What are postbiotics?

Postbiotics are bioactive compounds made when the healthy bacteria in your gut, known as probiotic bacteria, feed on various types of prebiotic food in your colon, such as fibers (1).

Although these bioactive compounds are considered the waste products of probiotic bacteria, they offer various health benefits to your body. This is because many of the health benefits linked with prebiotics and probiotics actually come from the production of postbiotics.

There are various types of postbiotics (1):

• 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
  

Health benefits of postbiotics

Although the concept of postbiotics is fairly new, they’ve been around for a long time and have been linked to several health benefits.

May help boost your immune system

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 (1).

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 (1)

One 12-week study in 80 healthy older adults found that daily postbiotic supplementation lowered their risk of a respiratory infection and improved their ability to produce antibodies that help defend the body against harmful bacteria and toxins (2).

In another 20-week study, 300 older adults were given either a placebo, a low dose postbiotic, or a high dose postbiotic supplement daily to protect against the common cold.

Studies in adults have found that postbiotics may help strengthen the immune system and protect against infections like the common cold.

May help reduce digestive symptoms

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects more than 1 million people in the United States.

Research suggests that postbiotics, such as short-chain fatty acids, may help improve symptoms for people with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease — two types of IBD.

People with IBD tend to produce fewer short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate in their gut, which plays a role in regulating immunity and inflammation in the digestive tract. For example, butyrate plays a role in activating the immune cells that help reduce inflammation (3).

Other potential benefits

Postbiotics have been associated with several other emerging health benefits, but more research is needed to determine the extent of these effects:

May help with allergies. A study in 34 adults with atopic dermatitis (eczema) found that supplementing with a postbiotic for 8–12 weeks significantly reduced the severity of the condition. In comparison, the placebo group saw no improvements (4)

May help manage blood sugar levels. Studies suggest butyrate may help manage blood sugar levels (5,6).

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 (7,8).

Potential downsides and safety

In general, postbiotics are considered safe and well-tolerated in healthy people.

If you’re taking a probiotic supplement to increase your production of postbiotics, you may experience digestive side effects such as gas, bloating, and mild stomach discomfort. These symptoms tend to disappear once your body adjusts (9).

However, certain groups of people should avoid increasing their level of postbiotics through eating probiotic-rich foods.

These groups tend to have weaker or compromised immune systems and may therefore be at an increased risk of an adverse reaction (10):

• people who have recently had surgery

• people who have structural heart disorders

• people with digestive tract disorders

• pregnant people

• children

As with any dietary supplement, it’s important to speak with a healthcare professional before taking a postbiotic supplement, especially if you have any underlying health conditions or are taking any medication.

Article from: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/postbiotics

(1) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32717965/

(2) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20796295/

(3) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30277149/

(4) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21269308/

(5) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24833634/

(6) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26708682/

(7) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29507058/

(8) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18642346/

(9) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20208051/

(10) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25922398/