We have all heard of probiotics, which are microorganisms that increase your population of good bacteria and prebiotics, which are foods for the probiotics. Prebiotics are fuel needed for good bacteria to grow. Dietary fiber, which you can get by eating certain foods or supplements, is the most common prebiotic. Enter POSTbiotics, the newest member of the ‘biotics’ family and a hot topic in nutrition.
What Are Postbiotics?
They are the by-product of probiotics and prebiotics — what they produce, which can be made into products or treatments that would have a healing effect on people. Although postbiotics are considered the endgame of probiotics, they offer numerous health benefits for the gut, the immune system, and various other aspects of health.
Although postbiotics are not life microorganisms like probiotics, they still offer health benefits to your microbiome as they contain nutrients such as amino acids, vitamins B and K, short-chain fatty acids, exopolysaccharides, functional proteins, and substances called antimicrobial peptides that can help slow down the growth of harmful bacteria. Short-chain fatty acids help healthy bacteria thrive in your guts.
Compared with probiotics, postbiotics have lower risks of complications as they don’t contain life microorganisms. Even though probiotics are safe for most people, however, people with weakened immune systems, severe illness, or recovering from surgery can get an infection from probiotics. As postbiotics contain no life microorganisms, there’s a lower risk of complications.
Practical Benefits of Postbiotics
Besides having a more economical production as compared with probiotics, postbiotics:
- Contain a longer shelf-life
- Is easily stored
- Is easily transported
- Are not as sensitive to cold temperatures
- Are more reliably produced
7 Health Benefits of Postbiotics
These are 6 benefits of postbiotics and how they can benefit our health.
1. May manage allergy symptoms
Allergies happen when the immune system overreacts to a perceived threat. Some postbiotic products may boost the immune system or improve immune response by decreasing allergic reactivity. A few studies have shown that postbiotics may help with seasonal allergy-induced runny, stuffy noses (rhinitis). Another small study found that taking postbiotics for two to three months significantly reduced eczema symptoms as well.
2. Ease colic in babies
Scientists have been able to decrease colic symptoms with postbiotics in randomized controlled trials. The research shows that babies fed fermented milk with the bacteria’s fermentation products do better compared with babies that drink breast milk or cow’s milk without the fermented products.
3. Relieve constipation and diarrhea
People with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), diarrhea and constipation seem to get relief from fermented milk products. One study found that a postbiotic regimen had a major impact on the quality of life of those with IBS. After four weeks, participants saw significant relief in terms of bowel movement frequency, bloating and pain.
4. Support immune system
Postbiotics have properties that may help boost your immune system. For example, postbiotics like butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid, can stimulate the production of regulatory T cells in your intestine. Those cells help control the magnitude of your body’s immune response.
Other postbiotics, such as cell wall fragments and supernatant from healthy bacteria, can increase the production of anti-inflammatory chemical messengers called cytokines that help reduce inflammation and promote immune responses.
Studies in adults have found that postbiotics may help strengthen the immune system and protect against infections like the common cold.
5. May help lower the risk of heart disease
In animal studies, butyrate seems to help lower blood pressure and suppress genes that play a role in cholesterol production.
6. May help manage blood sugar levels.
Studies suggest butyrate may help manage blood sugar levels.
7. May have anti-tumor properties.
Some test-tube and animal studies show that postbiotics may have qualities that help suppress the growth and spread of some cancer cells, including colon and stomach cancer cells
How To Increase Postbiotics?
The best way to increase postbiotics in your guts is through food by consuming more fermented foods and prebiotic fiber, and then supplementing with postbiotics supplements if there’s a necessity.
Here are ways to boost the production of postbiotics in your guts:
- Eat more prebiotic fiber-rich foods such as oats, barley, beans, lentils, peas, onions, garlic, leeks, bananas, apples, asparagus, artichokes, green vegetables, flaxseeds, cocoa and tomatoes.
- Eat more probiotic-rich foods such as plain yogurt with live, active cultures, kimchi, kefir, sauerkraut (refrigerated), tempeh and miso.
- Take a postbiotics supplement.
In Conclusion
Postbiotics are generally safe and well-tolerated by most people. However, due to potential health concerns, certain groups of people may want to avoid increasing their production of postbiotics through eating probiotic foods.
The following groups of people tend to have weaker or compromised immune systems and may therefore be at an increased risk of an adverse reaction:
- people who have recently had surgery
- people who have structural heart disorders
- people with digestive tract disorders
- pregnant people
- children
If you’re considering a postbiotic supplement, it would be good to do your research and make sure that the supplement has published data on their product along with third-party testing for purity and efficacy.
It is best to seek the advice of your doctor before starting on a postbiotic supplement as every person is different and postbiotics may not be a miracle pill for everyone.
