Zombie Biotics, also known as Ghost Biotics or Postbiotics!

The latest buzz word in the world of gut health is postbiotics but what are they and how do they help the horse? In 2019, the International Scientific Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) defined a postbiotic as a “preparation of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confers a health benefit on the host”.  The concept of postbiotics is not new with postbiotics being known about for more than 100 years but they have previously been called other things, including ghost biotics and zombie biotics!

To qualify as a postbiotic, the microbial composition prior to inactivation must be characterized, hence many traditional fermented foods do not meet the criteria to call themselves a postbiotic.

The differences between Prebiotics, Probiotics and Postbiotics

Prebiotics and Probiotics are well known. Using the analogy of a factory, the prebiotics are ‘the fuel’ (or the food for the probiotics). Probiotics are alive and can be thought of as ‘the factory’, i.e. they use the prebiotics, fibre and complex carbohydrates to make useful metabolites. Postbiotics are ‘the goods’ in this analogy, the beneficial left overs after the probiotics use the prebiotics. Postbiotics are inactivated and consist of hundreds of functional metabolites (good stuff!) including nucleotides, polyphenols, short-chain fatty acids (including butyrate), plus mannan-oligosaccharide (MOS) and beta-glucans. All 3 ‘biotics’ confer health benefits to the horse.

The key benefits of Postbiotics:

There is some exciting peer-reviewed published research demonstrating the benefits of postbiotics to the horse. The most researched equine postbiotic is saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product (SCFP).  

The key findings are:

Support for gut health and nutrient digestibility

Support for the immune system

Support for stress management

Support for joint health

When might postbiotics be useful for your horse?

Postbiotics can be helpful in all stages of life, from foals right through to our veterans. They can be used to support competition horse and performance horses, particularly during a busy season travelling and competing. They can support horses during yard moves, or during times of digestive disturbance, stress or illness. They can also support pregnant mares and foals as we know the microbiome is very important, especially during those early days for ongoing health and performance. 

If you have any questions about any of our supplements or how they can support your horse or pony, please get in touch info@equine-america.co.uk as our technical team would be more than happy to help!