Probiotics, Prebiotics and Digestive Enzymes: What’s the Difference and Do You Need Them?

Updated September 2026.

Probiotics are live microorganisms, prebiotics are the fibres that feed the helpful microbes already in your gut, and digestive enzymes are proteins that break food down into nutrients your body can absorb. They are often mentioned together, but they do different jobs. Most healthy people can get all three from a varied diet, and a supplement only makes sense when it matches a specific need.

This guide explains what each one is, how it works, where to find it in food, who may benefit, how they compare, and when to talk to a doctor or pharmacist.

What are probiotics?

Probiotics are live microorganisms, such as certain bacteria and yeasts, that provide a health benefit when taken in sufficient amounts. Your gut already contains many microbes; probiotics are specific strains that researchers have studied for a particular effect.

How probiotics work

Probiotics add live microbes to your digestive system. Their effects depend on the exact strain, not just the family name. Commonly used examples include Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG, Limosilactobacillus reuteri and the yeast Saccharomyces boulardii. A strain that has been studied for one purpose will not necessarily help with another.

Supplement labels list colony-forming units (CFUs), the number of live microbes per dose. A higher CFU count does not automatically mean greater benefit; the strain and the evidence behind it matter more.

Food sources of probiotics

Probiotics occur naturally in some fermented foods, including:

• Yogurt and kefir
• Some cheeses, including cottage cheese
• Miso, kimchi and sauerkraut
• Pickles made by fermentation, and kombucha

Not every fermented food still contains live microbes when you eat it. Baking, heat treatment and some processing can destroy them, so look for “live and active cultures” on the label.

What the evidence says

The strongest evidence for probiotics is in reducing the risk of diarrhoea linked to antibiotics, particularly when started within about two days of the first antibiotic dose. Results for other digestive complaints, such as irritable bowel syndrome, are mixed, with modest benefits in some studies and none in others. Many broader health claims made for probiotics are not yet supported by strong evidence.

What are prebiotics?

Prebiotics are food components that are selectively used by the microbes in your gut and provide a health benefit. They are mostly specific types of fibre that your body cannot digest on its own. Instead, they travel to the large intestine, where gut bacteria ferment them and produce useful by-products such as short-chain fatty acids.

How prebiotics work

Think of prebiotics as food for your existing gut bacteria. Different microbes use different prebiotics, so not every prebiotic has the same effect. It is also worth knowing that not all dietary fibre counts as a prebiotic; a fibre qualifies only if gut microbes use it in a way that has been shown to benefit health.

Food sources of prebiotics

Common food sources include:

• Inulin-containing foods: garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, chicory root, Jerusalem artichokes and dandelion greens
• Resistant starch: green (unripe) bananas, potatoes that have been boiled and cooled, oats, barley, beans and other legumes
• Pectin-containing foods: apples, apricots, peaches, raspberries, carrots, tomatoes and green beans

In everyday foods, prebiotics are usually present at fairly low levels, which is one reason a varied, plant-rich diet is recommended.

What are digestive enzymes?

Digestive enzymes are proteins that speed up the chemical reactions that break food into smaller parts. Your body makes them in the salivary glands, stomach, pancreas and small intestine. Each enzyme acts on a particular type of nutrient.

The main digestive enzymes

• Proteases break proteins down into smaller peptides and amino acids.
• Amylases (carbohydrases) break starches down into smaller sugars.
• Lipases break fats down into fatty acids and glycerol.
• Lactase breaks down lactose, the natural sugar in milk.
• Sucrase breaks down sucrose (table sugar).

Unlike probiotics, enzymes are not alive, and unlike prebiotics, they do not feed gut bacteria. They work directly on the food you eat.

Food and body sources

People without chronic health conditions can usually rely on the enzymes their own body produces. Enzyme supplements are designed to add enzyme activity alongside a meal. Some foods also contain their own enzymes, for example bromelain in pineapple and papain in papaya.

Probiotics vs prebiotics vs digestive enzymes: the key differences

In short: probiotics add microbes, prebiotics feed microbes, and enzymes digest food. They can be used together, but one does not replace another.

Who may benefit?

Probiotics

• People taking antibiotics, after discussing it with their doctor or pharmacist
• People who want to include more fermented foods in a balanced diet

Prebiotics

• Most people, through a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, whole grains and legumes
• People whose diet is low in fibre, increasing intake gradually

Digestive enzymes

• People who notice that certain foods, such as dairy, beans or heavy meals, leave them uncomfortable
• People with lactose intolerance, who may find that lactase helps them digest dairy (read our guide to lactose intolerance)

Some medical conditions, such as exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), mean the pancreas does not make enough enzymes. EPI needs a diagnosis and prescription pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy from a doctor; an over-the-counter supplement is not a substitute.

Safety: what to know before you start

• Side effects: Probiotics and prebiotics can cause temporary gas, bloating or loose stools as your gut adjusts. Increasing prebiotic foods gradually helps.
• Weakened immune system: Probiotics may not be safe for everyone. People with weakened immunity, people who are critically ill and premature infants have a higher risk of serious infection. Talk to your doctor first.
• Sensitive digestion: Some prebiotic foods (for example onions, garlic and certain fruits) can worsen symptoms in people with irritable bowel syndrome.
• Quality: Probiotics are generally classed as foods rather than medicines, so they do not go through the same testing as medicines. Choose registered products and follow the label.
• Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children: Check with a doctor or pharmacist before using any supplement.

When to see a doctor

Supplements are not a substitute for medical care. See a doctor if you have:

• Digestive symptoms that keep coming back or last more than a few weeks
• Unexplained weight loss
• Blood in your stool
• Pale, oily, foul-smelling stools that float
• Severe or worsening abdominal pain
• Symptoms that affect what you can eat, or worries about getting enough nutrients

Where Goodness Digestive Enzymes fits

Goodness Digestive Enzymes is a digestive enzyme food supplement. It is not a probiotic or a prebiotic. It combines 13 complementary enzymes to support normal digestion of a wide range of foods:

• Proteins: protease, bromelain and papain
• Carbohydrates and starches: amylase and glucoamylase
• Fats: lipase
• Lactose: lactase, with 1,000 ALU of lactase activity per capsule
• Plant fibres and complex carbohydrates: cellulase, xylanase, hemicellulase, alpha-galactosidase, beta-glucanase and pectinase

Alpha-galactosidase helps break down certain complex carbohydrates found in foods such as beans, lentils, peas, cabbage and broccoli. For adults, the label directions are 1 to 2 capsules before meals, or as directed by your healthcare provider.

Goodness Digestive Enzymes is registered as a food supplement with the Jordan Food and Drug Administration and is available in pharmacies in Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Ask your pharmacist whether it suits you, especially if you take other medicines or have a health condition. If it is not available near you, you can also order it online. For more practical tips, see our guide on how to relieve gas and bloating.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take probiotics, prebiotics and digestive enzymes together?

They work in different ways, and some people use more than one. If you have a health condition or take regular medicines, ask your pharmacist or doctor before combining supplements.

Do I need supplements if I eat a healthy diet?

Often not. A varied diet with fermented foods, vegetables, fruit, whole grains and legumes provides probiotics and prebiotics, and most healthy people make enough digestive enzymes. Supplements may help when there is a specific, identified need.

Are digestive enzymes the same as probiotics?

No. Probiotics are live microorganisms. Digestive enzymes are proteins that break down food; they are not alive and do not change the make-up of your gut bacteria directly.

Why do prebiotics cause gas?

Gut bacteria ferment prebiotic fibres, and gas is a natural by-product. Increasing prebiotic foods slowly usually makes this easier to tolerate.

Is yogurt a probiotic?

Yogurt is made with bacterial cultures. Whether a particular yogurt counts as a probiotic source depends on whether it still contains live cultures when you eat it, so check the label for “live and active cultures”.

Do enzyme supplements help with lactose intolerance?

Lactase supplements help break down lactose and can reduce symptoms for some people. Check with your doctor before using lactase products if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or buying for a young child.

Sources

• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Probiotics – Fact Sheet for Consumers
• Cleveland Clinic: Probiotics – What They Are, Benefits and Side Effects
• Cleveland Clinic (Health Essentials): What Are Prebiotics and What Do They Do?
• International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP): Prebiotics
• Mayo Clinic: Probiotics and prebiotics – What you should know
• NHS: Probiotics
• Cleveland Clinic: Enzymes – What Are Enzymes, Pancreas, Digestion and Liver Function
• Cleveland Clinic: Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI)
• NIDDK: Treatment for Lactose Intolerance