Postbiotics are the beneficial bioactive compounds made when the friendly probiotic bacteria in your gut digest and break down fibres (prebiotics) and complex carbohydrates. Offering similar health benefits to probiotics, postbiotics are not live microorganisms, but they are still beneficial to your microbiome. They include: 

• Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) 
• Exopolysaccharides (substances that microorganisms secrete) 
• Enzymes 
• Cell wall fragments 
• Bacterial lysates (a mixture made from bacterial components) 
• Cell-free supernatants (a mixture of compounds produced by bacteria and yeast) 
• Various other metabolites such as vitamins and amino acids. 

Probiotics have been the go-to when it comes to maintaining your body’s microbiome, but postbiotics are gaining traction as the new ‘influencer’ of your microbiome. Postbiotics are a byproduct of probiotic metabolism when they ‘eat’ prebiotics, which are the food for your probiotics. Many of the health benefits of postbiotics tend to mimic the benefits of probiotics and their goal is the same – to maintain your microbiome. Postbiotics achieve their goal with more control and fewer risks compared to probiotic supplements! Taking a supplement that contains compounds to encourage postbiotic production can significantly enhance the postbiotic output of your endogenous gut bacteria. 

Although the concept of postbiotics is fairly new, they have been around for a long time and have been linked to several health benefits: 

• Immune system support; 
• Short-chain fatty acid production; 
• Inflammation prevention; 
• Have anticarcinogenic qualities; 
• Are antimicrobial and prevent infections; 
• Can lower the risk of cardiovascular events; 
• Can support oxytocin formation, which helps heal wounds and supports birthing functions. 

One of the benefits of postbiotics compared to probiotics is the risk involved. Since postbiotics don’t contain microorganisms, there is a lower risk of complications from adding new bacteria to your microbiome. This means that they can be a more gentle introduction to improving and supporting gut health for sensitive individuals, those who suffer from digestive disorders, chronic health conditions, or children. 

Gutsi® Good Guts is rich in polyphenolic compounds, which feed certain microbes and create lithins (in particular, urolithin-A), which are important for fixing the cells that make up the lining of the gut.  There is a demonstrated two-way interaction between the gut microbiota and polyphenols. Polyphenols stimulate the growth of microorganisms recognised as prebiotic targets and increase the production of postbiotic compounds such as SCFAs, including butyrate. Polyphenols can be converted into active metabolites which exert postbiotic effects. Postbiotics are produced when good probiotic bacteria break down dietary fibre and complex carbohydrates from foods such as fruits and vegetables, grains and legumes in the process of microbial fermentation. Microbial fermentation of polyphenols in particular, leads to the production of the postbiotic phenylacetic acid which is a postbiotic that can reduce the growth of harmful pathogens in the body. 

Additionally, the citrus extracts (‘Flavobiotics’) in Good Guts provide active flavonoids that are released in the gut that enhance microbiome composition as well as increase butyrate, which helps protect and enhance the gut barrier. Clinical research has shown that daily consumption modulates the gut microbiota, significantly increases the butyrate proportion of the total SCFAs, reduces faecal calprotectin (an important biomarker of gut inflammation) which suggests a decrease in pathogen load in the gut and significantly increases the secretion of antibodies (IgA) in the gut lumen, indicating better protection against colonisation by pathogens and viruses. 

Probiotics are live bacteria that normally occur in the digestive tract, are administered in quantities higher than what normally occur in the digestive tract and are organisms that must be able to survive the digestive tract – they are like the ‘factory workers’ in your gut. They use prebiotics as fuel to create metabolites that support your health – postbiotics are the end goal! Unlike probiotics, which are live bacteria, postbiotics contain the metabolites that they produce – they are the goods that the probiotic ‘factory’ produces! Creating postbiotics for gut health is the ultimate goal when eating or supplementing with probiotics (and prebiotics!). Postbiotics help support your gut microbiome and aid immune and digestive health all year round.

No. Deciding between a probiotic or postbiotic depends on one’s digestive and gut health, diet, and overall health goals. Postbiotics may be a better choice for immune-compromised people rather than taking live bacteria. People who may not tolerate probiotics well may find the postbiotics formulation found in Gutsi® Good Guts a more suitable alternative.

The four amino acids in Good Guts work as mucosa strength and conditioning coaches, encouraging the production of proteins that results in a thicker, more robust mucosal barrier. The proprietary amino acid blend (L-proline, L-serine, L-threonine, L-cysteine) is in this formula because they are quite literally the building blocks to the gut barrier – the gut barrier is comprised of these exact amino acids!  

These four key amino acids have been studied to increase colonic mucin production by a whopping 95% without affecting protein turnover. By building a thicker and healthier mucosal barrier, they protect the gut mucosa even in inflammatory situations, help recalibrate the gut microbiota and promote the regrowth of bacteria populations, and ensure mucosal healing takes place. 

L-glutamine is not used because relatively high doses are needed as its mechanism is energy provision for intestinal epithelial cells versus direct mucin production. At high doses, it affects protein turnover which can then cause other issues such as glutamate excess, mTOR activation and more. 

• Glutamine is a precursor to glutamate or glutamic acid. When this conversion occurs, the properties and the effects of glutamate can be attributed to glutamine. Glutamate is one of two excitatory neurotransmitters in the brain that can cause anxiety. People who struggle with anxiety often have too much glutamate and not enough GABA or serotonin. Excesses in brain tissue (remember the gut-brain correlation!) can also cause cell damage. 
• While glutamine in excess seems benign, once it converts to glutamate, that status is called into question. Glutamate is an amino acid that can cause damage when in excess. In addition, people with kidney disease, liver disease, or Reye syndrome should not take glutamine.  

Glutamine side effects include: 

• Increased bloating due to undiagnosed constipation; 
• Bloating from glutamine-eating bacteria in the small intestine (exacerbates SIBO); 
• Conversion by some bacteria of harmless glutamine into glutamate; 
• Some people can react to residues or additives on certain sources of glutamine and have an allergic (histamine) reaction. 

Almost everyone has a thinned gut mucosal lining, and Good Guts helps restore this important immune barrier to its correct function and thickness for optimal digestive and immune function. If you or your customer are experiencing food sensitivities, IBS, leaky gut, intestinal cramping, there are high odds that you have a thin mucosal lining. The mucosal lining of the gut protects you from bacteria and other threats as well as provides comfort as food and waste move through the body.  

The mucosal system is a very important part of the immune system. Research on the amino acids, polyphenols and citrus extracts in Good Guts show that it supports healthy digestion, neutralises environmental toxins, and helps to rebuild protective intestinal barriers. 

There is some research indicating that postbiotics may be a safer choice for immune-compromised people rather than taking live bacteria, which may be contraindicated in those who are immune compromised or have a serious health condition. 

Signs you may need Good Guts include: 

• Constipation 
• Food sensitivities 
• Chronic stress 
• Leaky gut 
• Abdominal pain 

No specific contraindications have been agreed upon for postbiotics.

While our products are not tested on pregnant or breastfeeding women, Gutsi® Good Guts should be compatible with pregnancy and breastfeeding. 

There hasn’t been a great deal of research on amino acid supplementation and pregnancy. However, the typical pregnant woman consumes up to 70-110 grams of protein per day. According to PubMed, there is essentially no data with regard to amino acid requirements during pregnancy, so it is generally assumed that indispensable amino acid needs increase in proportion to the increased protein needs during pregnancy.  

Gutsi® Good Guts is suitable for children. Since the gut microbiome is fully developed by age 3, children over this age can take the suggested dosing equivalent of 3 capsules per day. 

Ages 4+: start with 1 capsule daily, with or without a meal for a week. Then increase to 2-3 capsules daily, with or without a meal, as tolerated. For children under 4, please consult with your healthcare practitioner. 

If the child cannot swallow capsules, they can be opened and contents added to food or drink. 

Yes! However, we recommend taking dietary supplements 2 hours away from medications.

Gutsi® Good Guts is a great product to take on its own, or as part of the Gut Reset protocol. 

For customers who show signs of dysbiosis and/or find that SporeBiotic™ is too strong for them even at ¼ capsule dosing, they may benefit from introducing Good Guts first to work on gut healing before adding the more powerful spore-based probiotic. 

Good Guts may be taken 1-3x/week or so for maintenance after the ‘treatment phase’ has passed – it depends on how much the customer’s lifestyle is damaging to their mucosal lining: alcohol consumption, inflammatory food consumption, lack of sleep, overuse of antibiotics or NSAIDs, gut infections, etc. 

Most people are fine starting on the daily recommended dose of Gutsi® Good Guts. You can either take all 3 capsules at once or split the dose by taking 1 capsule each at breakfast, lunch and dinner.  

Sensitive people or those with longstanding digestive issues may want to start with 1/2 dose (1-2 capsules) and gradually build up to a full dose as any changes in the microbial environment of the gut may cause temporary digestive symptoms.