Experts have warned about a new Gen Z health fad of drinking dead bacteria, which they say could damage gut function and cause bowel problems.
Also known as postbiotics, these supplements are increasingly popular among young people on social media.
Influencers claim that postbiotics improve digestion, skin health and even help with weight loss.
They also argue that the supplement, made from bacteria that have been killed off, is better for the body than probiotics, a medically supported remedy that contains live bacteria.
Last month, American supermodel Bella Hadid, 27, launched Picklesecco, a “gut-healthy postbiotic potion” that claims to support digestion and the nervous system, balance the gut microbiome and “evoke clarity and vision”.
Experts have warned against Gen Z’s new fad of drinking postbiotics, such as Bella Hadid’s new “probiotic potion”, Picklesecco.
Listing its purported benefits, Bella Hadid wrote: “Immunity, digestive health and beautiful skin – I don’t know what more you could need.”
In a video viewed more than 300,000 times, American health influencer Cecily Bauchmann said daily postbiotics helped her get rid of her bloated stomach.
And in another clip viewed more than 10,000 times, TikToker Brianna Wehan claimed that taking postbiotics had helped her “de-bloat and relieve my discomfort from my stomach issues.”
“Immunity, digestive health and beautiful skin – I don’t know what more you could need,” she added.
However, experts who spoke to The Mail on Sunday warned that postbiotics are not the health gimmick their fans may think they are and, if consumed in large quantities, could even cause chronic diarrhoea.
“Would I take them? Absolutely not,” said Dr Christopher Stewart, professor of human microbiome research at Newcastle University.
‘If someone has a balanced diet, they’ll already be producing all these things, so why ruin that healthy ecosystem?
‘I would like to encourage people to think critically about some of these products.’
Postbiotics are the latest in a series of supposedly gut-healthy supplements that have gained popularity in recent years.
Perhaps best known are probiotics, which are sometimes prescribed to patients to take along with antibiotic treatment and are also found in foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut, miso and pickles.
Probiotics contain “good” bacteria and yeasts that are thought to restore the natural balance of bacteria in the gut after illness or treatment.
There is also some evidence that probiotics help relieve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
However, experts have warned that postbiotics are not the health gimmick their fans may think they are and, if consumed in large quantities, could even cause chronic diarrhoea (File photo)
Postbiotics contain the same bacteria used in probiotics and are placed in a laboratory vessel (stock image)
Postbiotics, on the other hand, are made by taking the same types of bacteria used in probiotics, putting them in a laboratory vessel to multiply, and then letting them die. These dead bacteria are then put into pills, powders, and now, soft drinks.
Influencers claim that dead bacteria are just as effective as probiotics at improving gut health, but they don’t cause a buildup of potentially dangerous live bacteria in the body.
However, experts are sceptical. “It is true that when the gut breaks down bacteria, the byproduct this creates improves gut health and fights off nasty pathogens in the gut,” says Dr Dominic Farsi, a nutritional sciences researcher at King’s College London.
“This byproduct is what we call postbiotics, but there is no strong evidence that taking postbiotic supplements alone has the same beneficial effect.”
However, postbiotics are becoming an increasingly popular health product. For example, Beekeeper’s Naturals Complete Gut Health, which contains both probiotics and postbiotics, is now available in major supermarkets across the United States.
UK customers can buy it online for £80.
Meanwhile, Picklesecco, which Hadid has been promoting to her 60 million Instagram followers, is available online at £18 for four cans.
Experts also warn that any supplement containing bacteria, live or dead, could harm the gut.
“There is a Goldilocks zone when you change the gut landscape,” Professor Stewart said.
However, experts warn that any supplement containing live or dead bacteria could harm the gut (file image)
‘Overuse of antibiotics can disrupt the microbiome and cause chronic diarrhea, for example.
‘And changing someone’s microbiome with postbiotics could have an equally detrimental impact.’
Instead, experts recommend that people eat a healthy, varied diet rich in fiber.
“If you regularly eat fibrous foods like whole grains, vegetables like broccoli, cereals like oats, and fermented foods like yogurt and sourdough bread, you’ll naturally produce ‘good’ bacteria,” says Dr. Farsi.
‘Overall, you’ll feel much better if you eat a balanced diet rather than eating poorly and relying on supplements.’
