Over the past few decades, there’s been a lot of research devoted to understanding gut health. And for good reason. Good health begins in the gut. So, while you’re probably familiar with probiotics and prebiotics, you might be wondering… What exactly are postbiotics?
When it comes to gut health, postbiotics are fairly new to the digestive research scene. But postbiotics have always been around and have the potential to significantly impact overall health. So it’s worthwhile to get a bit more familiar with this piece of the gut health puzzle.
Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about postbiotics and how to get more into your gut.
All health begins in the gut
Your gut is a powerhouse that serves your entire body — including your brain. In fact, the brain communicates with the microbes that line your gut and research suggests this can affect everything from mood to metabolism.
While science is still studying the impact of gut health, what is widely known is that gut microbes that are out of balance can affect stress, sleep, immunity, metabolism, weight, hormones, and digestive issues. Pretty much everything!
The bottom line is it's crucial to have a balanced gut. So, what exactly does that involve? Well, this is where pro-, pre-, and postbiotics come into play.
Prebiotics + Probiotics = Postbiotics
Although similar in sound, pre-, pro- and postbiotic all have very different roles and functions. And you need prebiotics and probiotics in order to get postbiotics. So, to understand the role of postbiotics you’ll need a little 101 on probiotics and prebiotics.
Probiotics
There is a constant balance between good and bad bacteria in your gut. Probiotics are made of friendly live bacteria that naturally live in your body. Friendly bacteria help keep everything in balance. Your gut needs a good balance of healthy or friendly bacteria to support overall health.
Probiotics are a great way to add good bacteria to your body. Some probiotic foods include yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, pickles, tempeh, kimchi, miso, kombucha, and buttermilk
Prebiotics
So, what feeds those helpful bacteria? Prebiotics! Prebiotics are a source of fiber known as fermentable soluble fiber that feed the good bacteria in your gut. This type of fiber bypasses digestion and makes its way to your colon where it can metabolize and ferment.
Although there are many kinds of prebiotics, the most common are found in inulin, pectic, and resistant starches. Good sources of prebiotics include asparagus, dandelion greens, garlic, leeks, onions, barley, oats, beans, rice, legumes, and fresh fruit.
Postbiotics
This takes us to postbiotics. Postbiotics are the “waste product” left behind after your body digests both prebiotics and probiotics. So, without pre- and probiotics you can’t have postbiotics.
But postbiotics are not just a byproduct of pre- and probiotics. They have an important function all on their own. They help heal digestive issues like gas and bloating. They strengthen your immune system and help prevent illness. They can help reduce the severity of some allergies and can even help you lose weight.
How to get more postbiotics into your diet?
In a perfect world you could get everything you need from a carefully prepared diet. And you can certainly increase the amount of useful postbiotics in your gut by eating more fermented and fibrous foods daily. But life is not always perfect.
In reality, life is busy and complicated. And it can be difficult to get the optimal amount of nutrients, prebiotics, and probiotics into your daily diet.
Island Bliss makes it easy to get more postbiotics
Island Bliss is an easy and delicious way to get more prebiotics and probiotics into your diet daily to help your body create the postbiotics it needs to thrive. This tasty tropical green drink is vitality-lifting, energy-boosting, and gut-nourishing. *
Plus, Island Bliss is a powerful green drink that doesn’t taste chalky, grassy, or bitter. In fact, it tastes delicious when mixed with just water!
It provides supergreens, prebiotics, probiotics, antioxidants, minerals, phytonutrients, and other energy boosting superfoods to support metabolism, healthy aging, and natural energy levels.
If you often feel bloated, gassy, moody, and struggling to lose weight, then you might need to show your gut some love. Island Bliss is an easy, delicious, and convenient way to bring balance back into your gut. Click the link below to get yours today!
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.