PREBIOTICS: Friend to Human Health

September 18, 2016Ram PrasadMicrobiology Of Food, Science Behind Food1

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Have you heard about the PREBIOTICS? Everyone must have heard about the probiotics but there is something called prebiotics.So what exactly The Prebiotics is?

Prebiotics is not bacterias like Probiotics.Prebiotics is those substances which instigate the growth of microorganisms like bacteria and fungi in our body.Generally, most of the microorganisms are found in our gastrointestinal tract.While we ingest the prebiotic products it brings changes in the composition of microbiome inside our body.

Prebiotics Source ----@i.ytimg.com" width="500" height="282" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20161028180139im_/http://discoverfoodtech.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/maxresdefault.jpg 500w, https://web.archive.org/web/20161028180139im_/http://discoverfoodtech.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/maxresdefault-300x169.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px"/>

Now here is the term MICROBIOME.

What is a Microbiome ?

โ€œMicrobiome is an ecological community of commensal ,pathogenic and symbiotic microbes that lives inside our body and use our body as a host for their growth and nutrition.

So what is the principle behind the prebiotics that causes the growth of microorganisms?

Generally, prebiotics is the products having high fiber content which makes them nondigestible.Due to high fiber content, they skip the digestion process and go to the intestine where the microbiome is present .There it provides enough nutrition for the growth of advantageous bacterias like Lactobacillus and Bifido Bacterium.Thus the growth of such microbes confers benefits upon our body.About the advantages and functions of prebiotics, we will discuss later on.

DEFINITION:

According to Rober Ford : โ€œA prebiotic is a selectively fermented ingredient that allows specific changes, both in the composition and/or activity in the gastrointestinal microflora that confers benefits upon host well-being and health.โ€

FUNCTION:

The prebiotic definition does not show a specific group of microbes.But in the Microbiome two bacteria groups are mostly found i.e Lactic acid bacteria and Bifidobacteria.The prebiotic substances generally change the composition of the microbiomes and the activity of microbes.Thus the growth and development of microbes lead to increase in the digestive mechanism and immunity of our body.

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Main functions include:

i.Increase desirable microbiota in colon

ii.Decrease cancer risk

iii.Improve glycemic control(maintaining glucose or blood sugar level of a person with diabetes mellitus.)

iv.Increase calcium and other mineral absorption.

v.Increase Folate and B vitamins.(folate: a salt or ester of FOLIC ACID,a vitamin of the B complex especially found in leafy green vegetables, liver, and kidney.)

vi.Increase immune response.

Prebiotic Effect

A prebiotic when increases the activity of healthy microorganisms inside the body i.e Bifidus bacterium and lactobacillus the effect is known as the prebiotic effect.The increasing activity of bacteria induces the immune response and increases the digestive mechanism.

Difference Between Prebiotics and Probiotics:

Prebiotics are nondigestible dietary fibers that instigate the growth of bacteria having advantageous effects on the intestinal flora.However, Probiotics, are the live micro-organisms contained in our food . They remain intact throughout the digestive process and directly deliver the healthy bacteria to the large intestine. Since probiotics do not induce the metabolic activities.They provide a different set of benefits than prebiotics. Benefits of both prebiotics and probiotics are valuable for the wellness of our health, and they can act symbiotically to provide a number of health benefits. So for the better improvement of our health symbiotic food products are being prepared.

Probiotic Vs Prebiotic Foods Source ----@lifejacks.com" width="500" height="250" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20161028180139im_/http://discoverfoodtech.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Probiotic-and-Prebiotic-Foods.jpg 500w, https://web.archive.org/web/20161028180139im_/http://discoverfoodtech.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Probiotic-and-Prebiotic-Foods-300x150.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px"/>

What are Symbiotics products?

Symbiotic products are those in which both prebiotics and probiotics are generally combined to get better health benefits.

Source of Prebiotics

The most common source of prebiotics is dietary fibers containing inulin.Most of the vegetables act like prebiotics such as asparagus, garlic, leek, onion, artichoke.They are excellent sources of inulin.

A List of Prebiotic Foods

S.NProductFibre by Weight(%)Daily intake(gms)1Raw Chicory roots6519.42Raw Jerusalem Artichoke31.5193Raw dandelion green31.524.74Raw garlic17.634.35Raw leeks16.751.36Raw onion8.669.87Cooked onion51208Raw asparagus51209Raw wheat bran512010Baked wheat flour4.812511Raw banana1600

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Besides

i.Raw Jerusalem artichoke is rich in Potassium and iron.

ii.Dandelion greens are rich in nutrients, including Vitamin K, Vitamin A, calcium, and iron.

iii.Raw garlic is also rich in nutrients, including manganese, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, and selenium. There are several healthy ways you can add raw garlic to your diet, including:

  • A feature flavor in guacamole.(a dish of mashed avocado mixed with chili peppers,chopped onions,tomatoes, and seasoning.)
  • In hummus.
  • In vegetable stir fries.
  • As a flavorful ingredient in pasta meals.

iv.Raw onions are a member of the lily family,like garlic. Eating onions raw provides us with organic sulphur compounds, which are very much important to our body. They are destroyed when we cook them.Raw onions contain chromium to boost insulin production, quercetin, which fights off free radicals,and Vitamin C. Since most of the flavonoids are contained in the outermost layers of the onions, we should peel off as little as possible before chopping, dicing and tearing. So, in other words, we should not over-peel them.As well as raw onions give us heartburn or indigestion.

Raw or Cooked Prebiotics: Which Should We Use?

Generally, we should prefer raw prebiotics as in cooked one there is always a loss of nutritional value.So it is better to use prebiotics in salads rather cooking.

Prebiotics: Consumption On Daily Basis?

In order to realize the full effects of prebiotics,we should consume at least 5 grams of prebiotic-dense foods per day.

Here is a visual depiction of Prebiotics. See the video below,

PREBIOTICS VIDEO

References:

  1. http://www.scielo.br/img/revistas/cta/v35n1//0101-2061-cta-35-1-3-gf01.jpg
  2. http://www.prebiotic.ca/prebiotic_fibre.html
  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prebiotic_(nutrition)
  4. https://www.prebiotin.com/foods-containing-prebiotics/

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1 Comment Posted

  1. RIKINA CHOUDHURY September 24, 2016 at 6:16 pm Really itโ€™s very nice concept regarding prebioticsโ€ฆ.and food concernsโ€ฆReply
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