Doctors warn against Bella Hadid’s ‘health ritual’ because it could lead to very BENEFICIAL results

Experts warn of a new health trend among Generation Z: drinking dead bacteria. According to them, these bacteria can harm intestinal function and cause intestinal complaints.

These supplements, also called postbiotics, are becoming increasingly popular among young people on social media.

Influencers claim that postbiotics improve digestion, enhance skin health, and even aid in weight loss.

They also claim that the supplement – ​​made from killed bacteria – is better for the body than probiotics, a medically-backed health aid that contains live bacteria.

Last month, 27-year-old American supermodel Bella Hadid launched Picklesecco, a “postbiotic drink for the gut” that is said to support digestion and the nervous system, balance gut flora and “create clarity and vision”.

American health influencer Cecily Bauchmann shared in a video that has been viewed more than 300,000 times that daily postbiotics helped her get rid of her bloated stomach.

And in another clip that has been viewed more than 10,000 times, TikTokker Brianna Wehan claimed that taking postbiotics had helped her “de-bloat and relieve the discomfort of my stomach issues.”

“Immunity, healthy digestion and beautiful skin – I don’t know what more you could possibly need,” she added.

However, experts warn in an interview with The Mail on Sunday that postbiotics are not the health fanatics they might think. If consumed in large quantities, they can even cause chronic diarrhea.

“Would I take them? Absolutely not,” said Dr Christopher Stewart, professor of human microbiome research at the University of Newcastle.

‘If someone has a balanced diet, they are already producing all of these things. Why would you disrupt that healthy ecosystem?

“I would encourage people to think critically about some of these products.”

Postbiotics are the latest in a wave of supposedly gut-healthy supplements that have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years.

Perhaps even better known are probiotics, which are sometimes prescribed to patients as a supplement to a course of antibiotics. They are also found in foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut, miso and pickles.

Probiotics contain ‘good’ bacteria and yeasts that are believed to restore the natural balance of bacteria in the gut after illness or treatment.

There is also evidence that probiotics may help alleviate symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Postbiotics are made by taking the same types of bacteria used in probiotics, putting them in a lab vessel to multiply, and then letting them die. These killed bacteria are then put into pills, powder, and now soft drinks.

Influencers claim that the dead bacteria are just as effective as probiotics in improving gut health, but that they do not lead to a build-up of potentially dangerous live bacteria in the body.

Experts, however, are skeptical. “It is true that when the gut breaks down bacteria, the byproduct it creates promotes gut health and fights off nasty pathogens in the gut,” says Dr. Dominic Farsi, a researcher in nutritional sciences at King’s College London.

‘We call this byproduct postbiotics. But there is no solid evidence that taking postbiotic supplements alone has the same beneficial effect.’

Regardless, postbiotics are becoming an increasingly popular health product. For example, Beekeeper’s Naturals Complete Gut Health – which contains probiotics and postbiotics – is now available in major U.S. supermarkets.

UK customers can buy it online for £80.

Meanwhile, Picklesecco, which Ms Hadid promotes to her 60 million followers on Instagram, is available online for £18 for four cans.

Experts also warn that any supplement containing bacteria – living or dead – can be harmful to the gut.

“If you change the gut landscape, you have a Goldilocks zone,” says Prof. Stewart.

‘Excessive use of antibiotics can disrupt the microbiome and cause, for example, chronic diarrhea.

“And altering someone’s microbiome with postbiotics could have a similarly damaging effect.”

Instead, experts recommend eating a healthy, varied diet, rich in fiber.

“When you regularly eat fiber-rich foods like whole grains, vegetables like broccoli, grains like oats, and fermented foods like yogurt and sourdough bread, you naturally produce ‘good’ bacteria,” Dr. Farsi says.

“You generally feel much better when you eat a balanced diet than when you eat unhealthy and rely on supplements.”