How Postbiotics Help Your Gut (& Overall Health) Thrive
When it comes to nutrients for gut health, probiotics are likely the first thing to come to mind. Prebiotics are also (thankfully) starting to get their share of attention too, as the fiber that feeds beneficial bacteria. But did you know there's a third player in the gut health equation that often gets overlooked? We're talking about postbiotics.
These are the compounds produced by the beneficial microbes in your gut microbiome. A new research review1 takes a comprehensive look at postbiotics, including what they are, how they work in the body, and why researchers believe they could become a key component of future functional foods and health products.
Here's what you need to know.
What are postbiotics
Postbiotics2 are beneficial compounds produced by microbes, especially during the digestion of fiber and other nutrients.
Researchers of this recent review outlined how these compounds form and why they're gaining attention in nutrition and health research.
Many postbiotics are created when gut microbes ferment fiber in the colon. During this process, microbes release substances such as:
- Short-chain fatty acids
- Enzymes
- Peptides
- Cell fragments and other microbial compounds
These compounds play an important role in how the gut communicates with the rest of the body. Research suggests postbiotics may support health through several pathways, including strengthening the gut lining, supporting immune balance, and helping regulate metabolism.Postbiotics appear to support health through several pathways, including strengthening the gut lining, supporting immune balance, and helping regulate metabolism.
How postbiotics support health
The review outlined several key pathways through which postbiotics may support overall wellness:
- Strengthening the gut barrier: Your intestinal lining acts as a gatekeeper, deciding what gets absorbed into your bloodstream and what stays out. Postbiotics—particularly SCFAs like butyrate—help maintain the integrity of this barrier, keeping it strong and functional. This is especially important for overall longevity and reducing inflammation.
- Reducing inflammation: Chronic, low-grade inflammation is linked to a wide range of health concerns. Postbiotics appear to help regulate immune responses and calm inflammatory pathways in the gut, which can have ripple effects throughout the body.
- Supporting metabolism: The review noted that postbiotics may benefit metabolic health by modulating gut microbiota composition, regulating microbial metabolites, and improving intestinal barrier function—all of which play a role in how your body processes nutrients and maintains energy balance.
- Communicating with the nervous system: The gut-brain axis is a two-way communication highway between your digestive system and your brain. Postbiotics contribute to this conversation, with some research suggesting they may influence mood, cognition, and stress responses through this pathway. This connection is one reason why diet plays such an important role in brain health.
Foods that boost postbiotics
Supporting postbiotic production typically means supporting a healthy microbiome.
- Fermented dairy foods: Some research suggests3 that fermented dairy products, like yogurt and kefir, may support microbial diversity and help maintain gut barrier function—likely due to a combination of live microbes and fermentation-derived compounds.
- Prebiotic fibers: Fiber-rich foods help fuel the production of postbiotics in the gut. When beneficial microbes ferment prebiotic fibers, they produce compounds like short-chain fatty acids and other metabolites that support gut and metabolic health. To encourage this process, focus on foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, and resistant starch sources such as cooked and cooled potatoes or green bananas.
- Polyphenol-rich foods: Colorful plant foods like berries, dark chocolate, green tea, and olive oil contain polyphenols that gut bacteria can metabolize into health-promoting molecules. Research shows4 that dietary fibers, polyphenols, and resistant starch can all be transformed by gut microorganisms into beneficial postbiotic compounds.
- Prebiotic fiber supplements. If you're looking to boost your intake, supplements containing prebiotic fibers like (inulin, psyllium husk, guar beans, or soluble vegetable fiber) can help promote beneficial bacteria growth and contribute to SCFA production. These fibers essentially give your gut bacteria more raw material to work with, increasing postbiotic output. Here's our expert-vetted list of the best prebiotic supplements.
The takeaway
Postbiotics are gaining attention for their potential to support gut, immune, and metabolic health—but the most effective way to encourage their production is still through everyday gut-friendly habits. Prioritizing prebiotic-rich fibers, enjoying fermented foods, and eating plenty of polyphenol-rich plant foods can help nourish beneficial microbes that naturally produce these helpful compounds.