Prebiotics: A Brief Review

Abstract

Although antibiotics have proven beneficial against various diseases and improve human beings’ overall health, excessive use of antibiotics may lead to an imbalance between the beneficial and harmful microorganisms, making our body more susceptible to infections. Antibiotic resistance is the second major concern. Prebiotic supplementation has gained interest in recent years to improve gastrointestinal health and immune function. Probiotic, prebiotics, and a combination of the two have evolved as good alternatives to antibiotics in case of gut health. Many potential prebiotics has been assessed, but only a few, including inulin, GOS, and FOS, have been validated utilizing human studies, while some are under trials for their beneficial effects on human health. So, the review aims to briefly explore the concept of prebiotics, their interaction with probiotics, and their effects on human health.