Prior to the invention of the novel term postbiotics, there were two existing concepts. Probiotics and prebiotics. Sound familiar? Of course. Probiotics are the healthy compounds that are found in dairy foods, especially in yogurt.
And the function they have is that they help in digestion, boost the immune system, and decrease restlessness. In contrast, prebiotics is the non-digestible compounds found in rough foods like onion, banana, garlic, and beans. Together, probiotics and prebiotics play in a keen alignment and contribute to the sustenance of the human body.
So, what are postbiotics, you ask? Well, as opposed to probiotics and prebiotics, postbiotics are non-living microorganisms. With the invention of the term, there was a definition from International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAAP) that is universally agreed upon. That universally agreed-upon definition says: “A set of inanimate and non-living microorganisms – along with their components – that offer health benefits to the host.”
Linguistically speaking, postbiotics is a combination of two separate words: Post and Biotics. Let’s explain them word by word. Post means After and Biotics means Resulting From Living Organisms. Put them together, you get the meaning “After Life.” This lexical definition implies that post biotics are essentially the leftover organisms of probiotics and prebiotics.
How Healthy are Poatbiotics?
As mentioned above, post biotics are quite naive in the field of microbiology. Although there have been numberless studies dedicated to understanding the complex mechanism of postbiotics, they are still inadequate. With the help of the existing studies, we can find out some of the top health benefits of postbiotics. Let’s analyze them step by step:
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Enhancing Immunity
Biologists are of the notion that post biotics have a somehow complex connection with the immunity system. Research from the journal Trend in Food, Science and Technology suggests that postbiotics play a key role in developing a connection between microorganisms in the intestine (called gut microbiota) and the immune system.
As postbiotics link these two, the immune system boosts up. This is the reason in treating COVID-19, the doctors would look for postbiotics.
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Other Health Benefits of Postbiotics
Apart from boosting the immune system, postbiotics also have some other major health benefits. It is pertinent to mention again that postbiotics and their health benefits are still under research. Scientists and biologists are in quest of digging out the unheard health benefits of postbiotics. Some of the known health benefits include:
- Standard blood pressure.
- Reducing cholesterol levels.
- Preserving intestinal barriers.
- Healing obesity, chronic illnesses, and allergies.