Are postbiotics key to the potential benefits of fermented foods?

Abstract

There has been an explosion in the availability of fermented food products on our supermarket shelves in recent years, marketed for purported benefits on gut health, the gut microbiome, and general health. But what is the evidence underlying the health benefits claimed? Most people are familiar with the idea that fermented foods can contain probiotics and prebiotics. However, fermented foods can also contain postbiotics—a lesser known term among fermented food-consuming gut-health die-hards. Indeed, postbiotics have been under increasing investigation in the research context with regards to their influence on the microbiome, inflammation, and gut physiology. Although there is still debate as to how to define postbiotics, the latest consensus statement from the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) defines a postbiotic as “a preparation of inanimate [dead] microorganisms and/or their components that confers a health benefit on the host”. Heat-inactivated Bifidobacterium bifidum MIMBb75 (SYN-HI-001) in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trialThis study shows that B bifidum HI-MIMBb75 substantially alleviates IBS and its symptoms in a real-life setting. These results indicate that specific beneficial bacterial effects are mediated independently of cell viability. Full-Text PDF

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