Balanced Immune Health

(Editor’s note: As the holiday season moves into full gastronomical swing, some basic tips on gut health and how it can make a difference with your immune balance might be in order. Dr. Stuart Reeves of Embria Health Sciences explains how the world of probiotics and prebiotics works. Stuart has teased us with this. Today he posts Part 1. Stay tuned for Part 2 coming soon.)

Probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics. There can easily be confusion about these terms. Although there are some general disagreements about definitions, it is generally accepted that:

• Probiotics contain “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts, confer a beneficial health effect on the host” (World Health Organization). Basically this means that probiotics are a culture of live bacteria (usually) that can grow or metabolize in the gut and produce beneficial effects. Probably the oldest one around is yogurt, and there have been more and more suggested recently, and they are especially well thought of by consumers in Europe.
• A prebiotic is a component (usually a carbohydrate) that is normally indigestible by humans, but that nourishes or helps to stimulate the growth of either natural gut bacteria or added probiotics. Perhaps the best-known examples of prebiotics are the fiber inulin and also fructo-oligosaccharides. For prebiotics to work they need to be alive, so they are really only found in products like yogurts and carefully dried supplements.
• Synbiotics are combination compounds that give both pro and prebiotic effects.

Having got that out of the way, what has this to do with the immune system, you may ask, and the importance of balancing it? Well, for that you will have to tune in to Part 2, coming shortly.

Filed under Balanced Immune Health, Gut Health, Immune Balance, Immune System, Nutrition, Prebiotics, Probiotics