Postbiotics, Probiotics and Prebiotics.

Most people are pretty familiar with the benefits of probiotics and how amazing they are for our overall health. Particularly our digestive health. But what about prebiotics, and even postbiotics? What are they for? Read on to discover whether prebiotics, probiotics or postbiotics are best for you.

The difference – prebiotics or probiotics?

Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms that live in our large intestines. They are instrumental in ensuring we have robust immune health, they regulate our mood and of course assist in digesting and absorbing nutrients, not to mention hundreds of other positive actions in the body.

Prebiotics on the other hand are what probiotics need to survive and flourish. They are a type of fibre which travels through the small intestine undigested, which then provides fuel for our probiotics to ferment. As with all high-fibre foods prebiotic fibre passes through the small intestine undigested. It then arrives in the large intestine and provides fuel for the good bacteria to ferment and thrive on.

And postbiotics?

Postbiotics are the bioactive compounds the probiotic bacteria produce when they consume prebiotics.

So you can safely say, as much as you need your probiotics for great health, you also need prebiotics to keep them well fed so they can multiply and flourish, and produce postbiotics.

Given how important they are, prebiotics are still largely underrepresented in the typical Western diet.
Unfortunately this can result in issues such as –

• Indigestion
• Poor immunity
• Weight gain
• Inflammation

Is it best to consume prebiotics or probiotics?

A combination of both is ideal – although if you’re supplementing there is a caveat which I’ll come to in a bit.

Both are vitally important to maintain great health. While your beneficial bacteria provide an array of health benefits, prebiotics ensure they are healthy and plentiful – they really amplify the benefits that probiotics provide.

Postbiotics

In some cases, instead of being labeled ‘postbiotics,’ they may have another name such as sodium butyrate or calcium butyrate.

Because postbiotics are made via fermentation by healthy bacteria in your gut, you can naturally increase your production of postbiotics by eating prebiotic and probiotic rich foods.

If you’re worried your diet is impacting your gut health, I’d highly recommend downloading my online course The Ultimate Gut Health Programme to help support both your digestive sysem and hormone health, whilst avoiding triggering symptoms.

It’d be impossible to include all you need to know in one blog, but the programme will have all you need to know to ensure you’re soothing your digestive system, whilst eating delicious and filling foods.

Use liberal amounts of garlic for flavour and chicory in salads.

If you increase your intake of prebiotic foods you can look forward to amazing benefits such as –

• Less indigestion and bloating
• Improved digestion
• Better immune function
• Balanced hormones
• Greater resilience to stress
• You’ll be less likely to gain weight

Beware: If you’re experiencing ongoing digestive problems

However, as I keep mentioning there is something you need to be aware of. If you have ongoing gut problems which you can’t get to the bottom of I’d always recommend testing first.

Why test?

Because if you begin to experiment with either prebiotic or probiotic supplements you may make your symptoms worse. In these types of situations you need to establish what the root cause of your problem is. For example, you may already have established that you need to avoid foods high in prebiotic fibre such as garlic or onions, as they may make your bloating worse.

For example you may have –

• An imbalance of gut flora
• Microbes in the wrong place (SIBO)
• Inflammation, parasites or an infection
  Food intolerances could be playing a part.

Testing will allow us to design the correct supplement programme for your needs.

So, it’s vital at the outset to establish what’s causing your problem before taking any probiotics or prebiotics.

This doesn’t apply if your gut is already functioning OK, you can take a probiotic and prebiotic to keep things ticking over nicely, or for extra reassurance whilst travelling, for example.