Reference entry
Prebiotic
Plain-English definitions of microbiome research vocabulary — the terms you'll see across articles, testing services, and probiotic claims.
Glossary context
Defined
in the site-wide microbiome glossary
Definition
Non-digestible food components (typically dietary fibres) that selectively stimulate the growth or activity of beneficial gut bacteria. Common examples include inulin, FOS, and GOS.
Related terms
Probiotic
Live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host. Benefits are strain-specific, not species-wide.
Synbiotic
A product containing both probiotics and prebiotics designed to work together — the prebiotic selectively feeds the co-administered probiotic strain.