Why an effective probiotic MUST include multiple strains
A good probiotic supplement will help create a healthy balance of bacteria in your gut. It increases the ratio of good to ‘bad’ bacteria in what’s called your microbiome.
This can improve your health in many ways, including improving digestion, stronger immune response, addressing issues like yeast infection (candida) and intestinal inflammation, and even helping to normalise cholesterol and preventing stomach upsets while travelling.
An unbalanced microbiome can cause skin problems like acne, depression and even possibly Type 1 diabetes, allergies and asthma. Moreover, some 25% of medications adversely affect gut bacterial growth.
So, it’s no wonder there has been an explosion of interest in the therapeutic use of probiotic supplements.
But you need to choose a probiotic supplement that has multiple strains.
Because different strains work in different parts of your gut to confer different health benefits.
Colonising AND transient probiotics
One key point to look for in a probiotic supplement is: Does your probiotic supplement contain both colonising bacteria (also called ‘resident’ bacteria) and transient bacteria?
Colonising good bacteria
Colonising or resident bacteria strains live on the walls of your gut where they help form a barrier or coating that protects you against harmful or pathogenic bacteria.
Transient good bacteria
Transient bacteria strains – as the name implies – move through the digestive system and are eventually evacuated.
But transient bacteria strains are just as important as colonising bacteria. That’s because, while in the gut, they play a role in increasing immune function, and fighting specific harmful bacteria.
We now know there is a direct connection between the gut and the brain, which is why certain strains of bacteria can positively affect the nervous system – meaning that, for some people, a probiotic can improve mood.
The right probiotic mix
The University of Nebraska is a leading probiotic research centre. Work there has led to the development of a combined colonising/transient multi-strain probiotic (with added prebiotics, too) called Microbiotic Plus.
Examples of colonising bacteria strains in the multi-strain probiotic Microbiotic Plus include:
- Lactobacillus acidophilus
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus
- Bifidobacterium lactis and
- Bacillus coagulans Produra – this being an especially hardy and effective strain
Examples of transient bacteria strains in Microbiotic Plus include:
- Lactobacillus casei
- Lactobacillus plantarum, and
- Streptococcus thermophilus
By incorporating multiple strains of both colonising and transient bacteria Miicrobiotic Plus better mirrors the conditions of a healthy gut flora.
Think of your microbiome – the mix of billions of different bacteria in your intestines – as a community, which needs different specialists to function properly.
For these reasons, multi-strain formulas have been proven to be more effective than single-strain formulas. Indeed the right combination can boost your ability to even overcome pathogenic bacteria like E. coli and C. difficile.
By taking a probiotic you are adding reinforcements to create a better balance between good and bad bacteria.
Obviously all the bacteria in your probiotic supplement will need to survive the harsh acidic conditions of the stomach to reach the various areas of the gut and became effective.
Research at the University of Nebraska shows the strains in Microbiotic Plus can do this. And your diet helps – high fibre foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains, feed the helpful bacteria in your gut.
You can get a full report on probiotics from this link https://uni-vite.com/microbiotic/how-probiotics-improve-your-health-report/
This article was written by Colin Rose, a Senior Associate Member of the Royal Society of Medicine, who has been writing on science for 40 years.
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References:
Manipulating the Gut Microbiota to Maintain Health and Treat Disease. Scott, Karen P. et al. Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease 26 (2015)
Probiotics: a role in the treatment of intestinal infection and inflammation? E Isolauri, P V Kirjavainen, S Salminen, Gut Vol 50 BMJ
Probiotics: effects on immunity. Isolauri E, Sütas Y, Kankaanpää P, et al. Am J Clin Nutr2001;73:S444–50.
Probiotics in human disease; Isolauri E. Am J Clin Nutr2001;73:11425–65
Sought or the Unwanted? ; Sun, Y., Coppé, J. P., & Lam, E. W. F. Trends in Molecular Medicine. (2018).