Balancing Good and Bad Gut Microbes

Perhaps the biggest obstacle to optimal health resides in the ability to restore the balance of good and bad microbes in the gut. Many researchers believe that the microbes in the gut are quite territorial, meaning they do not like newcomers; once the bad guys take over it is tricky to repopulate with the good microbes.

If the gut, which processes stress, is overwhelmed by emotional trauma and mental stress, then the beneficial microbes disappear and the undesirable bugs proliferate. (1,2 ) Such emotional stress will negatively impact the quality of the intestinal mucosa, further altering the microbial environment, immunity, and production of digestive enzymes, vitamins, and neurotransmitters, and last but definitely not least, the eliminative system.

According to Ayurveda, the main cause of digestive disturbances like constipation, loose stools, indigestion, heartburn, gas, bloating, excess visceral fat or abdominal pain is stress. Studies tells us that stress may contribute to both the digestive disturbances as well as the destruction of a healthy microbiome. (1, 2)

Once the good bugs have disappeared due to the above factors, the undesirable bad microbes quickly populate every available square inch of your intestinal villi (which is the size of a tennis court if it was all flattened out).

This leaves absolutely no real estate for any good bugs to repopulate the intestinal tract, hence poor digestion, incomplete elimination, compromised immunity and the inability to manufacture the neurotransmitters we need to handle stress and stabilize the mood.

Gut Guard is designed to muscle out some of the undesirable microbes from the gut and make room for the proliferation of a new, healthy microbial population. This is initially done by a yeast called Saccharomyces boulardii, which is a natural, non-pathogenic yeast that has been shown to maintain and restore the healthy ecology of the small and large intestines, and it acts as a scrub for the intestinal villi creating an inhospitable environment for bad bugs to proliferate. In a 2010 systematic review and meta-analysis of 31 randomized, placebo-controlled studies encompassing 5029 adult study patients, S. Boulardii was found to be significantly efficacious and safe in 84% of gut-related issues studied. (3-5)

The research suggests that if we can make room for the beneficial microbes to colonize and adhere to the gut wall, it can begin to create some healthier permanent residents. The key words here are “adhere to gut wall” – few probiotics have been shown to survive the upper digestive process and then stick to the intestinal wall, let alone proliferate microbial diversity.

Research on Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 has shown it to both adhere to the gut wall, and deliver a new, more diverse population of good microbes that can set up permanent residency. In one study with a group of 60+ year olds, there was a significant diversity of new strains of microbes populating the gut after supplementing with Bifidobacterium lactis HN019. (6-10)

Lactobacillus plantarum is another colonizing microbe in Gut Guard that, among other benefits, has been shown to break down the hard to digest proline-rich epitope portion of the gluten protein. Yep, it digests gluten! It is commonly found in high-quality traditional sourdough breads, rendering the wheat more easily digestible. (11,12) Lactobacillus plantarum is deficient in many human adults and naturally found on fermented foods like olives and sauerkraut.

Gut Guard has other colonizing probiotics as well as a prebiotic called Arabinogalactan, which is derived from the larch tree. This prebiotic fiber substance supports the proliferation of a healthy and diverse microbiota.

Studies have shown that Gut Guard supports the following

1. Maintains healthy intestinal microecology, and neutralizes certain bacterial toxins*
2. Supports balance of healthy flora during/post antibiotic therapy*
3. Supports the natural immune response*
4. Supports bowel regularity*
5. Enhances integrity of the mucosa and enzymatic activity of intestinal cells*
6. Supports a healthy inflammatory response in the body*

*Find references and more about Gut Guard on our online store.

References

1. http:www.apa.org/momitor/2012/09/gut-feeling.aspx
2. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/19/magazine/say-hello-to-the-100-trillion-bacteria-that-make-up-your-microbiome.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
3. World J Gastroenterol. 2010 May 14;16(18):2202-22. [PMID: 20458757]
4. Eur J Pediatr. 2009 Mar;168(3):253-65. Epub 2008 Dec 19. [PMID: 19096876]
5. Dig Dis Sci. 2006 Aug;51(8):1485-92. Epub 2006 Jul 13 [PMID: 16838119]
6. Nutr. Res. 2003;23:1313-28. http://www.daniscosupplements.com/clinical-study-bibliography.html. Accessed June 24, 2011.
7. Danisco. Clinical study bibliography & abstracts. HOWARU Bifido – Bif. lactis HN019. http://www.daniscosupplements.com/clinical-study-bibliography.html. Accessed June 24, 2011.
8. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2011 Sep;46(9):1057-64. [PMID: 21663486]
9. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2010 Sep;51(3):341-46. [PMID: 20601905]
10. J Nutr Health Aging. 2007 Jan-Feb;11(1):26-31. [ 17315077]
11. Food Microbiol. 2007; 24(2):187-196.
12. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2005; 71(11):7528-30.