Pre vs Pro vs Postbiotics And The Role Of Kombucha On The Gut

Prebiotics, Probiotics, Postbiotics. What are they?

Most of us have heard about probiotics – the good bacteria found in foods such as yoghurt and kombucha which help keep our gut microbiome healthy and balanced. But did you know that there are also prebiotics and postbiotics? Our bodies require all three of them for a well balanced gut microbiome.

How are Prebiotics, Probiotics and Postbiotics related to one another?

Probiotics are living microorganisms including bacteria and yeasts that have beneficial qualities to their host. Prebiotics are the food that Probiotics feed on and that go on to form Postbiotics.

What are Prebiotics?

Prebiotics are the food sources for the Probiotics in your gut. Prebiotics are found in foods that we humans can’t digest on our own such as fiber. Our gut bacteria, on the other hand, feed on and digest these prebiotics to produce nutrients for our digestive system. 

The microbes (probiotics) that survive in our gut are those that have plenty of food (prebiotics) to eat. If you put out seeds in your garden, they will welcome birds to visit and encourage birds to stay. Similarly, if we provide the right food, the microbes that like to eat it will come and stay in our gut. As such, taking more prebiotics increases the number and diversity of gut microbes. 

Prebiotics may help in the absorption of several minerals, modulate the immune system, and reduce inflammation. 

What are Probiotics?

Probiotics feed on prebiotics and produce postbiotics which are beneficial to us and make our gut healthier. Taking more probiotics will increase the amount and diversity of the bacteria in our gut. Probiotics naturally support the good bacteria and reduce the growth of pathogenic microbes in our gut.

Probiotic products may help alleviate symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea linked to taking antibiotics and lactose intolerance. Probiotics are also known to lower the risk and shorten the period of gut and respiratory infections.

What are Postbiotics?

Postbiotics are the waste molecules produced from the digestion of prebiotics (food) by the probiotics (gut microbes). Postbiotics can also be derived from dead cells and parts of cells produced by the gut microbiome.

Research has found hundreds of postbiotic chemicals that improve overall health. Keeping our gut microbiome robust and healthy (by feeding it regularly and well with prebiotics and probiotics) supports the continual production of positive postbiotics. Postbiotics may help to boost immunity, reduce inflammation, kill harmful microbes, improve metabolic function, and maintain cell health. 

Did you know that you share about 30% of the same gut microbes with an unrelated person and that even identical twins only share approximately 34% of the same gut microbes as one another? Your gut microbiome is unique to you, but it is not permanent. Unlike your genes, you can modify your gut microbiome by taking more prebiotics and probiotics to improve your overall health!

How to get more Prebiotics and Probiotics?

Prebiotics are found in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. To get more prebiotics, you can incorporate asparagus, onions, whole grains, oats, bananas, lentils, and chickpeas into your diet.

Probiotics are found in fermented foods such as yoghurt, kimchi, sauerkraut (fermented cabbage), tempeh (fermented soybeans), and kombucha (fermented tea). 

Kombucha is a sweet and sour fermented tea drink that contains probiotics. Tea and sugar, combined with SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) ferment to become kombucha. You may have seen this trending drink gaining popularity in recent years, but this fermented tea has been around for centuries. 

If you are looking for a healthier alternative to sodas and want to improve your gut health, try kombucha and you might just fall in love with it! If you are looking to buy Kombucha Powder in Singapore, we are here to help. Here at Elixr Inc, we believe that taste and health go together, and we constantly improve to bring you the highest quality artisan kombucha. 

What’s more, we offer kombucha delivery in Singapore to make receiving your healthy drinks fuss-free.

Browse through our site to learn more about our kombucha starter kits if you want to try making you own!