You probably know a little about probiotics, those living microorganisms found in certain foods that are good for your gut health, right? And prebiotics. Do you have the low-down on them? What about postbiotics or even synbiotics?

The word pro means in favor of, and biotic means living organism, so probiotic means in support of life. If that’s the case, probiotics must be good for you. In most cases, probiotics are safe and can benefit your health. However, everyone’s health and bodies are different. Your gut microbiome—the collection of bacteria in your gut—is unique and exists in a delicate balance. So, a probiotic food or supplement that helps you might not help someone else. Consulting with your healthcare practitioner is always important when considering diet or supplement changes.

Popular Probiotics

According to the International Probiotics Association, most probiotic organisms belong to the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium genuses or subdivisions. However, many genuses, species, and strains of bacteria bloom in the human gastrointestinal tract at any one time. The Lactobacillus genus contains about 80 recognized species, the most well-known being Lactobacillus acidophilus. The major by-products of Lactobacilli fermentation are lactic and acetic acids. Studies have found that lactic and acetic acids can improve digestion, manage intestinal infections, and possibly help reduce body fat.

Bifidobacterium is the most abundant genus of good bacteria in the human gastrointestinal tract. It has been noted that this genus may boost overall immunity, improve diarrhea and constipation issues, and possibly provide support against eczema in infants and children.

Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium have been researched for their distinct benefits. Here’s a list of just a few health studies and their findings:

Lactobacillus acidophilus may help reduce bad cholesterol

Lactobacillus rhamnosus may support vaginal health

Lactobacillus casei may reduce the severity of rheumatoid arthritis

Lactobacillus salivarius may help relieve issues associated with acne

Bifidobacterium bifidum may reduce problems associated with atopic dermatitis

Bifidobacterium lactis may provide support against eczema in infants and children

When considering a probiotic, it is best to consult a healthcare practitioner to determine the most beneficial type for your specific health conditions.

Who should take probiotics?

Most healthcare practitioners say that almost anyone can benefit from taking a probiotic. They are often generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for most people. Many lifestyle factors negatively impact gut health, such as poor diet, stress, medications, and tobacco or alcohol use. Taking a probiotic could add a protective layer to your digestive system, helping it maintain balance and overall health.

One 2017 review, however, suggested that children and adults with severe illnesses or compromised immune systems should not take probiotics. Again, your healthcare practitioner is the best person to ask whether you are a good candidate for probiotics or any other supplementation.

What are Postbiotics?

It is well established that probiotics can provide several health benefits by modulating the gut microbiome; however, some research findings suggest that functional limitations, such as viability controls, have hampered probiotics’ full application potential.

Harvard Women’s Watch physicians Toni Golen, MD, and Hope Ricciotti, MD, define postbiotics this way: Postbiotics are the waste left behind after your body digests both prebiotics and probiotics. Healthy postbiotics include nutrients, such as vitamins B and K, amino acids, and substances called antimicrobial peptides that help slow down the growth of harmful bacteria. Other postbiotic substances called short-chain fatty acids also help healthy bacteria flourish.

Therefore, some in the industry are starting to focus on postbiotics as a valuable tool for wellness.

A 2020 report in the peer-reviewed Microbial Cell Factories journal states that postbiotics may have some advantages over probiotics, including availability in their pure form, ease of production and storage, and that they may be more likely to trigger targeted responses.

Postbiotics should not be confused with paraprobiotics, which are immobilized probiotics. Paraprobiotics have recently been gaining traction due to their perceived better tolerance by children and severely ill or immunocompromised patients. When ingested, paraprobiotics may produce positive biological responses and/or restore intestinal homeostasis.

Like probiotics, healthy adults may want to increase their intake of fermented foods to help produce healthful benefits to their gut microbiome.

Fermented foods such as kefir, kimchi, kombucha, miso, sauerkraut, tempeh, and yogurt are often recommended to help produce healthy gut bacteria.

A Good Start: Prebiotics

Prebiotics act as food for probiotics. They are carbohydrates your body can’t digest, so they go to your lower digestive tract and help healthy bacteria grow. Foods with healthful amounts of fiber are considered prebiotics. Beans, wheat bran, Jerusalem artichoke, garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale break down to create substances that help probiotics grow and thrive in your gut.

Prebiotic supplement ingredients often include one or more of the following: fructans (inulin and fructooligosaccharides [FOS]), galactooligosaccharides [GOS], resistant starch [RS], polydextrose, pectin, and rhamnose. FOS and GOS are the most well-known prebiotics. Because they are fiber, some who take prebiotic supplements may experience uncomfortable bloating and gas.

Combining Good Bacteria

There is another biotic that may be new to many people: synbiotics. These are prebiotics and probiotics combined to help ensure that the digestion-friendly microorganisms arrive in the gut alive and well. The prebiotics in synbiotics nourish the gut, creating a supportive environment for the probiotics to have a better chance of proliferating. Some recent research findings suggest that synbiotic supplements may be more effective for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other bowel disorders. In 2017, the Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences conducted a study that found synbiotic supplementation in patients with diabetes significantly reduced triglycerides and total cholesterol.

All this talk about bacteria may be a bit confusing. Simply put:

• Prebiotics are the food for beneficial bacteria. Probiotics are good bacteria.
• Synbiotics are a combination of prebiotics and probiotics that may work more effectively in some people to plant and grow good bacteria in your gut.
• Postbiotics are the chemicals released from probiotics that manage the good and bad bacteria in your gut.

To learn more about which biotic, if any, is best for you, contact your healthcare professional.