Postbiotics

 Although there is still debate on the proper definition, postbiotics are essentially the metabolites, the "waste" produced by microbes. Postbiotics are another approach to medical care via microbes. The idea is that one of the ways our microbes support us is by producing these metabolites, which we then absorb and put to our own use. We can cut out the middle man, so to speak, and just take a pill with the metabolites, instead of trying to foster the producing bacteria. 

As we gain understanding in what is produced, and their effects, these postbiotics should gain in popularity in medical use. The effects would most likely be much faster than trying to take probiotics. This could prove to be extremely  useful in urgent care. The down side is that the effects last only as long as you take the pills, where as fostering the microbes is a much more long term solution. The postbiotics could get us by until our new microbes have taken hold. 

Another use is to feed our microbes, much like prebiotics does. As mentioned in an earlier blog, many of our microbes feed off the metabolites of other microbes. These postbiotics could help regain and maintain balance in a weakened microbiome.