Nurturing Gut Health: Exploring Prebiotics and Probiotics for Gastrointestinal Wellness

The “microbiota” of humans, which consists of bacteria, fungus, bacteriophages, and viruses, functions as an “organ” in concert with the host to create an ecosystem. Skin, the genitourinary system, the respiratory system, and most importantly the gut is all capable of such colonization. Gut microbiota is essential for digestion, thereby improving the immunity and overall health of individuals. Probiotics are living organisms that, when present in adequate quantities and in an active form, reach the intestine and benefit the body. They primarily consist of yeasts and bacteria that produce lactic acid and enter the gut unmodified without harming the host. Prebiotics are foods that have been actively fermented to allow for specific changes in the composition and/or activity of gastrointestinal bacteria, benefiting the health and wellbeing of the host. An “imbalance” in the gut microbial ecology known as dysbiosis is linked to disease. This imbalance may result from changes in the relative quantity of microorganisms or from the addition or deletion of community members. There are different factors affecting this gut microbiota which includes the age, diet of the host and also the antibiotics. This chapter summarises the role of prebiotics and probiotics in relation with the immune system, gastrointestinal diseases (such as Irritable bowel syndrome, Ulcerative colitis, pouchitis and diarrhea etc), NAFLD and obesity.