Postbiotics are bioactive compounds made when the healthy bacteria in your gut ferment fiber. There are various types of postbiotics, and they offer health benefits similar to those of probiotics. They have been linked to a number of health benefits for the gut, the immune system, and various other aspects of health. 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 .
Postbiotics are also known as metabiotics, biogenics or simply metabolites . They are soluble factors (metabolic products or byproducts), secreted by live bacteria or released after bacterial lysis providing physiological benefits to the host .
You can increase the number of postbiotics in your body by eating more prebiotic foods and probiotics since postbiotics are their end products.
Benefits of postbiotics:– Postbiotics have been linked to various health benefits such as aiding immunity, preventing or treating diarrhea, reducing symptoms of irritable bowel diseases, reducing the severity of certain allergies, aiding weight loss, supporting gut and skin health, reducing the risk of and treating health conditions such as diabetes, cancer, overweight and obesity . Postbiotics have properties that may help strengthen 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.
Some food that contains postbiotics:-Foods that contain postbiotics include buttermilk, cottage cheese, high-fiber foods like oats, flaxseed, seaweed and garlic, fermented pickles, kefir, kimchi, kombucha, miso soup, fermented sauerkraut and sourdough bread.
Difference between probiotic and postbiotics:-Probiotics are living microorganisms found in certain foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut and some cheeses that are crucial to good digestion. When you eat these foods, it helps your digestive tract and overall wellness by promoting a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria and other microorganisms in your gut microbiome .
Postbiotics are bioactive compounds made when the healthy bacteria in your gut ferment fiber. They are the bioactive compounds the probiotic bacteria produce when they consume prebiotics (fiber). They offer various health benefits to your body and have been linked to a number of health benefits for the gut, the immune system, and various other aspects of health .
Disadvantage of postbiotics:-Postbiotics are generally considered safe and well-tolerated in healthy people. However, in some instances, they can cause side effects including gas, bloating, and stomach upset. These symptoms tend to disappear once your body adjusts. Because postbiotics do not contain living organisms, they are generally considered safer in people with a weakened immune system than probiotics .
Examples of postbiotics bacteria:- There are various types of postbiotics such as short-chain fatty acids, bacteriocins, enzymes, vitamins, exopolysaccharides, lipopolysaccharides, cell wall fragments, bacterial lysates and cell-free supernatants.
Relationship Between Prebiotics, Probiotics, and Postbiotics:-
While the names are all very similar, they are different elements that are, nonetheless, related.Here is the breakdown:
Prebiotics:Nutrients that qualitatively change the composition of gut microbiota by providing “food” that promotes good bacteria growth .Prebiotics are mainly dietary fiber, like that you find in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Probiotics:These are the gut microbes themselves. They have been attributed with the health promoting aspects of the microbe ecosystem, including strengthening the barrier against infection, as well as the antibacterial, immune-modulating, and anti-inflammatory aspects. You find probiotics in foods like yogurt, kefir, kombucha, and kimchi.
Postbiotics:Postbiotics are the metabolites of probiotics, or the components that result from probiotic activity in the gut, like fermentation . As intestinal microbes consume prebiotic fiber, the result of that fermentation or consumption is what is known as postbiotics.
Conclusion:-
You will likely be hearing more and more about postbiotics over the next several months and years. Postbiotics are likely to be the next up-and-coming health-boosting component in your diet and digestive process. It is important to note that, no matter what the supplement, it will not translate into significant health improvements, unless you make changes to your lifestyle.Improving your health isn’t only about taking supplements, but rather about making improvements to your diet, exercise, and living choices. Choose foods that are nutrient-dense and calorie-light, drink plenty of water, practice 30 minutes of physical activity a day, avoid smoking and drinking in excess, and get at least 8 hours of sleep a night. If you do these things, increasing your consumption of foods that will help increase your postbiotic concentration, will very likely result in an overall improvement in your health.