Benefits
Immune support through the gut
Phorum is designed to support healthy immune function by signaling to immune cells that line the gut. In laboratory studies, the postbiotic prompted human monocytes (a type of white blood cell) to produce cytokines, the chemical messengers that help coordinate a balanced immune response.
Immune signaling without live bacteria
Because postbiotics are inactivated, they deliver immune-signaling cell fragments without needing living organisms to survive digestion. That makes Phorum a useful option for people who do not tolerate live probiotics well, while still engaging the gut-immune system.
Shelf-stable and consistent
Postbiotics stay active without refrigeration and hold up across a wide range of formats and formulations, so a consistent daily dose is easier to deliver and store than with many live probiotic products.
Built on well-characterized strains
Phorum uses the same Lactobacillus and Saccharomyces strains studied in BIOHM's probiotic work, applied here in a heat-killed postbiotic form aimed specifically at gut-driven immune support.
Mechanism of action
Postbiotic immune signaling
Fragments of the heat-killed microbes, such as cell-wall peptidoglycans and polysaccharides, are recognized by pattern-recognition receptors on immune cells, nudging them toward a measured immune response rather than requiring live colonization.
Cytokine induction in monocytes
In human CD14+ monocytes, the postbiotic strains stimulated cytokine gene and protein expression, with the heat-killed bacteria more stimulatory than the yeast component, demonstrating direct immunomodulatory activity at the cellular level.
Tyndallized (heat-killed) cells
Controlled heat treatment inactivates the organisms while preserving their bioactive cell structures, giving the stability and safety of a postbiotic while retaining the immune-signaling surface molecules.
Clinical trials
Laboratory study of the Phorum postbiotic strains (heat-killed L. acidophilus, L. rhamnosus, and S. boulardii) on cytokine production by human CD14+ monocytes. (Roberts et al. 2024, Life). A human clinical study in active individuals is underway.
Human CD14+ monocytes (in vitro).
The heat-killed bacterial strains stimulated naive monocytes to produce cytokines, while the heat-killed S. boulardii yeast was less stimulatory, demonstrating the postbiotic's immunomodulatory activity at the cellular level. Human efficacy outcomes have not yet been published.