Could postbiotics become the most powerful ‘biotic’ yet? Here’s what the experts say about the gut health supplements

Postbiotics are microorganisms that offer health benefits but they're perhaps the least known - (Getty Images)

We’ve grown somewhat familiar with probiotics as gut health has enjoyed its moment in the spotlight. Then of course, there are prebiotics. But it’s the third biotic: postbiotics that’s now gaining the attention of health and wellness-conscious consumers.

Unlike prebiotics which are found in high-fibre foods and feed good bacteria in our guts, and probiotics – the beneficial live bacteria found in foods and supplements – postbiotics are bioactive compounds produced by those live bacteria after prebiotic fibre is fermented in the gut. They are essentially the end products of probiotic activity.