The definitive guide for human health

Biotics

Nowadays, the word “biotics” is everywhere – from the yogurt in our refrigerators, to dietary supplements and even cosmetics. Terms such as prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics may sound like scientific jargon, but they represent some of the most promising nutritional tools researchers have discovered to support the complex ecosystem living inside your gut.

This unique community composed of trillions of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microbes make up your gut microbiome. Biotics can help support a balanced gut microbiome, contributing to the health of your entire body.

Raish Oozeer, Director of Biotics at Danone Research & Innovation, is at the forefront of this rapidly evolving scientific field. His team focuses on understanding how different biotic types interact with our gut microbiome, and how they can be harnessed to promote health across every stage of life.

Zoomed-in image of probiotic Lactobacillus bacteria for digestive wellness

Meet the biotics family

Think of your gut microbiome as a thriving forest.

Probiotics would be considered the trees: the living “good” bacteria themselves.

Prebiotics are the soil, water, and fertilizer that help those trees grow.

Postbiotics are the fruit of their activity: compounds produced by the bacteria.

And synbiotics combine the right bacteria and nutrients to target a specific health outcome.

Probiotics: the “good” bacteria

Probiotics are live microorganisms that can help improve the balance of other microbes in your gut. In turn, they may support digestion, immune function, while facilitating the production of beneficial compounds, such as short-chain fatty acids. These compounds contribute to maintaining the protective mucus layer lining our intestine, which acts a barrier against potential harmful bacteria from entering the bloodstream.

Two of the most frequently studied probiotic bacteria belong to the Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus families. However, even within the same family, different bacteria ‘subtypes’ (called ‘strains’), can have varying effects on health—a concept known as strain specificity.

For example, in a 2014 study, patients taking antibiotics received probiotic yoghurt drinks containing different strains of Lactobacillus casei. While one strain helped reduce antibiotic-associated diarrhea, the other did not.

“Understanding strain specificity helps our research team identify which probiotic strains deliver specific health benefits so that we can develop solutions backed by robust scientific evidence,” Raish explains.

Prebiotics: fertilizer for your gut

In plain terms, prebiotics are food for your “good” gut bacteria, often found in the form of fibers or complex carbohydrates (called oligosaccharides). They pass through the stomach and small intestine undigested before reaching the colon, where specific bacteria use them as an energy source, gaining a competitive advantage over the ones that cannot.

"It’s just like fertilizer," Raish explains. “Bacteria that are able to digest these compounds have a competitive advantage which helps them grow, flourish and support other good bacteria.”

Common examples of prebiotics include fibers such as inulin, FOS, and GOS. In adults, they help support a diverse and balanced gut microbiome. “Many Western diets provide less fiber than recommended, and lower fiber intake is often associated with reduced microbiome diversity. Prebiotics can be an effective way to help support a healthier microbial community.”

Postbiotics: cutting out the middleman

Postbiotics are the beneficial, non-living compounds that bacteria produce. They include a wide range of components like lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, bacterial cell wall fragments, enzymes, and specific metabolites. Unlike probiotics, postbiotics consist of non-living material. This means they are relatively stable during storage and processing – making them attractive as functional ingredients.

According to Raish: "Rather than changing the microbiome, postbiotics are actually thought to act directly on the body. Research suggests that certain postbiotics, such as Akkermansia, can interact with immune cells, support gut barrier function and influence metabolic pathways without needing to survive digestion or colonize the gut”.

Certain postbiotics, like the ones produced by Bifidobacterium breve C50 and Streptococcus thermophilus 065, have been associated with reduced diarrhoea severity, lower risk of allergic events and increased levels of beneficial bacteria.

Synbiotics: greater than the sum of their parts

Synbiotics are a combination of living probiotics with the prebiotics they feed on. Their role? Improve probiotic survival during transit through the digestive system and stimulate the growth of the probiotic strains once they arrive in the gut, leading to stronger health benefits.

For instance, the combination of scGOS/lcFOS (prebiotics) and Bifidobacterium breve M-16V (probiotic), brings healthy infants' gut environment closer to that of breastfed infants. “In infants born by caesarean section, whose microbiomes often start less diverse, this synbiotic combination has been shown to rebalance the gut microbiota toward a profile more typical of vaginally born infants,” Raish notes.

Visualizing gut microbiome through magnifying glass for digestive insights

The science behind the science

Understanding the four types of biotics is one thing, but knowing how to select, develop, and validate them is another. This is where Danone Research & Innovation's century of science-backed nutrition expertise becomes a meaningful differentiator.

"When it comes to strain selection, we have a library in Paris-Saclay," Raish explains. "It's a mix of more than 2,000 different strains that have been isolated, from fermented products, clinical campaigns and different geographic regions."

This library, built over decades and expanded through partnerships and acquisitions, forms the starting point for every new biotic innovation.

Download your biotics pocket guide here

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Looking ahead: the future of biotics

"Biotics are one of the most powerful nutritional tools to modulate the microbiome," Raish reflects. "We work in a field that has a huge amount of exciting potential for future innovations in gut health and beyond."

For Danone R&I, this potential is being pursued along several parallel tracks. Research into commensals—bacteria of human origin equipped to deliver benefits in the gut—opens possibilities beyond the standard probiotic library. Simultaneously, the idea of more “personalized” biotics nutrition is becoming increasingly tangible as the years go by. As Raish explains: "You could have, for instance, a biotic concept for healthy aging, specifically targeting resilience!"

Biotics are by no means a fad. They are a rapidly evolving and highly clinically studied set of nutritional tools that influence human health. So, if you want to keep your microbiome happy and your body running smoothly, choose the right biotics so they can take care of you.

Explore the latest gut health insights from Danone Research & Innovation.

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