What are postbiotics and how can you benefit from them?

They have become the talk of the town in the wellness industry

When it comes to trendy wellness topics, gut health is often a popular topic. A healthy gut is an indicator of good health.

If you have kept up with health news over the past several years, it is likely you have heard of prebiotics and probiotics. Both of these components help with keeping your digestive system healthy and regular, among several other health benefits. However, postbiotics are the third lesser-known member of the trio.

Recent research suggests they have a very important role to play in gut health matters.

What are postbiotics?

To get a better understanding of this fairly new term, it may help to understand the different ‘biotics’ in play for gut health.

In simple terms, while prebiotics are certain types of fibre that are partially broken down by bacteria within our large intestine and probiotics are certain live bacteria that have been shown to be beneficial to health in humans; postbiotics are byproducts of the fermentation process carried out by probiotics in the intestine. They are essentially the “waste” of probiotics, as probiotics feed on prebiotics, postbiotics are produced.

“Postbiotics include any material leftover in food by the bacteria used to ferment the food item. This may include substances produced by the bacteria,” says Rajshree S, chief clinical nutritionist.

Postbiotics are found in any food which has been fermented by live bacteria such as certain pickles, yoghurt, buttermilk, kimchi, sourdough bread, sauerkraut, and tempeh.

“The best way to think about it is that the prebiotics are the food probiotics who are the workers in our gut. The end result of all the hard work done by the probiotics are the postbiotics. To simplify it, the postbiotics are the goods created,” says Rajshree.

While probiotics are living, both pre and postbiotics are dead material.

“Postbiotic substances include short-chain fatty acids, peptides, and parts of dead bacteria,” says Afshan Khan, nutritionist. “There is ongoing research which proves that these substances can act to maintain gut health and reduce inflammation,” she adds.

Benefits of postbiotics

Helps maintain healthy
immune system

“Scientific research has confirmed that postbiotics may help maintain a healthy immune system, especially in infants and people with compromised immune systems,” says Rajshree.

For people with conditions that result in immunodeficiency or infants, probiotics may not be tolerable or safe.

Postbiotic compounds, however, are much more tolerable and may reduce problematic inflammation.

May help lower blood sugar and prevent obesity

A lack of intestinal microbe balance is often associated with obesity and insulin resistance. A postbiotic bacterial component called muramyl dipeptide, has been shown to relieve glucose intolerance by increasing insulin sensitivity, according to a US medical study. While more trials are still needed to fully understand the mechanism, it seems that postbiotics play an important role in fighting Type II diabetes and can be very useful in treating pre-diabetic patients.

Treats diarrhea

It is well known that probiotic foods are effective in treating diarrhea, which is why probiotic supplements are often prescribed for its treatment. With closer observation, it is noted that the effect is not due to the probiotics themselves, but rather due to the metabolic products released by probiotics. “It’s the postbiotics that support the microbiomes in our gut and support a healthy digestive system,” says Afshan.