From the Guidelines
Postbiotics are bioactive compounds produced by beneficial gut bacteria during fermentation, having direct beneficial effects on the host. According to a recent study published in 2024 in the journal Gut Microbes 1, postbiotics are included in the list of compounds that can improve mental well-being and have potential health benefits.
Key Characteristics of Postbiotics
- They are non-living metabolic byproducts
- Include short-chain fatty acids, enzymes, peptides, cell wall fragments, and other bioactive compounds
- Provide health benefits by supporting gut health, reducing inflammation, strengthening the immune system, and improving digestion
Advantages and Availability
- Postbiotics are increasingly available as supplements and in certain fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut
- They offer advantages over probiotics because they're more stable, have a longer shelf life, and may be safer for people with compromised immune systems As research continues, with the most recent study published in Gut Microbes in 2024 1, postbiotics are emerging as an important component of gut health alongside prebiotics and probiotics.
From the Research
Definition of Postbiotics
- Postbiotics are defined as "a preparation of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confers a health benefit on the host" 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- This definition requires that the whole or components of inactivated microbes be present, with or without metabolic end products 4, 5
Characteristics of Postbiotics
- Postbiotics have unique advantages over probiotics, such as stability, safety, and wide application 2
- Postbiotics can modify the composition or functions of the host microbiota, although evidence for this is scarce 3
- Postbiotics can be composed of inactivated microorganisms, microbial lysates, cell components, and metabolites 2, 6
Components of Postbiotics
- Postbiotic components include short-chain fatty acids, exopolysaccharides, vitamins, teichoic acids, bacteriocins, enzymes, and peptides in a non-purified inactivated cell preparation 6
- Thermal treatments are the main methods to prepare inanimate microorganisms as postbiotics, while non-thermal treatments show great potential in postbiotic preparation 2
Applications of Postbiotics
- Postbiotics have potential applications in the food industry as functional food supplements, food quality improvers, and food preservatives 2
- Postbiotics have been studied in fermented infant formulas and have potential applications in infant nutrition, pediatric and adult gastroenterology, and skin health 3, 6