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Probiotics and prebiotics, what are they really and when are they needed?

The United States data collected speak of a constant increase, in recent years, of the use of prebiotics or probiotics: in 2012, their use by the adult population had quadrupled compared to 2007, bringing the number of adult users to 4 million and only last year, US consumers spent about $2.4 billion to buy this type of supplement.
Probiotics are live bacteria, microorganisms naturally present in the intestine where, together with other species of bacteria, they constitute the intestinal bacterial flora. A recent study published in Nature Biotechnology has highlighted the discovery of over 100 species of previously unknown microorganisms, a number to be added to the over 700 already known species, which have been isolated and studied to find new answers to the wide spectrum of diseases and disorders associated with a microbiota imbalance. The bacterial flora in normal conditions is in perfect symbiosis with the organism, towards which it performs useful functions, including that of guaranteeing the integrity of the intestinal mucous and protecting against the invasion of pathogenic bacteria while maintaining the immune system in operation.
Incorrect lifestyles, stress, unbalanced nutrition or the use of some drugs can, however, reduce the presence of probiotics in the intestine, thus altering this virtuous state of balance (dysbiosis). In these cases, the integration of probiotics can be an aid to repopulate the intestinal bacterial flora. It should be remembered, however, that probiotics need proper nourishment, or prebiotics, to live and proliferate.
Help comes from associations between probiotics and prebiotics When the balance of the bacterial flora is undermined, probiotics are able to offer valid support. Lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, in fact, help to rebalance the intestinal flora, thereby stimulating the body’s natural ability to defend itself from aggression. In particular, aid in restoring the intestinal bacterial flora to its natural balance is constituted by the association of these lactic ferments with prebiotics such as inulin, capable of stimulating the growth of beneficial strains, and lactoferrin, an antimicrobial glycoprotein that instead inhibits the growth of pathogenic strains. These are preparations easily available on the market in the form of vials or sachets.