With the benefits of pre and probiotics now well established, a new frontier of research into postbiotics is underway. Kim Berry spoke to C-Biogenics Nutrition co-founders Hayley Robinson and Lynsey Koch, about what happens in post.
Co-founders of C-Biogenics Nutrition, Hayley Robinson and Lynsey Koch, say theirs is one of the few companies in Australia incorporating postbiotics into their products.
“Prebiotics is the fibre we need. Probiotics is the bacteria we need to be able to digest the fibre. And postbiotics is the excretion from the bacteria that is eating the fibre,” Robinson explains.
Koch says, “Humans are now being classed as a holobiont, which means being in a synergistic relationship with bacteria. We now know there is more bacteria in or on us than there is ‘us’, and we’re realising the importance of that bacteria,” she says.
Koch explains one of the main reasons there is bacteria in the microbiome is through the metabolism of its favourite food, fibre.
“Our bodies can’t digest fibre on its own, that is why the bacteria is there, and its favourite food is polyphenols and fibres. What comes through their metabolism are all these secondary metabolites that we call short chain fatty acids, the most known one being butyrate or butyric acid.
“These secondary compounds help us enormously. They lower inflammation, regulate our immune system and help make neurotransmitters. That is the gift bacteria gives us,” Koch says.
For C-Biogenics’ functional powders Gut Food and Calm Food, Koch and Robinson use a specific strain of bacteria and fermentation process. The compounds are collected and turned into a powder.
“We work with a company that is incredibly advanced in postbiotic research on specific strains for each product. For Calm Food we wanted a particular strain of nootropic bacteria, which is very good for neurotransmitter production, and brain health,” Robinson says.
The benefits of bacteria continue to reveal themselves, opening up a host of health and functional food opportunities.
This story first appeared in the July issue of Food & Drink Business magazine.
