Probiotics Trivia - The Difference Between Dead Bacteria and Live Bacteria
The topic of probiotics has been promoted by a number of products in the marketplace.Many of these terms have been somewhat confusing to consumers.Today, let's share with you the difference between dead and live probiotics.
Before we get to those two, we need to talk about another set of terms, probiotics and postbiotics.Both are defined by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP).Let's take a look at their definitions.
Probiotic is defined as.
Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host.
Postbiotic is defined as.
A postbiotic is a preparation of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confers a health benefit on the host.
In the vernacular, probiotics should be alive, and so-called dead probiotics should be called postbiotics.
The main function of probiotics is to colonize a site (usually the gastrointestinal tract) during their interaction with the host, metabolizing nutrients and secreting substances, including polysaccharides, proteins, carbohydrates, fatty acids, etc., which affect the host's regional environment and indirectly cause changes in the overall endocrine system.These effects and changes are beneficial to the host, so they are called good bacteria.Bacteria such as E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus are called bad bacteria because they secrete toxins that are harmful to the host or affect the physiology of the cells to which they are attached, resulting in cell death. Since probiotics are live bacteria, as long as they are provided with a suitable growing environment, they can provide longer-term protection.
Postbiotics are the products produced after the probiotics have been sterilized (usually by heat into high temperatures) and concentrated at the factory culture stage. In addition to the complete dead cells and fragments of the probiotics, they may also contain polysaccharides, proteins, carbohydrates, fatty acids, and so on, as mentioned in the previous paragraph.Since these substances do not reproduce themselves, the effect on the human body can only be seen when the product is taken, and if the product is not used, it will slowly lose its effect due to the body's natural metabolism.
Does it sound like live bacteria (probiotics) are better than dead bacteria (postbiotics)?In fact, it also depends on the use of products and dosage forms, if today's products are toothpaste, that according to Taiwan regulations he has to be post-biotic elements can be added yo (all cosmetics are so, so there is no live bacteria cosmetics yo) and the dosage form itself filled with raw materials are not suitable for probiotic survival, so take the probiotic bacteria secretion of the material and his body as the efficacy of the ingredient.
