Postbiotics have been connected to a number of gut health benefits, along with some immune system and overall health. But what are postbiotics? Let’s take a look at each type of -biotic and what they are.

Prebiotics, Probiotics, & Postbiotics

Probiotics are healthy bacteria inside the gut that help support health by converting fiber into other beneficial compounds.

Prebiotics are nutrients, mainly consisting of fiber, that feeds the healthy bacteria in the gut.

Postbiotics are the beneficial compounds probiotic bacteria produce when they consume prebiotics.

What are Postbiotics?

In a nutshell, postbiotics are bioactive compounds that develop when probiotic bacteria feed on prebiotic food in your colon (mainly fibers). Postbiotics are technically considered waste products of probiotic bacteria but they offer many health benefits.

There are many types of postbiotics. Here is a list of common types of postbiotic compounds:

• short-chain fatty acids
• lipopolysaccharides
• exopolysaccharides
• enzymes
• cell wall fragments
• bacterial lysates (a mixture made from bacterial components)
• cell-free supernatants (a mixture of compounds produced by bacteria and yeast)
• various other metabolites such as vitamins and amino acids

Supplements based on postbiotic compounds are not yet widely available, as research is still being conducted on them. The easiest way to get postbiotic benefits at the moment is to eat more prebiotic foods, as postbiotics develop from probiotic bacteria consuming them.

Postbiotic Health Benefits & Potential Benefits

Postbiotics as a public health concept is new, but they have been linked to health benefits in the body for a long time. Here are some of the benefits that have been linked to postbiotics:

Immune system support. Postbiotics are known to have properties that can strengthen the immune system. Short-chain fatty acids can stimulate the production of healthy cells in the intestines, helping to control the body’s immune responses.

Reduce inflammation. Some postbiotic compounds, including supernatants from healthy bacteria, can increase the rate of anti-inflammatory chemical production. The cytokines that are found in some postbiotics can help reduce inflammation.

Possible benefits for digestive conditions. Postbiotics are being researched to discover how beneficial they may be for conditions including IBD, Crohn’s disease, and Ulcerative Colitis. Research is focused on the production of short-chain fatty acids in the gut and how postbiotic supplements may assist in this process.

Possible diarrhea treatment. Research is also currently being done on how postbiotics can help treat or possibly even prevent diarrhea. Early tests have shown postbiotic compounds working better than control group supplements.

More Potential Postbiotic Health Benefits

The following list includes potential postbiotic health benefits that are all being researched. There are no definitive conclusions on any of the health benefits below, but the data is promising enough to warrant further studies.

• Allergies
• Weight-loss
• Blood pressure
• Blood sugar
• May be better tolerated than probiotics

The potential benefits of postbiotics is exciting and new things are being discovered as ongoing research is conducted.

Postbiotics and Diet

Postbiotic supplements are not widely available. Current supplements at health food stores may not have enough research to back the benefits they tout. Postbiotics can, however, be naturally manufactured by the body by eating certain foods.

The list below contains sources of both pre-and probiotics, both important in the manufacture of postbiotic compounds.

Good Sources of Prebiotics

• garlic
• onions
• leeks
• asparagus
• barley
• oats
• flaxseed
• seaweed

Good Sources of Probiotics

• yogurt with live cultures
• sauerkraut
• kimchi
• miso
• tempeh
• kombucha

What We Know About Postbiotics

Research on postbiotic benefits in almost all areas is ongoing. What is known is that postbiotics are bioactive compounds that develop from probiotics consuming prebiotics. Postbiotics are technically a waste product, although they have been shown to be beneficial for our gastrointestinal health.

Due to the fact that postbiotics have shown a lot of promise in the areas of gut health, immune system health, and allergies, research has been ramping up over the last few years.

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The global probiotics market has grown tremendously in the last couple of years; especially in the supplement form. In 2021, the probiotics industry was >48 billion dollars with a 22% increase in probiotic supplements from 2019 to 2021. This increasing use of probiotic supplements is due to the evidence that probiotics support GI health. Further, clinical research has demonstrated the efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of conditions such as antibiotic-associated diarrhea, upper respiratory tract infections, abdominal pain in children, and infant colic to name a few.

Reacting to the increase in consumer demand and growth in the industry, researchers are developing novel probiotic strains at a fast pace while considering the impact of processing, storage, gastrointestinal survivability, and functionality of the cells. A key consideration during formulation is compatibility with other ingredients. Probiotic strains may be encapsulated to ensure survivability in the GI tract, during processing, and for application when added to different food matrices such as powders, bars, gummies, infant formula, and pet food.

The most widely used probiotic strains belong to two main genera, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, due to their abundance in the human gut and GRAS status. Species of other genera such as Bacillus, Saccharomyces, and Streptococcus are also used as probiotic supplements.

Irrespective of probiotics with multiple strains or single strains, in capsule, powder, or as an additive in a food matrix, the level claimed on the label needs verification. Mérieux NutriSciences offers this verification in CFUs or AFUs and has experience with a variety of probiotic strains and their applications. Our services also include testing for contaminants to ensure the safety of probiotics for human consumption.

To qualify as probiotics, strains need to be viable and have a health benefit when consumed. Clinical studies help identify the minimal and optimal doses that probiotics exert on a favorable outcome. Biofortis, Mérieux NutriScience’s sister company, offers clinical research testing to demonstrate GI survivability and health benefit claim studies.

Our Mérieux NutriScience laboratory and Biofortis Research clinical trial services will support you through your product lifecycle and beyond ensuring a high-quality probiotic formulation supported by data.

We are eager to help!

Contact Us

1. International Probiotics Association Europe. Global and European probiotic market insights 2018-2021. IPAEurope website. https://www.ipaeurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Market-data-probiotics-2018-2021.pdf
2. Probiotics in Disease Prevention and Treatment https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6656559/
3. The Development of High-Quality Multispecies Probiotic Formulations: From Bench to Market. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7468868/
4. Encapsulated probiotic cells: Relevant techniques, natural sources as encapsulating materials and food applications – A narrative review https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0963996920307079#:~:text=Several%20techniques%20are%20currently%20available,%2C%20%26%20Tzia%2C%202020

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Biotic supplements aren’t typical vitamin and mineral products. How are they different? Let’s take a quick look at the definitions of probiotic, prebiotic, and postbiotic.

Probiotics, Prebiotics, & Postbiotics

The biotics sound so similar that you may think it will be a hassle to remember what each one does. It’s actually very simple to break down: Probiotics are actual bacteria (beneficial bacteria) while prebiotics is basically a food that enriches the diet of probiotics and our healthy endogenous microbiota.

Prebiotics are generally non-digestible carbohydrates, or dietary fibers,  Gut bacteria are able to manufacture some prebiotics on their own; however, providing prebiotics that targets specific beneficial gut bacteria and probiotics from supplements has been an area of focus for recent studies.

Postbiotics are bioactive compounds that develop when probiotic bacteria feed on prebiotic food (mainly fibers) in your intestinal tract (e.g., colon). Postbiotics are technically considered waste products of probiotic bacteria metabolism, but they offer many health benefits to the host (you!).

To sum up: probiotics contain healthy live bacteria, prebiotics are food for probiotics and for your own beneficial bacteria, and postbiotics are bioactive compounds secreted from the probiotics that have potential health benefits.

Probiotics and Beauty Products

Probiotics used in beauty products may be enhanced with prebiotics and postbiotics but often show up on ingredient lists alone. This is what surprises people most; living organisms are often the main ingredient in modern beauty products. Why?

Different ‘good’ bacteria are used in probiotic products, depending on the goals for the product. Probiotics used in skin care products often look to exfoliate the skin or provide benefits to skin softness. Some skincare products with probiotics aim at helping alleviate heavy acne. Others look at creating a ‘more diverse microbiome’ on the skin to promote overall skin health.

As probiotics are mostly helpful bacteria, there isn’t really anything to worry about if your beauty products contain them. Biotics in general has pronounced effects when used as an internal supplement for the gut. This means there shouldn’t be any actively harmful effects when applied externally. If you have specific concerns about beauty products with probiotics, talk to your dermatologist.

Research at Biofortis

Biofortis is dedicated to protecting consumer health throughout the world by delivering a wide range of testing and consultancy services to the food, supplement, and nutrition industries. Biofortis supports this mission in two ways—through clinical trials and sensory and consumer insights testing. We specialize in clinical research targeting foods, ingredients, and dietary supplements that affect body structures, function, and overall health. Contact us with any clinical trial or scientific consulting needs.

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