Explaining Metabolites & Postbiotics

All cells gain their nutrition through metabolism, even single celled organisms like bacteria.  

Cells don’t have digestive tracts so their nutrients need to be in liquid form.  This allows cells to directly absorb nutrients.  All cells have the ability to either metabolize nutrients for energy or break them down into smaller and smaller molecular forms known as “metabolites”.  Cells can mix nutritional metabolites together to make whole new chemical substances, including ones that didn’t exist in the original foods. These are also still known as metabolites but some researchers prefer to use the term secondary metabolites.  

As single celled organisms, probiotic bacteria also gain their nutrients through metabolism. However, with bacteria, it’s a specific type of metabolism which is also known as fermentation. Some researchers prefer to call probiotic metabolites “postbiotics” - a term which identifies the metabolites originated from a probiotic.  The term postbiotics includes nutritional postbiotics as well as secondary postbiotics made from nutrients (ie: whole new chemicals).  Because all cells make metabolites, including cells in plants, animals or humans, having a separate term like postbiotic avoids confusion. Still, some researchers prefer to use expressions like “a metabolite of L Casei” or “a postbiotic metabolite of L casei”.    

So why do cells make metabolites? Basically a cell’s only means of defence and communication is via chemicals. Unlike higher life forms, cells lack the defence and communication advantages provided by teeth, arms, legs, and vocal cords.  When considering how probiotic bacteria confer all their benefits through postbiotics, it’s helpful to think chemical warfare and chemical communication. These metabolites (or postbiotics) have a major impact on health.

Research Shows that Postbiotics are Key

Researchers used to believe the number one benefit our gut bacteria conferred was towards digestive health. Now they say the top benefit is how postbiotics control our gene expression and immune system. Postbiotics influence the creation of the appropriate immune antibodies to fight off cancer, viruses and other threats. They are also a key epigenetic factor determining whether our genes express in a healthy or unhealthy way. (For more info see “Postbiotics: the Goal Behind taking Probiotic and Prebiotics, and “Making Health Generating Postbiotics”)

Mother Nature’s Probiotic Design

When Mother Nature manufactures a probiotic, she uses a holistic, ecosystem approach;  not one based on presenting probiotics, prebiotics, or postbiotics as “isolates”. Yet 99% + of probiotic supplements on the market are based on isolates made in labs using artificial processing and ingredients.  For example, they’re often processed powdered probiotics in a capsule with zero whole food prebiotics or postbiotics. In the rare case where a “prebiotic” has been added, it often consists of one nutrient such as inulin isolated from one plant, chicory.  New Beginnings probiotic is so unique because the developer Erik Neilson believed probiotics should be provided the way Nature designed.

In a healthy ecosystem, prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics always appear together. Mother Nature uses natural fermentation as the process, whole plants (not nutrient isolates) as the prebiotic raw ingredients, and the end result is postbiotic compounds made by the good bacteria.   Researchers have called postbiotics the entire point or goal behind taking probiotics or prebiotics in the first place.  Postbiotic compounds are how single celled probiotics confer all their benefits. (Also read: “Postbiotics, the goal behind taking prebiotics and probiotics”)    

It’s important to note that natural postbiotics are always in liquid form with an acidic pH.  In this form, nutrient postbiotics are able to permeate the walls of other cells and achieve benefits for themselves and/or their host. For example, “organic acids” are a type of postbiotic which is one method they use to destroy pathogens - pathogens are almost always alkaline and, therefore, damaged by acids.  Organic acids are also intricately involved in modulating inflammatory effects within their host’s body. (Also read: “The many roles of organic acids”).  New Beginnings contains whole food prebiotics (19 organic herbs), live probiotics (not dehydration processed), and nutritional postbiotics like the organic acids in their natural liquid, acid pH form.  

New Beginnings® truly follows Nature’s design and provides plant-based prebiotics, live probiotics, and fermented nutritional postbiotics all in their natural liquid, acid state. For consumers who prefer a 100% organic and wholistic approach to probiotic health, New Beginnings® gives them that option.    

Postbiotics are Mostly Called Something Else!

Postbiotic metabolites are known by many different names in research papers so it’s helpful to know some of the more common ones. Postbiotics is a very broad term.  

Researchers tend to use other names which clarify their function or something else about them.  Below is a list of common names divided into four subcategories (the postbiotic usually includes the name of probiotic bacteria it originated from,  but in this context I use an “X”  which you can imagine to be whichever probiotic you choose).   Most postbiotics are externally secreted liquids of a specific probiotic. Some postbiotics are internal to the probiotic. Once they die, their postbiotic internal liquids and their cell wall components are released. Some postbiotic names are based on the function they perform.  

The 4th category identifies the postbiotic according to the acid group it belongs to, or identifies it as a nutrient or somehow related to a nutrient.  

1) External to the Probiotic: secreted factor  of X,  soluble substance of X, exogenous compound of X, cell free supernatant (CFS) of X

2) Internal to the Probiotic: endogenous substance of X,  a ghost probiotic of X, heat killed X, Intracellular Contents of X,  a metabiotic,  a parabiotic.

3) By FunctionBacteriocins (postbiotics that kill bad bacteria but leave good bacteria alone), an immunobiotic (a postbiotic that modulates its host’s immune system), neurotransmitters, hormones, enzymes.

4) By Nutrient or pHShort chain fatty acids, organic acids, lactic acids, soluble proteins, lipoxins,  enterolignans (the absorbable postbiotic form of lignans),  Vitamin B12, Vitamin K,  Urolithin (a postbiotic made from the phytonutrient “ellegic acid” found in plant fibres (they have strong anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant effects).  

Important  Pre/ Pro/ Postbiotic Considerations:

“Pretreatment” is a word seen in probiotic and postbiotic studies. It means probiotic bacteria produce benefits via their postbiotics, and postbiotics require time to build up in their host’s system to produce effects. In flu studies, the pretreatment required to experience protection from the flu averages 1-2 weeks for probiotics, and about half that time if directly taking a postbiotic prior to getting the flu. For benefits against an ongoing immune problem like asthma or seasonal allergies, postbiotic pretreatment of 3 months is the average.

Longer fermentation times increase benefits.  

While plant foods fermented a few days are nutritious, they don’t necessarily produce postbiotics that match benefits produced in studies unless they’re fermented for longer time periods like more than a week or several weeks. Benefits improve as fermentation time increases.

Postbiotics in their natural form are liquids with an acidic pH.

Postbiotic are liquid compounds that can either be secreted outside the probiotic or be internal to the probiotic. If they’re internal liquids or part of the probiotic’s cell wall, the benefits are conferred when the probiotic dies and any solid parts are made liquid by other probiotics.

Liquid delivery to Microbiome’s throughout the digestive tract.

Postbiotics natural liquid form allows researchers to deliver benefits closer to whatever microbiome they’re targeting. For example: when researchers are trying to protect the respiratory tract from a flu infection, they might use either a liquid option to reach the airway microbiome,  or a liquid nasal spray to reach it. Both options deliver benefits closer to the lungs. Other microbiomes include the oral microbiome (in the mouth), the esophageal, stomach microbiome, and small intestine microbiomes. Being liquid allows postbiotics to directly go to these areas too. Other researchers are adding postbiotics to intravenous drips. This enables them to target other body parts, not just the digestive tract.

Made in response to Needs:

Our probiotic bacteria make postbiotics in response to needs. For example they only make anti- flu postbiotics when we come in contact with a flu virus. Nutritional postbiotics contained in long fermented phytonutrient rich foods or beverages,  act as building blocks for secondary postbiotics that are made when the need arises (like flu postbiotics).

Probiotics specialize in creating different postbiotics and often need a specific phytonutrient or set of phytonutrients to make them.  

Not all probiotics are equal at producing benefits. They each have their own areas of specialty (Also see “Flu Postbiotic Research” for examples of how specific combinations of bacteria and nutrients are often needed to produce postbiotics with the desired benefits).

Organic Acids Research:

Organic Acids are compounds made probiotic bacteria during lactic acid fermentation. The fermentation can happen either inside our digestive tract or outside in the bacterial fermentations used to create sauerkrauts, and other traditional foods. (Not to be confused with yeast fermented products like beer, sourdough bread, or kombucha ( which is fermented with yeast and bacteria).

1) "Effects against Pathogens"- Rosanna Inturri et al (2019) examines the effects of postbiotic acids secreted by B. Longum and L. Rhamnusus ( externally secreted postbiotics are often referred to as supernatants) against a range of common pathogenic intestinal bacteria and yeasts (including various e-coli and salmonella strains as well as numerous strains of Candida.) The highest inhibitory effects produced by a supernatant had a fermented  acid pH of 3.49.  Researchers also pH neutralized the supernatants but found the greatest range of inhibitory effects happened when they were left in their natural organic acid state.  (For use in food safety see: E. Mani-Lopez et al (2012) “Organic acids as antimicrobials to control Salmonella in meat and poultry”)  

2) Stimulate Peristalsis- Encyclopedia of Food Sciences and Nutrition (second edition 2003, editor A.L. McCartney) states “ the production of organic acids (acetic and lactic) by bifidobacteria inhibits the growth of pathogenic organisms (directly and indirectly) and stimulates intestinal peristalsis.  

3) Prevent and Downregulate Leaky Gut- in “Probiotic Cell Free Supernatants (CFS) exhibited anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant activity on Human Gut Epithelial Cells”, Stefania De Marco et al (2018) provide further evidence postbiotic supernatants, particularly those secreted by L. Acidophilus and L. Casei, support the use of probiotic metabolites in preventing and down regulating intestinal epithelial cell inflammation. An earlier study by F. Maghsood et al (2017) investigated supernatants of L. Acidophilus + L. Rhamnusus and results indicated they have anti-inflammatory effects and can modulate inflammatory responses.  

4) Ease Digestive pain: In “Pain regulation by gut microbiota: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential”,  Ran Guo et al. (Nov 2019) discuss how postbiotic metabolites of probiotic bacteria like L. Acidophilus help modulate and manage many types of pain, not just in the digestive tract but elsewhere in the body including headaches and nerve pain.  

5) Increase nutrient Absorption: in “Organic acids and the potential for modifying avian gastroIntestinal Tract and Reducing Pathogens/Disease”, Dana Dittoe et al 2018 discuss growing antibiotic resistance problems in poultry. They show organic acids provide enhanced nutrient digestibility and are a valid alternative to antibiotics to protect poultry from pathogens.  Nutrient breakdown begins with acids in the upper digestive tract (stomach etc) and probiotic organic acids continue that work to increase absorption.

6) Anti-Inflammatory effects: In “Short Chain Fatty acids alone or in combination regulate select immune functions”, Tyler J Wenzel et al (2020) discuss how postbiotic acids and other probiotic metabolites are involved in regulating systemic inflammation.

Infant Colic

Human babies are born without a microbiome and establish their own unique mix of bacteria as they age. One of the first bifido bacteria to colonize in human infants is B. animalis.  Its high resistance to stomach acids makes B. animalis a good candidate to add to infant formulas. According to author E.M.M. Quigley in his textbook  “The Microbiota in GastroIntestinal Pathophysiology” published 2017, studies have identified a number of B. animalis properties that could be clinically relevant including immune modulation and enhancement of gut barrier function. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/bifidobacterium-animalis

“Infant colic is a functional gastrointestinal disorder that affects up to 25% of infants in their first 3 months of life.” Italian researchers Rita Nocerino et al (Dec 2019) performed a double blind, placebo controlled study to access the effects of B. Animalis on infant colic. Their goal was to achieve a 50% or greater reduction in duration of crying. Their secondary goal was to achieve fewer episodes of crying, and increased sleep times.

The study outlines many problems associated with infant colic. They point out that while infant colic isn’t life threatening, it’s a major source of stress on infants, parents and everyone else in the family or involved in their care. It is also associated with shaken baby syndrome, postpartum depression for the Mom,  multiple trips to the doctor,  as well as long term adverse outcomes like greater risk of allergies and behaviour problems.  

The study did show success defined as a greater than 50% reduction in crying duration, and met secondary goals  defined as less frequent crying episodes, and beneficial effects on sleep duration as well as stool frequency and consistency. The reduced daily average crying was evident in the first week in infants who received the B. animalis supplemented infant formula.  

One important finding regarded the increased levels of the postbiotic  “butyrate.”, an acid categorized as one of the short chain fatty acids  Here is a quote from the study “Butyrate is a major gut microbiota metabolite able to exert  a wide range of beneficial actions at intestinal and extra-intestinal level. Butyrate modulates the intestinal transit time, visceral and central pain perception, and gut brain axis, and exerts a powerful anti-inflammatory action.” Note: for more studies backing up these findings see R. Nocerino references # 34-46 which cite a dozen studies on verifying butyrate effects, and how it can be produced either directly or indirectly.  

While B animals does not directly make butyrate, it indirectly increases butyrate production in the host’s body by cross feeding other commensal bacteria (ie ones that can create butyrate by “feeding on” postbiotics made by B. animalis.   B animalis and L. Rhamnusus have been associated with reduced incidence and duration of rotavirus diarrhea in children (Gaundalini et al. (2000)  Reference to this study made in the book “FGunctional Foods” 2nd edition, 2011,   lead Editor Maria Saarela, Woodhead publishing.