Popular Science: Will Prebiotics and Probiotics Really Help You Poop? What Gut Experts Say

Popular Science recently interviewed Suzanne Devkota, PhD, director of the Human Microbiome Research Institute at Cedars-Sinai, about the role of prebiotic and probiotic supplements in improving gut health and diarrhea, constipation and bloating. 

Devkota, associate professor of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, told Popular Science that prebiotics—primarily dietary fiber—help beneficial gut bacteria grow, and probiotics are live microorganisms that “colonize your gut” and help maintain a healthy balance of bacteria.

“So, prebiotics are like watering and fertilizing your lawn,” she said, “whereas probiotics are like adding seeds to the bare patches on your lawn.”

Devkota told Popular Science that prebiotics are generally more reliable for supporting gut health and that consumers should look for third-party testing and certifications before purchasing probiotics.

“Prebiotics are usually some form of fiber blend—and that’s pretty darn safe in terms of getting what is advertised on the label,” she said. “With probiotics it’s much trickier, because you don’t know how many viable bacteria actually make it into the pill versus what is dead.”

Because scientific evidence in favor of probiotic supplements is mixed, Devkota told Popular Science that “if you were to change one thing today for your gut health, it would be to increase the amount of fiber in your diet” as well as “the different types of fiber you consume, as this will support a greater diversity of bacteria in the gut.”

Experts say that in addition to eating a fiber-rich diet, getting plenty of exercise and managing stress are effective in improving gut health.

Click here to read the complete article from Popular Science.