Postbiotics can potentially act in many of the same ways that probiotics can.2 They may interact with intestinal cells, immune cells, and bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. Taking a postbiotic could result in one or more of these effects:1,2
- Gut microbiota modification
- Intestinal barrier improvement
- Signaling through the host’s nervous system
- Metabolism modification
- Immune-modulation
Preclinical and clinical studies for a postbiotic of interest, for example HT-PS23, may reveal the mechanisms and/or beneficial effects it can provide. These may be the same or different from those of the same strain when it is alive. In fact, a postbiotic may be beneficial even if the live cells do not have any measurable health benefits.
References:
1. Hill, C., et al. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2014;11(8):506-514. doi:10.1038/nrgastro.2014.66
2. Salminen, S. et al. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2021;18(9):649-667. doi:10.1038/s41575-021-00440-6