Synbiotics: Safety Assessment and Role in the Prevention of Diseases

Synbiotics are a group of gut health-boosting supplements that include probiotics and prebiotics. Probiotics are beneficial living bacteria that can improve health when taken in large enough doses. Prebiotics, conversely, are nondigestible food components that promote the growth and/or activity of beneficial gut bacteria. As a therapeutic technique, they offer a way that is both gentle and effective for changing the composition and metabolic output of the human gut microbiota. Synbiotics are useful in treating and preventing many diseases, including gastrointestinal, bowel, kidney & liver diseases, metabolic syndrome, colon cancer, etc. Over the past decade, research on combining probiotics and prebiotics as synbiotics to improve human and animal health has advanced, with numerous clinical trials evaluating various synbiotic formulations. This chapter summarizes the ideal properties for designing the synbiotics, their safety assessment, and health benefits.