Editor's Note:
In recent years, the popularity of the probiotic market has led to the development of other microecological products, such as prebiotics, synbiotic preparations, and postbiotics. However, as far as the post-shengyuan is concerned, although it is still in the early stage of research and development, there are already related products that have entered the market. So, how effective and reliable are the post-generation products? What are the challenges facing the development of the industry?
Today, we pay special attention to the post-biotic supplement market, and hope that this article can bring some inspiration and help to relevant industry professionals and readers.
(1) The "wreckage" of probiotics
Over the past decade, the use of probiotic supplements has become one of the most important means of supporting gut health and immunity, and probiotic products have generated significant revenue for supplement companies. But these companies are not satisfied with this, and they want to make the term "postbiotics" the new fashion.
When microbes, such as bacteria and fungi, die, they lyse into smaller pieces such as amino acids, cell wall fragments, and other lysates that may benefit people's health. And these ingredients that are beneficial to human health are called "post-generation".
In 2021, the nonprofit International Association for The Science of Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) defined epigenetics as "a preparation of inanimate microorganisms and/or their ingredients that are beneficial to host health." "It can be seen that the biggest difference between probiotics and probiotics is that probiotics are alive, and afterlife is dead."
In short, if prebiotics are the "food" that feeds probiotics, then the most important class of postbiotics is the "wreckage" with health benefits that probiotics produce after they die.
(2) What is the effectiveness of the post-generation product?
Because probiotics are "dead," they may have a longer shelf life than live probiotics, so they may be more widely used in supplements and foods. But it's too early to tell whether the probiotic can be as beneficial and effective as probiotics, as scientists are still conducting more comprehensive research into the ingredient.
"Because the probiotics contain the cell wall material and metabolites of beneficial bacteria, the direct use of metabolites of beneficial bacteria may indeed bring benefits to the human body." Andrea M. Liceaga, an associate professor of food science at Purdue University in Indiana, said. But, Liceaga says, many of the reports of efficacy have only been in vitro studies, and "more clinical trials are still needed to fully understand whether they can improve human health." ”
The key to developing post-biogenetic supplements is to understand which "wreckage" of microbes is used at what doses to benefit health.
To date, in vitro and animal studies have revealed that different probiotic components may have different effects, including antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, inhibition of cancer cell growth, protection of immune system health, etc. But these studies need to be repeated in humans before specific progeny supplementation recommendations can be developed.
In Europe, some human-tested afterlife supplements are already on the market. Pylopass, for example, consists of inactivated cells from Lactobacillus reuteri and is used to help control ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori. There is also Lacteol Fort, made from inanimate Lactobacillus acidophilus cells, used to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
These brands are not yet available in the U.S., but some stores in the U.S. are currently selling supplements containing butyrates, or a new "three-in-one" product made up of prebiotics, probiotics, and epigenetics.
But butyrates have also caused heated debate. While ISAPP doesn't strictly classify butyrate as an aftereatic, that doesn't stop many supplement companies from marketing it as an aftereacon — often as a weight loss supplement.
The scientific evidence for butyrate for weight loss is mixed. Gregor Reid, professor emeritus at Westtown University, said: "If you eat fast food every day, even if you take all the butyrates in the world, you are unlikely to lose weight successfully. There is no panacea for weight loss unless you are making lifestyle and dietary changes at the same time. ”
Some people don't produce enough butyrate in their gut, which can lead to weight gain. But the inability to produce enough butyrate in the gut is likely to indicate a problem with the digestive system, so it may not be possible to solve the problem simply by taking butyrate supplements.
"If you take probiotics, eat fermented foods, and prebiotics, you'll gradually form a better gut flora in your gut, so you'll produce more butyrates and become healthier," Reid says. If you just take butyrate supplements, you won't be able to cure the problem. ”
What about three-in-one composite products? "You have to be cautious," warns Mary Ellen Sanders, executive scientist at ISAPP, "and if a product uses words like 'prebiotics,' 'probiotics,' or 'postbiotics,' each ingredient in that product must be independently tested and proven to be beneficial to the human body." Consumers must check whether these ingredients have such research. ”
Ideally, specific types of epigenetics would only be sold after clinical studies have determined health benefits and the correct dosage, but this is not the case with the current market of epigenetic products.
Reid explains that supplements "do not meet the definition of 'probiotics' or 'post-probiotics' if they are not tested." ISAPP defines these terms precisely in the hope that the globally accepted definitions will allow researchers and manufacturers to reach a consensus and help guide consumers to purchase products.
(3) The prospect of future generations is promising, but more research is needed
A few years ago, when probiotics were a new type of supplement on the market, it was hard to figure out which supplement to buy for a particular health benefit. When the term "probiotics" was defined, this problem was solved.
In 2021, ISAPP released a consensus on the definition and scope of the afterlife, which may promote the market of the afterlife.
"There may be advantages for progenyants, but we need more information about the effect and dosage." Reid says. He argues that if a company makes money by claiming something as an afterlife, it should conduct research to prove its efficacy.
"These companies know how to entice people to buy their products," Reid says, "and if a company claims that a product is an afterbiogen, consumers should ask them: What kind of epigenetic is this, what is the effect, what is the dosage, is there any scientific evidence?" ”
Sanders doesn't believe that epigenetics will have the same benefits as probiotics. Sanders said: "We can expect more high-quality clinical trials to see what they affect and who will benefit them." But should everyone take afterliferatives? The current evidence does not support this. ”
Epigenetics are indeed promising, but a great deal of research is still needed to determine which dose of progeny is more appropriate for different health issues.
Until then, be sure to confirm the effectiveness of the product when purchasing a post-raw product. If this supplement hasn't been tested and hasn't proven efficacy, then why should you buy it?
Original link:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2022/02/28/postbiotic-supplements/
The author | Cara Rosenbloom
Compiled | Jessica