Do prebiotic/probiotic drinks REALLY do anything?

Question

whats the difference between the two?

Answer 1

Probiotics and prebiotics both aim to increase the level of beneficial bacteria in your large intestine. Probiotics contain live bacterial cultures; prebiotics contain substances that feed those bacteria. My personal opinion is that prebiotics are useless - if you eat  reasonable amounts of fruits and vegetables you won't need them, and if you don't, you're deluding yourself to think you can make up the lack with yet another processed food.

If you eat a reasonable diet, you  may not need the probiotics, either. Probiotics are good if you're taking antibiotics, as those can otherwise mess up your gut. But a good plain yogurt made with multiple cultures is probably as effective, and cheaper.  Some studies have shown health benefits from some probiotics, though other studies have shown that some of the probiotic products on the market are useless.