![Probiotics and prebiotics: what is the difference?](http://matchaandco.co.uk/cdn/shop/articles/william-randles-288333-unsplash_20x8_crop_center.webp?v=1693993593)
Discover What Each of These Terms Entails and How They Can Improve Your Physical and Mental Well-being, as Well as the Radiance of Your Skin.
Probiotics and prebiotics, found in foods, medications, and supplements, can help us feel better and heal or improve certain conditions. But to use them to our advantage consciously and without trial and error, we'll start by defining each of them and the environment they live in.
The Home of Probiotics and Prebiotics Is the Gut Microbiota:
Inside us live hundreds of bacterial species, which in total add up to a number that multiplies by ten the number of cells in our body. But don't feel dirty when reading this. Most of these bacteria, which mostly live in our intestines, are responsible for ensuring that we have good health, both physically and mentally. Both inside and out.
This group of bacteria is called gut flora or microbiota, and its balance is essential for its proper functioning. Disruptions in this balance are very common. Situations of stress, the use of antibiotics, illnesses like gastroenteritis, and many other everyday situations can upset the balance of our flora. But there are ways to restore it: by taking probiotics and prebiotics.
What Are Probiotics?
Probiotics are bacteria or yeasts, in other words, living microorganisms, that when administered in the right amount, can positively contribute to our well-being.
Where can you find them? In various foods, some medications, and in supplements specifically designed to increase the concentration of probiotics in the body for a specific purpose. The most common ones are lactobacillus and bifidobacterium.
And What About Prebiotics?
Prebiotics are a type of carbohydrate that our body cannot digest, serving as food for certain beneficial bacteria when fermented in the gastrointestinal tract. In simpler terms, probiotics eat prebiotics.
The most studied prebiotics today are inulin and fructooligosaccharides.
![](https://i0.wp.com/matchaandco.com/wp-content/uploads/marion-michele-191320-unsplash.jpg?fit=1220%2C685&ssl=1)
Now that you know what probiotics and prebiotics are, where they live, and how they contribute to your health, why are they so important for achieving the maximum radiance of our skin?
Their Effect on the Quality of Our Skin:
These good bacteria contribute more than we can imagine to the well-being of our skin. Experts claim that it's not possible to have good skin if the state of our intestines isn't perfect. This is because it constitutes our body's first line of defense and, as such, continuously communicates with our immune system.
This assertion, which falls under the currently popularized term "gut health," conceals much more. Science offers us thousands of different strains that will act differently depending on what we want to achieve in one of our most visible organs: the skin.
One way to ensure an ideal balance in the bacterial colonies in our intestines is by incorporating probiotics and prebiotics administered orally into our skincare routines. With the simple act of taking a pill, we will be doing a lot for our internal and external health.
How to Know Which Probiotics and Prebiotics to Buy?
Each type of skin will benefit more from one type of bacteria than another, but there are certain tricks you can use to ensure you're choosing wisely.
1. Ideally, choose slow-release supplements so that probiotics reach the intestines without being affected by stomach acid.
2. When the preparation contains more ingredients, see if probiotics or prebiotics are near the top of the list. If they are too far down, it means the amount they contain is too small.
3. Pay attention to the packaging. If it's for the skin, light and air can easily damage it, so it's better to choose containers without transparent glass.
![](https://i0.wp.com/matchaandco.com/wp-content/uploads/sarah-comeau-351935-unsplash.jpg?fit=1220%2C813&ssl=1)
The secret, whether it's physical health, emotional well-being, or the health of our skin, always lies in balance. When you feel in harmony, everything starts to improve, and both prebiotics and probiotics are a good starting point to find that balance we all seek.
Probiotics and prebiotics, found in foods, medications, and supplements, can help us feel better and heal or improve certain conditions. But to use them to our advantage consciously and without trial and error, we'll start by defining each of them and the environment they live in.
The Home of Probiotics and Prebiotics Is the Gut Microbiota:
Inside us live hundreds of bacterial species, which in total add up to a number that multiplies by ten the number of cells in our body. But don't feel dirty when reading this. Most of these bacteria, which mostly live in our intestines, are responsible for ensuring that we have good health, both physically and mentally. Both inside and out.
This group of bacteria is called gut flora or microbiota, and its balance is essential for its proper functioning. Disruptions in this balance are very common. Situations of stress, the use of antibiotics, illnesses like gastroenteritis, and many other everyday situations can upset the balance of our flora. But there are ways to restore it: by taking probiotics and prebiotics.
What Are Probiotics?
Probiotics are bacteria or yeasts, in other words, living microorganisms, that when administered in the right amount, can positively contribute to our well-being.
Where can you find them? In various foods, some medications, and in supplements specifically designed to increase the concentration of probiotics in the body for a specific purpose. The most common ones are lactobacillus and bifidobacterium.
And What About Prebiotics?
Prebiotics are a type of carbohydrate that our body cannot digest, serving as food for certain beneficial bacteria when fermented in the gastrointestinal tract. In simpler terms, probiotics eat prebiotics.
The most studied prebiotics today are inulin and fructooligosaccharides.
![](https://i0.wp.com/matchaandco.com/wp-content/uploads/marion-michele-191320-unsplash.jpg?fit=1220%2C685&ssl=1)
Now that you know what probiotics and prebiotics are, where they live, and how they contribute to your health, why are they so important for achieving the maximum radiance of our skin?
Their Effect on the Quality of Our Skin:
These good bacteria contribute more than we can imagine to the well-being of our skin. Experts claim that it's not possible to have good skin if the state of our intestines isn't perfect. This is because it constitutes our body's first line of defense and, as such, continuously communicates with our immune system.
This assertion, which falls under the currently popularized term "gut health," conceals much more. Science offers us thousands of different strains that will act differently depending on what we want to achieve in one of our most visible organs: the skin.
One way to ensure an ideal balance in the bacterial colonies in our intestines is by incorporating probiotics and prebiotics administered orally into our skincare routines. With the simple act of taking a pill, we will be doing a lot for our internal and external health.
How to Know Which Probiotics and Prebiotics to Buy?
Each type of skin will benefit more from one type of bacteria than another, but there are certain tricks you can use to ensure you're choosing wisely.
1. Ideally, choose slow-release supplements so that probiotics reach the intestines without being affected by stomach acid.
2. When the preparation contains more ingredients, see if probiotics or prebiotics are near the top of the list. If they are too far down, it means the amount they contain is too small.
3. Pay attention to the packaging. If it's for the skin, light and air can easily damage it, so it's better to choose containers without transparent glass.
![](https://i0.wp.com/matchaandco.com/wp-content/uploads/sarah-comeau-351935-unsplash.jpg?fit=1220%2C813&ssl=1)
The secret, whether it's physical health, emotional well-being, or the health of our skin, always lies in balance. When you feel in harmony, everything starts to improve, and both prebiotics and probiotics are a good starting point to find that balance we all seek.