What are postbiotics?
What are postbiotics?
You may have never heard of postbiotics, but they are a very popular topic in gut health and microbiome science. Prebiotics and probiotics may be more familiar, but these three have an interdependent relationship that is crucial for our digestive health as well as mental health (which relies on the gut-brain axis). In addition to mental health, the gut microbiome also greatly influences your immunity, digestion, metabolism, and heart health.
Prebiotic Team | Prebiotics
Prebiotics, known in English as Prebiotic, are the supply team for probiotics. To ensure that beneficial probiotics can thrive in the gut, it’s essential to provide them with food at the right time. Prebiotics serve as food for probiotics and are mostly found in nature in breast milk, fruits and vegetables, oligosaccharides, and minerals. Therefore, when supplementing probiotics, it's also beneficial to consume high-fiber fruits and vegetables, giving the probiotics in the gut enough strength to continue their work!
Postbiotic Defense | Postbiotics
Postbiotics, known in English as Postbiotic, serve as the defense shield for probiotics. The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) defines postbiotics as "non-viable microbial products or their metabolites that confer a health benefit to the host (human body)." Postbiotics are rich in organic acids, digestive enzymes, functional proteins, short-chain fatty acids, and more, creating an environment in the gut that promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria. They work in conjunction with probiotics to reduce the proliferation of harmful bacteria and optimize the gut microbiome. Additionally, the composition of postbiotics is advantageous for direct absorption by the body, providing immediate health benefits.
Guide to the Benefits of Prebiotics and Postbiotics: What Are the Advantages?
Prebiotics primarily function to provide nutrients for probiotics, allowing them to colonize the gut long-term. Postbiotics, on the other hand, create a favorable gut environment for probiotics, enhancing their adhesion to the intestinal lining and improving gut function.
Postbiotics are metabolic products of probiotics, characterized by their resistance to high temperatures, salt, alkalinity, and stomach acid. Compared to live probiotics, which have strict storage conditions, postbiotics can be more widely used in various food products and supplements.
Prebiotics have the ability to supply probiotics with the necessary support and can be obtained from natural foods rich in dietary fiber, such as oats, berries, whole grains, and green vegetables. Postbiotics are an emerging ingredient that is gaining significant attention both domestically and internationally due to their excellent tolerance, making them widely applicable in food products, allowing people to benefit from various offerings.
