# Prebiotics Vs. Probiotics



## thelibertine (Sep 8, 2009)

So I went to the supermarket this morning to pick up my usual probiotic yoghurt I have for breakfast however they'd sold out, I was a bit distressed but started looking at the other brands and the drinkable things like yakult etc. but found none of them contained the usual strains of probiotics I take. I found one called muller vitality, which contained 1 of the bacteria I usually get in my yoghurt, plus a PREBIOTIC? I wasn't sure what this was but I bought them as I thought I'd give them a go.I've been eating my usual yoghurt for a quite a few months now, consistently for breakfast and also took Acidophilus for two months but didn't notice much apart from increased stomach noises and gas so have stopped taking them. I havn't noticed amazing differences tbh, so hey I suppose I'll give these a go. I understand prebiotics encourage the bacteria you have instead of implanting new bacteria, so maybe the prebiotics will help the probiotics I have been putting in to grow?What is your experience of prebiotics, good thing or bad thing for IBS?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Prebiotics are indigestible by human carbohydrates that bacteria in the colon eat.Probiotic bacteria eat all the same things the other normal bacteria eat so they don't have to have special food. Other bacteria will also eat the prebiotics and will release gas just like they do from everything else.Some people find prebiotics make them gassy, some people do seem to do well on them. I don't think prebiotics live up to the hype (what does?), but they do seem to be OK for most people. I just wish there was some more good data behind it. They seem to be just the latest fad for the most part. There is some data that they do tend to increase the population of certain types of probiotic bacteria and they do have some things they do to the general ecology of the colon, but I'm not sure they are quite the superfood they are portrayed as.In any case. If the prebiotic doesn't give you too much gas, they probably will help some of the probiotic strains a bit.


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## UrbanUrbane (Jul 31, 2006)

I do not do well with prebiotics at all; they cause bloating, distention and gas and cramping for me. But then I also can't eat fiber without those same problems. Its definitely worth trying though, you may do just fine with them, and then that would be more brands of yogurt/kefir/probiotics that you're able to buy.


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## thelibertine (Sep 8, 2009)

Well I took the yoghurt about 12 hours ago and for the past few hours I've had terrible bloating and gas







Though I got this for the first few days with the probiotics as well, just not quite as bad as this. Does your body adjust to prebiotics as well or just probiotics?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Some people do.If you have 1-2 weeks where it isn't that important to be comfortable you may find after a few days things start to settle down. If it is just as bad on day 14 as it is on day 2 then it may not settle down.


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## IanRamsay (Nov 23, 2008)

Hi LibertinePrebiotics feed all manner of bacteria, not just probiotic bacteria. i cant for the love of god work out why the manufacturers put this stuff in. not only do alot of people not get on with prebiotics, you probably eat prebiotics in one form or another in your daily diet anyway. i think they put it in just so they can have another slogan on the front of their pots to make them look better.As i understand it a study is going ahead in sweeden next year to find out exactly what prebiotics do and how effective they are. i have a feeling the results are going to say "Big waste of time"CheersIan


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## thelibertine (Sep 8, 2009)

Safe to say don't think I'll be drinking any of the remaining yoghurts, I've been doubled over with terrible cramping pain and gas. Really awful! Who would've thought a little pot of yoghurt could cause that.Think I'll wait till there's any official studies out. Funnily enough I didn't see the prebiotic bit till I got these home, ah well, back to my usual onken biopot I think.I don't really have time to be doubled over in pain atm so I'll have to give prebioitics a miss.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I agree there are a few bits of info that they might be good for some people.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1965210...Pubmed_RVDocSum is an example.Just because it makes the bacteria in babies on formula look a bit more like babies that are breastfed (and/or the few other bits of information) does not make them a universally safe super food that must be added to everything because they make everyone all better all the time.They may have some useful properties but like a lot of things there is a bit of good news in the medical literature and people over-generalize the good things and ignore the bad effects and it becomes the newest fad food additive.Hopefully it will fad like a lot of other fads. I agree if you tolerate these fibers it probably isn't a bad thing to get more of them, but to add something that could make 10% of the population a lot worse doesn't seem like a wise marketing strategy to me.


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## IanRamsay (Nov 23, 2008)

Thank god i am not alone, at last somebody who shares my view on pre biotics. cheersIan


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## SneakerPimp (Jan 14, 2008)

FOS and inulin are the key words to look out for, aren't they? Prebiotics are EVERYWHERE. I didn't realise that it was them that was making me worse, now I know, and they're in bloody everything nowadays! Boo.


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## karoe (Sep 22, 1999)

Better to use food sources: onions, oatmeal, apples, jerusalem artichokes. See my other lengthy posts on this topic. It worked for me.


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

I do fine with them myself. The minerals I take are bonded to a version of FOS which has been clinically shown to dramatically decrease the amount of free radicals produced through their absorption by up to 80%, as well as boosting the absorption by a factor of 4 or more. These have been instrumental in improving my energy levels Mark


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## feellikegivingup (Feb 14, 2009)

I'm taking Jarrow Formulas, Saccharomyces Boulardii+MOS and I'm completely bloated despite having just completed 2 weeks of Xifaxin & Nystatin. Could MOS be considered a prebiotic? Here is how the company defines it:MOS (MannanOligoSaccharide) derived from S. cerevisiae. MOS are oligosaccharides consisting of multiple mannose units. MOS promotes appropriate inhibition of bacteria adhesion to the epithelial cells of the intestine and reduces their proliferation.Thanks so much for your help!


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I would think it counts as a prebiotic. Other __________ OligoSaccharides are.Let me googlehttp://www.foodandbeveragereports.com/products/go115513.html Seems to indicate MOS like FOS is a prebiotic.


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## feellikegivingup (Feb 14, 2009)

Whew! Thanks for the info--if it was the prebiotic causing the bloating, how long does it usually take for it to get out of your system (i.e. so I'll know for sure that it was causing the bloating)?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Most of the gas should happen during the first 6-12 hours, and even at the outer edge of normal transit time it should be out of your sysetm by the end of three days (mouth to anus ranges from 16-72 hours)


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## feellikegivingup (Feb 14, 2009)

Thanks-it's been 24 hours and still bloated so it looks like I'll need to try another antibiotic...


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