Gut Health Benefits of Postbiotics

Sharon Palmer

Published on January 20, 2024

Updated on January 22, 2024

What are postbiotics? Learn all about the gut health benefits of postbiotics, including postbiotic foods and postbiotic supplements, in your healthy lifestyle.

Oats can help increase the postbiotics in your gut. Try this recipe for Spiced Apple Oatmeal with Quinoa and Almonds.

What Are Postbiotics?

Chances are you’ve heard of prebiotics and probiotics, but what are postbiotics? The term may seem complicated, but postbiotics are actually pretty easy to understand. Postbiotics are produced by probiotics, the live microorganisms that provide a health benefit for you. These live microorganisms feed on prebiotics, which are certain fibers found in foods like garlic, artichokes, and beans, among many other foods. Essentially, postbiotics are the waste products leftover from probiotics. Postbiotics are the new gut health kids on the block, so to speak. We are still learning a lot about the concept of postbiotics and how to define them. A recent expert panel came together to define postbiotics as a “preparation of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confers a health benefit on the host”. The panel also went on to say, “Effective postbiotics must contain inactivated microbial cells or cell components, with or without metabolites, that contribute to observed health benefits.” You can learn more about the recent consensus statement on postbiotics here.

Add some prebiotics to your diet with this Instant Pot Black Beans recipe.

Gut Health Basics

So now it looks like you can gain benefits from all three gut health components in your lifestyle: prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics. Here’s a bit of background on how these work to fuel a healthy gut–and healthy you. Intestinal bacteria are present before birth, and are also introduced through breastfeeding and introduction of solid foods.1 The intestinal microbiome is incredibly beneficial for development during the early years, and it’s also very important to keep your gut healthy as you age; the gut microbiome has important impacts on your overall health, immune function, metabolism, and digestion over your lifetime. You can aid your gut microbiome with probiotic supplements that provide a health benefit specific to the strain (for example, some strains of probiotics are beneficially for IBS while others are beneficial for constipation). And you can also increase the number of bacteria in your gut by eating fermented foods like kimchi, kombucha, or cultured plant-based yogurts. Including prebiotics, which are certain fibers in foods that we don’t fully digest and are instead “eaten” by the good bacteria in your gut, is also beneficial for fostering a healthy gut microbiome. Eating a plant-based diet is one of the best ways you can promote a diverse gut microbiome, according to this study, which looked at bacteria present in the gut of vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores. The key gut benefit from eating a plant-based diet is the abundant prebiotic fibers in whole plant foods. Interestingly, there are ten times as many bacteria present in the body as there are human cells—so try to keep them happy! Learn about the best gut health supplements at the US Probiotic Guide site here.

The quinoa and yogurt in this Berry Quinoa Power Bowl will not only be tasty, but also provide fiber to help feed your intestinal bacteria!

How do Postbiotics Work?

So, what do postbiotics do? Interestingly, they may be responsible for a lot of the benefits that are attributed to prebiotics! Along with probiotics, they help promote health. One benefit is that they may help lower blood sugar, which can further protect against Type 2 diabetes. Postbiotics may also support the digestive system’s function, especially for people who are currently suffering with bowel conditions. Look for more research being conducted on this fascinating topic.

Keep your gut happy with these top foods for gut health.

The Best Postbiotic Foods

You’re probably wondering how you can increase your intake of postbiotics. Foods that contain live cultures contain postbiotics as a byproduct of their fermentation processes. In addition, foods that increase postbiotics in your gut include the following, according to the Cleveland Clinic:

High fiber foods, like oats, flaxseed, seaweed, and garlic
Fermented pickles
Kefir
Kimchi
Kombucha
Miso soup
Fermented sauerkraut
Sourdough bread
Tempeh
Cultured Plant-Based Yogurt

This recipe for Easy Vegetable Tofu Bibimbap Skillet includes the fermented food kimchi.

What Are the Best Gut Health Supplements?

In addition to eating prebiotic, probiotic, and postbiotic foods, you can consider taking a supplement to help you with your lifestyle goals. Look for well regarded gut health supplements that are evaluated by third party certifications, such as Life Extension Prebiotics supplements, Garden of Life probiotic supplements, and Immuse postbiotic supplements (which I just learned about at a recent partially sponsored nutrition conference). Remember that probiotic supplements have specific strain-dependent benefits, so look at this guide to determine which supplements will help you meet your personal health needs. And definitely talk with your healthcare provider before adding a new supplement to your routine.