Probiotic and prebiotic supplements may be used to restore the stability of the gut microbiome, especially in the elderly or after an antibiotic treatment, an infective bowel disease (gastroenterocolitis) or malnutrition.
A probiotic is a supplement containing living bacteria, whereas a prebiotic is a supplement containing special olygosaccharides in the form of indigestible fibers (e.g. inulin) which works as nutritional substrate for bacteria.
Therefore probiotics and prebiotics can be taken together, since the latter works as energy source for the first ones. Probiotics are for example the Bifidobacterium and the Lactobacillus, two bacteria of which presence is typically reduced in the gut of the elderly. Probiotics available on the market may contain both the Bifidobacterium and the Lactobacillus or only one of the two.
Why restoring the gut microbiome with probiotics and/or prebiotics? Evidences have arisen that increased quantities of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus associate with a reduction in the presence of pathogenic bacteria strains. Not only: it has been demonstrated that prebiotics alone may have a bifidogeneic effect, that means they can induce the genesis of new Bifidobacteria.
The real long-term benefits of taking probiotics/prebiotics supplements, especially in the elderly, is still under scrutiny. However, thanks to new techniques of sequencing, which are now more powerful and more cost-effective (high-throughout sequencing) and thanks to the progression of the knowledge in omics in general, the future might bring new evidence about the advantages of taking probiotics and prebiotics.
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