are part of a varied diet, and a supplement can be a practical addition to this, but it remains a supplement and not a solution in itself.
Ekopura Vegan Pre & Probiotic Powder
Our Vegan Pre & Probiotic Powder combines baobab, acacia gum and Lactobacillus acidophilus (1 billion CFU per gram) in a single powder that’s vegan and free from additives or fillers. You can simply mix it into water, a smoothie or yoghurt. You’ll find the full list of ingredients and dosage on the product page.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take prebiotics and probiotics at the same time?
Yes. They do not interfere with each other and are in fact often sold together as a synbiotic. You can take them with or without a meal, depending on the instructions on the label.
What does CFU mean on the label?
CFU stands for colony-forming units: the number of viable (live) bacteria in a product. It indicates how many cultures are present in a serving, but does not necessarily imply any particular effect.
Are prebiotics the same as fibre?
Not exactly. All prebiotics are fibre, but not all fibre is prebiotic. Prebiotic fibre specifically refers to the types of fibre that are fermented by bacteria in the large intestine, such as inulin and FOS.
How long does it take to notice any effects from pre- and probiotics?
This varies greatly from person to person and from strain to strain, and cannot be guaranteed. As the EU has not approved any specific claims for pre- or probiotics, we deliberately refrain from making any statements on this matter. Many people use them as part of a regular daily routine.
Sources
- Gibson, G. R., et al. (2017). The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of prebiotics. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 14, 491–502.
- Hill, C., et al. (2014). The ISAPP consensus statement on the scope and appropriate use of the term ‘probiotic’. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 11, 506–514.
- Marco, M. L., et al. (2017). Health benefits of fermented foods: microbiota and beyond. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 44, 94–102.
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). EU Register of nutrition and health claims made on foods.
