Why Postbiotics May Be More Important Than Probiotics
When it comes to gut bacteria, it’s not about who is there, but about what they are doing
The gut microbiome has been one of the most exciting areas in nutrition science for at least a decade. Thousands of studies, if not more, have been published describing how certain types of bacteria that live all throughout our GI tract can either be detrimental or beneficial to our health.
The bacteria living in our gut can, directly and indirectly, influence the functioning of other organs and tissues in our body such as the brain and immune system. Moreover, gut bacteria have an important role in regulating our appetite and even how we metabolize food into energy.
Despite the obvious importance of our gut bacteria for our health and well-being, a major question that I have always asked is “Yes, we know that these bacteria are in our intestine and affecting our biochemistry, but how are they doing it?” Just knowing that the bacteria are there is not enough. We have to look past the question of “who is there” and instead begin looking at “what they are doing”.
Fortunately, nutrition science is catching up to this realization and it’s incredibly exciting. Here, I want to discuss how our gut bacteria ACTUALLY affect our…
