What do pre-, post- and probiotics do?

By now, many people have heard about the benefits of probiotics—especially when it comes to our gut health. But did you know, there are pre- and post-biotics too? And the benefits are not exclusive to our gut microbiomes; they also extend to our skin microbiome.

Every day, your microbiome comes into contact with various ‘biotics’ that support or feed your microflora. At BiomeCentric, we develop next-generation pre-, pro- and postbiotics for our clients’ microbiome-focused health and beauty products.

The ‘biotic’ basics

  1. What are prebiotics? If your microbiome was a garden, prebiotics would work like a fertiliser. These are the various parts of food ingredients, like fruits, veggies, legumes, and whole grains that are not digestible by us.  They exist mostly as types of fibre and polyphenols and their role is to feed your body’s good bacteria.

  2. What are probiotics? These are the good bugs! Probiotics are friendly microorganisms that support your body’s immune response and microbial balance. They are also found in naturally fermented foods or you can supplement with probiotics—either by ingesting or applying them to your skin. 

  3. What are postbiotics? When probiotics ‘eat’ prebiotics, the fermented metabolic by products are postbiotics. But the definition doesn’t end there! The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics have defined postbiotics to also include non-viable/deactivated probiotic and their cellular fractions. These biotics are still relatively undiscovered by the health and beauty industry at large but are increasingly thought to be the way in which probiotics provide their health benefits.  At BiomeCentric we develop a myriad of postbiotics to help support a diverse and resilient microflora, which can reduce overgrowth of the bad bugs and sustain a healthy, balanced microbiome and host.

Biotic benefits—for the skin and the gut

Every product we develop at BiomeCentric fulfils a very specific purpose. So, when we’re developing pre-, post- and probiotics here are some of the targeted benefits we’re seeking to deliver to your customers.

For the skin microbiome

  • Protection from harmful bacteria and fungi. We develop next-gen probiotics and postbiotics that serve this purpose and also help improve skin elasticity, hydration and appearance.

  • Maintain the skin’s surface with specialised prebiotics, which provide the nutrients the microbiome needs to reduce inflammation and fight off infection.

  • Promote a healthy skin barrier with postbiotics—again ensuring your microbiome is fully supported to fight infection and reduce inflammation.

For the gut microbiome

  • Support the growth of good bacteria in the gut—helping the microbiome access, digest, and absorb nutrients so it can fight off harmful bacteria.

  • Ensure the gut microbiome is healthy and diverse! Prebiotics feed probiotics and commensals, allowing the gut ecosystem to function optimally!

  • Improve gut barrier function, the immune system and reduce inflammation with the help of targeted postbiotics.

Create your specialised product with us

A healthy and diverse microbiome is key. And pre-, post- and probiotics are the beneficial community of microorganisms that contribute to a thriving microflora. Whether we’re addressing gut or skin dysbiosis, we always use precise fermentation technologies and processes to unlock the secrets embedded in natural ingredients. 

Want to learn more about our end-to-end contract manufacturing services? Reach out to us to book your free consultation with our team today!

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