Prebiotics - Probiotics - Postbiotics
Prebiotics
Prebiotic is defined as a substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit. This includes soluble fiber that humans cannot digest but instead serve as ‘food’ for beneficial microbes.
Examples of prebiotic - Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), oligofructose (OF), chicory fiber, or inulin. Prebiotics can also be found in plants such as onions, garlic, bananas and chicory root. [1]
How to get sufficient prebiotics in your diet?
Whole foods and a diverse diet rich fibre in vegetables, grains and fruits instead of purely relying on supplements.
Probiotics
Probiotics are defined as Live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.
How to understand the names of the probiotic you see?
The name is usually divided into 3 parts: genus, species, and strain. Example, genus: Lacticaseibacillus, species: rhamnosus, strain: GG.
What do probiotics do for us?
The most common health benefit of probiotics, is the benefit to gut (digestive) health. More research have been showing that there is a connection between the gut and many other areas in our body such as our brain, skin and heart. Hence consuming probiotics as part of a healthy diet goes beyond just ensuring we have good digestion and bowel movements.
How do I get probiotics in my diet?
You can get probiotics through a mix of fermented foods and functional options, but not all fermented foods are probiotic by default. For example, products like soy sauce or baked sourdough may be fermented but often don’t contain live cultures after processing.
Some fermented foods with probiotics are things like yogurt with live cultures, kefir, miso and natto. Functional options are items like probiotics drinks with specific strains such as Relax Lychee Rose and Grape Acai, offering targeted probiotic support in a refreshing format, no fridge or prep needed.
Postbiotics
A postbiotic is a preparation of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confers a health benefit on the host [2].
Examples of Postbiotics -
- Short chain fatty acids derived from characterised microbes
- Cell wall fragments of probiotics
- Bacterial metabolite (eg. peptides, enzymes)
What do postbiotics do for us?
It starts with our gut health. Postbiotic components help with protecting our gut lining, ensuring that it remains healthy. It is the products of probiotics which support our overall well-being.
The Analogy: Prebiotics, Probiotics, and Postbiotics from our perspective
Imagine you’re a probiotic living like a person. The person (probiotic) is a living being and needs food to survive. The food the person eats, meals and snacks are like prebiotics, giving the person (probiotics) the fuel it needs to grow, live and explore the world. With the daily fuel (prebiotics) the person (probiotic) is able to express themselves are build and shape the environment around them. Postbiotics are the result of the person expressing themselves, such as completed projects, reports, or innovations left behind.
Together, prebiotics (fuel), probiotics (person), and postbiotics (results) create a healthy environment.
References:
[1]https://isappscience.org/for-consumers/learn/prebiotics/
[2]https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9688025/