We’ve all heard of probiotics, and some of us have even heard about prebiotics. Now the latest research is finding that postbiotics are beneficial in many ways beyond supporting a robust immune system. According to Dr. Traj Nibber, the CEO and Founder of Advanced Orthomolecular Research, says the new buzz in wellness trends for 2021 will be postbiotics as we continue to prioritize immunity health.
Many physicians advocate that nutritional supplements are essential to building a strong defense to infectious diseases. On a personal note, I was recently prescribed an antibiotic to treat strep throat I caught from my son in daycare. My telemedicine doctor recommended I take a probiotic a few hours after each dose to help balance my gut health which helped.
To give an analogy, think of prebiotics like the fertilizer and probiotics is like the garden. The probiotics feed on prebiotics, and postbiotics are the byproduct of the fermentation process carried out by the probiotics in the intestine. It’s important to maintain good intestinal health because about 80% of the body’s immune defense is located in the gut.
Having a strong immune defense is a powerful tool in fighting inflammation.
A prebiotic is a nondigestible food ingredient like a specialized plant fiber, that promotes the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the intestines. Prebiotics are found in a long list of fruits and vegetables, especially those that contain complex carbohydrates.
Probiotics are different because they contain specific strains of live organisms that directly add to the healthy microbe population in the gut. Common sources of probiotics are bacteria-fermented foods, such as yogurt, sauerkraut, kombucha and kimchi.
Examples of postbiotics include organic acids, bacteriocins, carbonic substances and enzymes. Postbiotics are found to have antimicrobial properties in that it helps to replace bad bacteria with good bacteria to help fight infection. Postbiotics help reduce inflammation caused by some infections, and lower blood sugar levels in certain types of diabetes.
Inflammation Guide wants to offer another view on postbiotics. According to Dr. Axe, “Researchers now believe that for certain people suffering from inflammatory conditions, the use of postbiotics may be a smart alternative to the use of whole bacteria (in probiotic form). Due to their ability to decrease inflammation and help maintain colonic and intestinal homeostasis, postbiotics might be the next wave of supplements used to foster better gut health.”
