The Growth of Postbiotics

The biotics space has been rapidly evolving to acknowledge the nuanced and interconnected nature of the microbiome. While prebiotics, probiotics, and their combination, synbiotics, are foundational to the category, postbiotics are a significant development that may offer a more versatile and practical solution for manufacturers. As is often the case with nutraceuticals, innovation proceeds ahead of scientific consensus. An approved definition of postbiotics wasn’t formally established until 2021 by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics, which defined a postbiotic as a “preparation of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confers a health benefit on the host.”¹

Although they originate from the same types of microorganisms used in probiotics, they are rendered inactive through processes such as heat treatment or pasteurization. They may also exert their effects through interactions with the gut lining and immune system rather than by establishing colonies in the gastrointestinal tract.

Originally winning points with manufacturers for their stability and for not requiring live microorganisms, it is becoming increasingly apparent that postbiotics are evolving from “stable probiotic alternatives” into precision tools targeting specific health outcomes—including immune and skin health, as well as mood, stress, and sleep support.

Expanding Role in Immune and Gut Health

Microbiome science has advanced considerably in recent decades, moving beyond exploratory work toward more mechanism-driven, outcome-focused approaches. Drawing on its expertise in fermented ingredients and applications for human health, Lallemand Bio-Ingredients, for example, is developing postbiotics that target certain pathways within the microbiome-host interaction, including for immune health benefits.

One of the company’s ingredients, M-Gard, is a yeast-derived beta-glucan standardized to a minimum of 80%, sourced from a proprietary strain with what they call a “unique molecular structure.” Designed to support immune fitness, the ingredient, if used consistently, may help prime the immune system to respond more rapidly to infections, says Lallemand.

A randomized, placebo-controlled study in healthy adults aged 50 years or older found that supplementation with the yeast beta-glucan enhanced immune response, enhancing antibody production following influenza vaccination. The findings also point to the activation of trained immunity pathways, supporting stronger and more resilient immune function in aging populations.²

Philippe Caillat, Lallemand’s category manager, notes that research focusing on yeast‑derived ingredients has “strengthened our understanding of gut-mediated immune mechanisms.”

This growth in understanding even aligns with broader industry perspectives. According to Erin Klipstein, global head of strategy for Kerry Health, gut health is increasingly viewed as a foundational pillar of overall well-being rather than a stand-alone benefit. Through interconnected systems, postbiotics are being developed to deliver multifunctional benefits that extend beyond digestion into whole-body health outcomes.

At the same time, companies continue to investigate the underlying drivers of digestive issues, particularly at the stomach level. Caillat points out that a key challenge with complex postbiotics is identifying the specific metabolites responsible for their clinically observed benefits, including the alleviation of gastric discomfort such as heartburn and acid reflux.

Advanced tools such as metabolomics and peptidomics may help in this regard.

Stability and Spore-Forming Advantages in Formulation

While researchers explore the benefits of postbiotics in isolation, there are practical uses for combining them with their live counterparts, probiotics. For example, spore-forming Bacillus bacteria may be a valuable complement to postbiotics, given their stability.

“Their resilience makes them an ideal complement to postbiotic formulations, supporting both positioning and performance,” explains Mark G. Walin, senior vice president of business development and marketing with Bio-Cat Microbials, which produces 46 Bacillus strains at scale. “In addition, Bacillus strains are well known for their ability to produce a wide range of beneficial compounds and metabolites, including enzymes, vitamins, and antimicrobial substances.”

Regarding stability, spore-forming strains are resistant to pH changes and heat, allowing them to withstand even the most demanding processing conditions while remaining viable throughout the manufacturing process. These properties are transferable across multiple delivery formats, such as capsules, tablets, powders, and functional foods.

Emerging Opportunities in Mood, Stress, and Sleep Health

Scientific literature increasingly points to the gut as the seat of health, creating concepts like the gut-brain axis, a bidirectional communication network that links the central nervous system with the enteric nervous system, using neural, hormonal, and immune pathways to help regulate a multitude of functions, including digestion.³ Microbiome benefits that target the gut-brain axis can offer support for mood, stress, and sleep outcomes.

The Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 postbiotic from ADM, for example, is marketed for these exact areas, with substantiation from 6 studies.

“This clinical research^4-6 shows the L gasseri CP2305 postbiotic may support emotional well-being, may support reduced stress, and may be associated with better sleep efficiency, reduced time to fall asleep/reduced sleep latency, healthy overall sleep quality, and improved total sleep duration,^” explains Vaughn DuBow, ADM’s senior director of marketing, North America health and wellness. While stress and sleep support can be generalized targets for dietary supplements, these benefits also offer an opportunity for more personalized support that addresses the needs of specific populations.

“The studies also looked at the effects of L gasseri CP2305 probiotic on women during different life stages,” says DuBow. “For healthy young women [with an average age of 21.5 years] experiencing premenstrual symptoms, L gasseri CP2305 postbiotic may support positive moods and may reduce stress/anxiety.⁷ For women experiencing menopause, L gasseri CP2305 postbiotic may support positive changes in physiological and emotional parameters.⁸ Additional research also shows L gasseri CP2305 postbiotic may support improved stress in male athletes, along with recovery from exercise.”⁹

Adding greater specificity to the population that benefits from the ingredient allows brands to position their products in unique ways that speak to people and their particular needs.

The Gut-Skin Axis and Beauty-From-Within Applications

Just as there is a gut-brain axis, so too is there evidence of a gut-skin axis, in which the immune cells in the gut influence inflammatory responses in the body, which can directly impact skin health. Inflammation is a factor in many dermatological diseases. Of course, dietary supplements cannot target diseased populations, but targeting this mechanism can nonetheless support skin health outcomes in healthy people.

“Beauty-from-within is something that is a hot topic. It's been exploding,” says Jordi Riera, Kaneka Probiotics’ chief business officer. “Our strategy has been to apply our philosophy in terms of precision biotics development to try to achieve benefits…not just with disease populations or populations that are affected by a health condition—like we did previously with eczema or atopic dermatitis with this particular product—but now focusing on healthy individuals and trying to understand the perspective of beauty-from-within that's traditionally associated with healthy aging as well.”

The priorities when it comes to skin research lie in the tangible results related to 3 areas: better hydration, stronger barrier function, and improved texture. A recently published study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology highlighted the dermatological advantages of Latilactobacillus sakei KABP-065, a heat-treated postbiotic codeveloped by AB-Biotics and Kaneka Probiotics.¹⁰ In a trial involving 60 healthy women aged 30 to 50 years, those receiving the oral supplement demonstrated a statistically significant boost in facial firmness and skin elasticity after just 5 weeks of use. The data also showed that women in their 40s experienced the greatest improvement, with significant increases in skin elasticity and cheek moisture compared with the placebo group.

Taken together, these findings emphasize how postbiotics are extending beyond traditional gut health and into more nuanced areas of mental and emotional well-being, as well as beauty-from-within. As research continues to dig into the connections between the microbiome and overall health, postbiotics are increasingly being marketed as targeted, science-backed solutions that open up new opportunities for innovation across functional foods, beverages, and dietary supplements.

References

1. Salminen S, Collado MC, Endo A, et al. The International Scientific Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of postbiotics. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2021;18(9):649-667. doi:10.1038/s41575-021-00440-6
2. Moreno ML, Nieves CJ, Hebert K, et al. Yeast beta-glucan enhances antibody response following influenza vaccination – a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot trial. J Diet Suppl. 2025;22(5):795-810. doi:10.1080/19390211.2025.2539876
3. Carabotti M, Scirocco A, Maselli MA, Severi C. The gut-brain axis: interactions between enteric microbiota, central and enteric nervous systems. Ann Gastroenterol. 2015;28(2):203-209.
4. Nishida K, Sawada D, Kawai T, Kuwano Y, Fujiwara S, Rokutan K. Para-psychobiotic Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 ameliorates stress-related symptoms and sleep quality. J Appl Microbiol. 2017;123(6):1561-1570. doi:10.1111/jam.13594
5. Nishida K, Sawada D, Kuwano Y, et al. Daily administration of paraprobiotic Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 ameliorates chronic stress-associated symptoms in Japanese medical students. J Funct Foods. 2017;36:112-121. doi:10.1016/j.jff.2017.06.031
6. Nishida K, Sawada D, Kuwano Y, Tanaka H, Rokutan K. Health benefits of Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 tablets in young adults exposed to chronic stress: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Nutrients. 2019;11(8):1859. doi:10.3390/nu11081859
7. Nishida K, Sawada D, Yasui T, Kuwano Y, Rokutan K. Daily intake of Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 ameliorates psychological premenstrual symptoms in young women: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. J Funct Foods. 2021;80:104426. doi:10.1016/j.jff.2021.104426
8. Sawada D, Sugawara T, Hirota T, Nakamura Y. Effects of Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 on mild menopausal symptoms in middle-aged women. Nutrients. 2022;14(9):1695. doi:10.3390/nu14091695
9. Sawada D, Kuwano Y, Tanaka H, et al. Daily intake of Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 relieves fatigue and stress-related symptoms in male university Ekiden runners: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Funct Foods. 2019;57:465-476.
10. Sawashita J, Honda S, Tominaga Y, Tomatsu N, Espadaler-Mazo J, Ueda T. Novel application of oral postbiotics for skin condition in healthy middle-aged women: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2025;24(12):e70617. doi:10.1111/jocd.70617