Move Over Probiotics
Over the past few years Probiotics have become centre stage… We’ve been told to pop one daily to keep our gut healthy (well the marketers have told you that) But is it really what our gut needs?
Well… NO (but there are exceptions)… please allow me to explain…
If you are undergoing antibiotic treatment then this is the exception… and Broad spectrum, High Strength (100 billion plus), Multi Strain Probiotic will likely assist with supporting your gut health during the detrimental effects (to your beneficial bacteria) during/after your course of antibiotics.
The effects of antibiotics on Gut health are clear…
"... antibiotics can affect the abundances of 30% of the bacteria in the gut community, causing rapid and significant drops in taxonomic richness, diversity and evenness" and research shows that after one-time antibiotic treatment the effects on the Gut Microbiome can be aggravating and prolonged and can lead to "long-lasting detrimental shifts in the gut microbiota”… “causing a disruption in diversity of the intestinal microbiota for 4 years following antibiotic use".
Antibiotics can cause significant changes in gut microbiota that have both short- and long-term health consequences.”
“Antibiotic use is associated with reduced microbiota diversity.”
“Antibiotics can also disrupt the balance that normally exists between the various species of gut microbiota. For instance, by causing a decrease in species diversity, antibiotics can lead to the overgrowth of pathobionts”… “As the antibiotic susceptible bacteria are eliminated, antibiotic-resistant bacteria multiply and take their place”
While some health professionals advising NOT to take during antibiotic treatment, the Research shows that Probiotic therapy during Antibiotic therapy has beneficial effects such as…
“Effect of adding probiotics to an antibiotic intervention on the human gut microbial diversity and composition: a systematic review concluded that the addition of probiotics to antibiotic interventions seems to preserve alpha diversity and ameliorate the changes to gut microbial composition caused by antibiotic interventions”
“Research on probiotics to minimize the disruption of faecal microbiota in healthy subjects undergoing antibiotic therapy indicates this mixture of probiotics promotes a more rapid return to pre-antibiotic baseline faecal bacterial microbiota”
“Broad spectrum, High Strength, Multi Strain Probiotics are necessary to assist in the recolonization of the Gut Microbiome and repair and restore Intestinal cell barrier function” and… “support the establishment of friendly bacteria and discourage the growth of unfriendly micro-organisms and reduces digestive inflammatory mediators”
“S boulardii (SB) is non-pathogenic biotherapeutic probiotic agent (not a bacterial strain, like a probiotic, it is a transient yeast) that adheres to the mucous lining your digestive tract and block receptors sites in the gut so that pathogenic bacteria CANNOT adhere to the gut wall, and reproduce. Instead it binds to SB and SB moves them out through the bowels. It has superior ability to…”inhibit the growth of bacteria and parasites, reduction of gut translocation of pathogens, neutralization of bacterial virulence factors and suppression of host cell adherence that interferes with bacterial colonization. Several clinical trials and experimental studies displayed the role of S. boulardii as a good biotherapeutic agent allowing to prevent and/or treat several gastrointestinal diseases. S. boulardii mediates effects which resemble the protective effects of the normal healthy gut flora”.
“Probiotics are believed to prevent bacterial translocation by stabilizing the intestinal barrier and stimulating proliferation of the intestinal epithelium, mucus secretion, and motility"
However, to get the benefits the Probiotic NEEDS to be taken at least 4-hrs AWAY from the antibiotic or it mostly gets killed off (by the antibiotic).
Another exception is if you have a specific chronic health condition… where Probiotics may assist
BUT… there are TWO big BUTS…
If you’re not applying food and lifestyle interventions to support your gut at the same time (and ongoing) then you will ONLY get transient beneficial effects i.e. the moment you stop them, your condition will likely return.
If you’re taking a general probiotic from the pharmacy/health store/chemist or an online store i.e. a commercially available probiotic, then you are likely wasting your money.
Why?
Because clinical evidence shows that a Probiotic needs to be MATCHED to your specific health condition to have positive effects i.e. a mix of a particular genus, species and strain of beneficial bacteria…
You see, the beneficial bacterial (probiotic) species and strain needed for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is completely different to the beneficial bacterial (probiotic) species and strain needed to treat Eczema; and is completely different to the beneficial bacterial (probiotic) species and strain needed to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis; and is completely different to the beneficial bacterial (probiotic) species and strain needed to treat Anxiety and Depression. And so forth…
Research shows that clinically-proven, strain specific probiotics can help promote restoration of your unique microbiome and improve its function… but NOT the commercially available ones!
”It is now well established that the probiotic strains commercially available are NOT actually commensals, let alone constitute an appreciable portion of the gut microbiome. That is, they are not strictly seeding, but more passing through and are considered to be transient species”
What about a DAILY probiotic?
If you take a Probiotic every day because you think… “it’s the healthy thing to do”… then in all likelihood, it may NOT provide the health benefits that you want or need and MAY even be detrimental to your health…
"The use of Probiotics… can dominate and thus reduce other important beneficial bacteria species. It is crucial in the rebalancing period to ensure that the composition of the Gut microbe community remains relatively equal during growth to ensure long-term sustainable benefits."
A PROBIOTIC capsule is essentially a capsule full of good bacteria strains which can support existing beneficial bacteria in your gut… HOWEVER it NEEDS something to eat so they can ferment the food and pass it onto your own beneficial bacteria. They are a very short-term intervention to support a long-term deficiency.
What your Gut REALLY NEEDS is PREBIOTICS — food high in fibre — basically fertilizer for the good bacteria that live inside your gut. The bonus of this is that it is definitely cheaper, and more beneficial, to include prebiotic and probiotic foods in your diet.
As a Gut Health Practitioner, with a special focus on the Gut Microbiome, I’ve been spending years teaching people about PREBIOTIC food (and lifestyle) elements that are proven to improve health. So it’s nice to see studies come out that support this — A recent study showed…
“PREBIOTICS improved both REM and non-REM sleep after stressful events.”
“Prebiotics elicits a metabolism biased towards health-promoting microorganisms within the microbiota ecosystem”
"Health effects of prebiotics are endless but currently include benefits to the gastrointestinal tract (for example, inhibition of pathogens, immune stimulation), cardio metabolism (for example, reduction in blood lipid levels, effects upon insulin resistance), mental health (for example, metabolites that influence brain function, energy and cognition) and bone (for example, mineral bioavailability), among others"
Prebiotics are what assist in restoring gut health.
Prebiotics are NOT found in pills, powders or supplements in sufficient quantities to exert any noticeable effects on the health of the Microbiome. And furthermore, research concludes that concentrating on ONE type of prebiotic, or a cluster of the same prebiotics actually have detrimental effects on your health…
"Focusing on a single type of Prebiotic can actually cause a REDUCTION of bacteria species, and selectively promote the growth of certain types of bacteria which are DETRIMENTAL to health"
This is a one of the biggest MISTAKES many individuals make when they ‘buy’ into the ‘gut health hype’ and buy into the ‘prebiotic’ supplements and then see their health actually decline!
Prebiotics are a functional food❣️
Prebiotics are compounds in foods❣️
Prebiotics are non-digestible fibre❣️
Prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients (fibre) which have been shown to stimulate growth of beneficial bacteria and restore proper microbial balance to your gut microbiota, helping to mitigate the detrimental effects of antibiotic usage, poor dietary choices and under nutrition. In a nutshell, making you ridiculously healthy!!
In fact research shows…
“Prebiotics alone have also been shown to improve the health and alter the gut microbial composition” and …
“Specific immune related effects included reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines and an increase in the anti-inflammatory cytokine”
So how do you get MORE of these PREBIOTICS?
The list of prebiotics foods is endless and it’s not as simple as ‘naming’ one food because they are found in all vegetables, fruit, grains, nuts, seeds, beans and legumes.
However, if you eat a diverse range i.e. a VARIETY of vegetables, fruit, grains, nuts, seeds, beans and legumes you can’t go wrong.
Ditch the DAILY probiotic and invest your money in (real food) PREBIOTICS, rather than costly probiotic or prebiotic supplements.
And as you start to feel better day by day, you will have the energy to start looking at the lifestyle elements that have been proven to affect health… sleep, stress, movement, hydration etc.
Get a delicious dose of Prebiotics…
With this super quick to make, and decadently delicious, raw chocolate. Click HERE to download.
I hope this article helps you and your health.
If you want to know more about my programs that are designed to IMPROVE your Gut Health then head HERE or if you want to eat your way back to health — one meal at a time — check out my Gut Health Recipe Compendium. Nat xx
References
Incomplete recovery and individualized responses of the human distal gut microbiota to repeated antibiotic perturbation. 2011.
Dysbiosis or Adaptation: How Stable Is the Gut Microbiome? 2016.
Effects of oligosaccharide on the faecal flora and non-specific immune system in elderly people. 2002.
Dietary Fiber Intake and Gut Microbiota in Human Health. 2022.
Dietary fibre in foods: a review. 2012.
Dietary Fibre Modulates the Gut Microbiota. 2021.
Effect of Functional Oligosaccharides and Ordinary Dietary Fiber on Intestinal Microbiota Diversity. 2017.
Health benefits of dietary fiber. 2009.
Fiber and Prebiotics: Mechanisms and Health Benefits.2013.
Fibre Content Chart. Soluble and Insoluble Fibre. Harvard. 2004.
Gut microbiome diversity and high-fibre intake are related to lower long-term weight gain. 2017.
Short-Chain Fatty Acids From Gut Microbiota in Gut-Brain Communication. 2020
Human Microbiota in Health and Disease. From Pathogenesis to Therapy Overview of Prebiotics: Membership, Physiological Effects and their Health Attributes. 2018.
Expert consensus document: The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of prebiotics. 2017.
Effect of Functional Oligosaccharides and Ordinary Dietary Fiber on Intestinal Microbiota Diversity. 2017.
Nutraceuticals. Prebiotics: Safety and Toxicity Considerations. 2016.
The intestinal microbiome, probiotics and prebiotics in neurogastroenterology. 2013.
Prebiotics and the health benefits of fiber: current regulatory status, future research, and goals. 2012.
The importance of the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid n-6 / n-3 ratio in development of non-alcoholic fatty liver associated with obesity. 2011.
Microbiota and SCFA in lean and overweight healthy subjects. 2010.
Galacto-oligosaccharides and bowel function. 2007.
Ingested probiotics reduce nasal colonization with pathogenic bacteria. 2003.