Biotics - the Pre, Pro, & Post
[3-1/2 Minute Read]
Like many of you, I’ve known about probiotics for several years, but it wasn’t until taking a nutrition course through Tufts University that I learned about prebiotics. And according to a 2018 survey on food and health, where fewer than 35% of respondents knew what prebiotics were, I definitely wasn’t alone in my ignorance. (1))
So think of my surprise when three days ago I learned about postbiotics! It’s ever thrilling to discover new information and equally terrifying to think of the ignorance that preceded the discovery. So I thought it would be helpful to give my readers a quick breakdown of these three -biotics. Let’s dig in!
Prebiotics: These are substances in our food - mainly dietary fiber - that can’t be broken down by the enzymes in our digestive tract. Prebiotics are undigestible to us, but they are tasty, digestible food for the microorganisms (probiotics) in our stomach and intestines. While all prebiotics are dietary fiber, not all dietary fiber are prebiotics - just keep this in mind when you see the term “dietary fiber.”
So what foods are good sources of prebiotics?
While most fruit, vegetables, cereals and other plant based food have the potential to provide prebiotics, there are some foods that are considered especially good sources of prebiotics:
Artichokes, Asparagus, Bananas, Berries, Chicory (f you’ve ever had a coffee at Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans, then you’ve consumed chicory root!),
Garlic, Green veggies, Legumes (peas, beans, peanuts), Onions, Tomatoes, Oats, Barley, Wheat.
Notice, prebiotics are found in foods that are naturally healthy, so if you’re eating a healthy diet you are most likely consuming a hearty buffet of prebiotics on which your probiotics can feast!
And if your current diet isn’t necessarily healthy, and you’d like to increase your dose of prebiotics, you’ll get a double boost of goodness as prebiotics are mainly found in foods that are already packed with fiber and nutrients.
Probiotics: The most popular of the -biotics, probiotics are defined by the Food & Agriculture Organization of the WHO as “live microorganisms, that when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.”
Many of the microorganism in probiotic-rich foods or probiotic supplements are the same or similar to the microorganisms that exist in our gut.
Probiotics are often found in fermented products like:
yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, and kombucha.
However, not ALL types of fermented foods will necessarily be probiotic-rich.
There is a still a ton of debate about the types and doses of probiotics that will provide the most benefit. While studies point to probiotics being beneficial to people suffering from gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, there still isn’t consensus on how beneficial probiotics are for the normal healthy person. However, considering most probiotic-rich foods are naturally healthy foods anyway, it likely won’t harm you to consume more.
As research on the gut microbiome continues, our knowledge of probiotics will increase, but until then just understand that the book is not closed on the popular probiotics.
Postbiotics: Postbiotics are the result of probiotics fermenting prebiotics. Postbiotics can range from the familiar, like vitamin B12, vitamin K, and folate, to the lesser known short-chain fatty acids, enzymes, etc. Research on postbiotics, especially in humans, is presently limited, but some research has pointed towards probiotics being beneficial for:
Immune function - specifically the common cold and upper respiratory tract infections.
Gastrointestinal conditions - such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Another limitation of research on postbioitcs, is that much of it is focused on postbiotic supplements, not the postbiotics that come from our diet.
Keep in mind that postbiotic supplements are not regulated by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). The hope in some research and nutrition circles is that if the benefits of postbiotics could be identified and proven, then specialized postbiotic supplements could be developed for use in populations where probiotics are not well tolerated
Boost postbiotic production by increasing your consumption of foods rich in pre- and pro-biotics
The Wrap Up On Pre-, Pro-, and Post-biotics:
Prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics are interlocking segments in a chain, where PREbiotics feed the PRObiotics which ferment into POSTbiotics.
To go deeper, check out these three articles on the website of the International Food Information Council.
Until next time, eat healthy and comment below!
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(cover photo credit: Andres Ayrton via pexels)
(1) Food Insight. “Gut Check: Prebiotics and the Microbiome,” September 8, 2018. https://foodinsight.org/gut-check-prebiotics-and-the-microbiome/.