What is the difference between probiotics and postbiotics

You’ve heard of probiotics. The term was coined in 1965 when scientists began to realize their many health benefits. This healthy gut bacterium is currently being studied for its ability to potentially do everything from treat diarrhea and Crohn’s disease to boost your mood and reduce you blood pressure. And you can’t go into your local grocery store without seeing shelf upon shelf of probiotic supplements and probiotic-infused foods.

And by now you may have heard about prebiotics, aka food for that good probiotic gut bacteria. Even more recently, postbiotics have emerged on the scene as powerful tools for supporting gut health. But what are the differences between probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics? And how can you use these compounds to support your health? Here is a rundown on the three:

Probiotics

Probiotics are a class of bacteria, or some strains of yeast, that have beneficial qualities to their host. “They help to maintain the health of the intestines and other sites,” explains Dr. Lawrence Hoberman, a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist in San Antonio, Texas and founder of Medical Care Innovations. “Probiotics are important in maintaining a healthy immune system and protecting us from infections,” says Hoberman. In addition to good bacteria, there are also harmful bacteria within the body that cause gut inflammation and metabolic dysfunction. Thus, Hoberman stresses that keeping the bacterial balance in favor of the probiotics is key.

The Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization have come up with a set of guidelines as to what characterizes a probiotic. And this goes down to the level of an individual strain. That’s why you may see probiotic supplements with labels announcing that a serving of capsules contains five or even 11 strains. “In order for something to be deemed a probiotic, it has to have been examined in at least one human study,” explains Lindsay Christensen, a clinical nutritionist at The California Center for Functional Medicine. Specific probiotic strains that have been found to benefit human health include Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM, Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07, Lactobacillus plantarum L15, and the beneficial yeast Saccharomyces boulardii. So when purchasing probiotic supplements, Christensen says to prioritize brands that contain these strains, as they are the ones shown to produce the biggest benefits to humans.

Probiotic foods include:

In addition to supplements, there are a variety of foods that contain probiotics. These include fermented foods like kimchi (a blend of salted and fermented vegetables), miso (a Japanese paste made from fermented soybeans), tempeh, sauerkraut, yogurt, pickles, kombucha, and kefir. You can also find vegan yogurts and cheeses often infused with probiotic bacteria. And there are prebiotic powders you can buy, as well as probiotic supplements that also contain prebiotics.

Prebiotics

Prebiotics, which were officially named in 1995, are scientifically defined as: “a non-digestible food ingredient that beneficially affects the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of bacteria in the colon, and thus improves host health.” Think of prebiotics as the foods that feed and fuel your good gut buddies, aka probiotics. “On average we have two to five pounds of bacteria residing in our gut and these probiotics need food, just like we do,” explains Dr. Heather Finley, a registered dietitian with a doctorate in clinical nutrition, who specializes in gut health. Prebiotics are the types of fiber that probiotic bacteria eat and need to live. And a lack of this prebiotic fiber will decrease the diversity of probiotic bacteria in the gut.

“It is recommended that people eat anywhere between 25 grams and up to 39 grams daily, however most people don’t get enough fiber,” explains Dr. Vincent Pedre, medical director of Pedre Integrative Health. In addition to feeding probiotics, prebiotics allow gut bacteria to create postbiotic nutrients, which are necessary for a whole host of bodily processes.

Prebiotics are sometimes referred to as intestinal fertilizers for probiotics, which stimulate the growth of the healthy intestinal microbiome. And our intestinal enzymes can’t digest these dietary fibers. “They’re not absorbed by the intestines and pass into the colon where the bacteria have the enzymes to break down the fibers into compounds or metabolites that enhance our intestinal health and help protect us against harmful pathogens.”

Prebiotic foods include:

Prebiotics are found in many of the fruits and vegetables we consume. Some of these include Jerusalem artichokes, asparagus, oats, dandelion greens, bananas, leeks, apples, onions, and garlic.

Postbiotics

Postbiotics are bioactive compounds that are produced when your good gut bacteria (probiotics) ferment fiber. “So probiotics + prebiotics = postbiotics,” explains Finley. You cannot create postbiotics without prebiotics, the latter of which Finley deems “the real MVP for gut health.” Examples of postbiotics include butyrate and acetate, two short-chain fatty acids, which Christensen explains are made “by certain types of gut bacteria, and bacterial cell wall fragments, which can either stimulate or modulate the immune system.”

Having enough postbiotic and short-chain fatty acid production is key to a happy and healthy gut and the benefits include: lowering inflammation in both the gut and the brain, a stronger mucosal or gut barrier, protection from foreign or unwanted pathogens, and fuel for the cells of the gut lining.

Postbiotic foods:

Since postbiotics are made when probiotics feed on prebiotics, eating a diet rich in probiotic and prebiotic foods can help to ensure your gut has an adequate level of these essential compounds.

Nicole Pajer is a freelance writer whose work has been published in The New York Times, AARP, Woman’s Day, Parade, Men’s Journal, Wired, Emmy Magazine, and others. Keep up with her adventures on Twitter at @nicolepajer.

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