Recent Blog Articles

Pouring from an empty cup? Three ways to refill emotionally

Give praise to the elbow: A bending, twisting marvel

Sneezy and dopey? Seasonal allergies and your brain

The FDA relaxes restrictions on blood donation

Apps to accelerometers: Can technology improve mental health in older adults?

Swimming and skin: What to know if a child has eczema

A muscle-building obsession in boys: What to know and do

Natural disasters strike everywhere: Ways to help protect your health

Dementia: Coping with common, sometimes distressing behaviors

Screening tests may save lives — so when is it time to stop?
Nutrition
What are postbiotics?
- By Toni Golen, MD, Contributor; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing, and
- Hope Ricciotti, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch
Ask the doctors
Q. I know about prebiotics and probiotics, but I recently heard the term postbiotics. Can you explain what they are?
A. As you may already know, probiotics are living microorganisms found in certain foods, such as yogurt, sauerkraut, and some cheeses, which are crucial to good digestion. When you eat these foods, it helps your digestive tract and overall wellness by promoting a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria and other microorganisms in your gut microbiome, a collection of 100 trillion tiny critters living in your intestines.
Prebiotics act as food for the probiotics. Foods with healthy amounts of fiber, such as beans, whole grains, and certain vegetables, break down in your body to create substances that help probiotics to grow and thrive within your gut.
So, what are postbiotics? This term refers to 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 to slow down the growth of harmful bacteria. Other postbiotic substances called short-chain fatty acids help healthy bacteria flourish.
You can increase the amount of useful postbiotics in your system by increasing your intake of fermented foods, such as kefir, tempeh, and kimchi. Focusing on getting enough of the foods that promote a mix of healthy gut bacteria may help improve your overall health.
Image: © Mikhail Dmitriev/Getty Images
About the Authors

Toni Golen, MD, Contributor; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing

Hope Ricciotti, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
You might also be interested in…

Benefits of Probiotic Foods: Using good bacteria for better health
In this information-packed guide, you’ll learn how probiotics can give your health a major boost. The latest research shows that probiotic foods may offer benefits against a range of health conditions, including allergies, arthritis, asthma, cancer, depression, heart disease, and gastrointestinal (GI) problems. Probiotics may even help with weight loss! With this Harvard Medical School Guide, you’ll discover which probiotic foods are right for your health needs.
Free Healthbeat Signup
Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox!