Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the connection between dietary fiber and blood sugar levels?

  Fiber is non-digestible and moves slowly through the digestive system; although it is a carbohydrate, it does not convert into sugar, leaving you feeling fuller longer and helping maintain healthy blood-sugar levels.

• Who would benefit from this product?

  Those looking for direct postbiotic support or individuals who are interested in maintaining healthy communication between the gut-brain axis, which helps support digestive health and the production of SCFAs, would benefit from this product. This product is still beneficial for those with an existing high-fiber diet. Balanced diets should consist of healthy foods, including fiber; it is recommended that healthy adults consume an average of 25 grams of fiber daily. Fiber is a carbohydrate that does not convert into sugar. Instead, fiber moves through the digestive system to help “clean,” giving a feeling of fullness and maintaining healthy blood-sugar levels.

• What is the difference between a prebiotic, a probiotic and a postbiotic?

  Prebiotics are fibers or resistant starches that the body cannot digest. Instead, they are the fuel for probiotics, helping support the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that are introduced into the gut by consuming fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, kefir, yogurt or kimchi, while dietary fiber serves as a prebiotic by feeding these bacteria during fermentation in the large intestine and colon. These “good” bacteria manufacture beneficial vitamins to prevent “bad” bacteria from entering the blood, which helps the body digest food by breaking it down for absorption. Postbiotics are SCFAs that may help support healthy cholesterol as well as healthy blood pressure levels. An imbalance in the microbiome can result in dysbiosis and affect your body. A well-balanced diet can help support your body’s beneficial bacteria, but supplementation may also be helpful to maintain regularity. Postbiotic supplements are as beneficial for the body as pre- or probiotics. SCFAs are postbiotic compounds that are important for metabolism and digestive health, working to support a healthy microbiome by mediating microbe-to-host immune system crosstalk between the gut and brain.

• What are the three most common SCFAs (postbiotic metabolites) that are essential to the gut?

  The three most common SCFAs essential to the gut are butyrate, acetate and propionate. The cells in the lining of the gut require butyrate to function properly. Butyrate gives energy to colonocytes (cells in the gut lining), which maintain an oxygen-free environment for beneficial gut microbes (or gut flora) to thrive, keeping gut cells and bacteria happy and healthy. Acetate, the most abundantly produced SCFA by the gut, helps maintain pH and keep gut acid levels low. Propionate assists in the production of glucose in the liver. The gut bacteria associated with butyrate SCFA production are Butyricicoccus pullicaecorum, Eubacterium rectale, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Roseburia spp. When the production of acetate and propionate outweighs that of butyrate, the colon’s ability to metabolize may be affected.

• Why does the aging body benefit from butyrate?

  Over time, gut microbiome diversity changes, resulting in the need to pay more attention to maintaining a proper diet, as well as getting exercise and proper hydration. Even with a healthy diet, it may be necessary to supplement to retain postbiotics, such as butyrate, to maintain a healthy gut lining.