Naturopath in Burnaby and Virtual Care Across BC | Dr. Mélanie DesChâtelets, ND

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Probiotics for gut health

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What does choosing a dog and choosing a probiotic have in common?

In the last few decades, research on probiotics has grown exponentially. Our understanding of how they can influence our gut health as well as how they influence seemingly unrelated systems such as the immune system has been greatly refined. Unfortunately, as research creates buzz, so does the marketing world and our shelves are popping up with probiotic labels everywhere. Now, we have a dilemma- how to decide which probiotics give you the bang for your buck. This current article builds on my last article explaining some of the research and the benefits of probiotics. If you haven’t read it you can check it out here.
Are all probiotics created equal?

Saying I take probiotics is as vague as saying I take vitamins. Just as different vitamins play differing roles in the body, we also know that different probiotics with different genus, species and strains do not have the same effects.
If you currently take probiotics take a look at the label now.

What do you see? Can you find the Genus, species and strain of the probiotic?

Some of the lower quality probiotics only specify the genus and species and not the strain. This is because identifying strains take an additional level of evaluation. This step however is proving to be extremely important as we are learning that probiotics with the same genus and species but different strain can play different roles in your health and do not all confer the same benefits.

To conceptualize, consider that all dogs have the same genus and species- Canis lupus. Within this genus and species we have various types of dog breeds. Visually it is evident that different breeds have very different characteristics. For example, some are great hunter dogs others are better sled dogs while some are hypoallergenic dogs. Having a probiotic that doesn’t specify strain is like looking for a hunting dog but blindly buying a dog without knowing the breed.

If you own a dog you very likely chose a specific breed of dog to suit your lifestyle. In the same way, there may be a specific probiotic strain that is indicated for the outcome you are looking for.

Take home message: Top 5 things to know before choosing your probiotic

1. Know your probiotic strain

Look for a known probiotic strain that has been tested in humans and known to confer the specific outcome you are looking for.

2. Know the colony forming unit (CFU)

CFU indicates the amount of live microbes in the supplement. Recommending a dose is very difficult as it depends on the probiotic strain and the outcome you are looking for. Doses range from 50 million to 1 trillion CFU a day.

3. Know the probiotic strain’s tolerability to digestion.

Digestion provides a rough journey for some of these living microbes. Some strains are tough naturally and others aren’t. Has the strain you are taking been studied to assess its tolerability to the gastric acid of your stomach, the bile salts of your gallbladder and the digestives enzymes of your pancreas? Some strains are tolerant; some are not. The ones that aren’t need to be formulated in capsule that will only dissolve in the lower gastrointestinal track.

4. Know your manufacturer: 3 questions to ask.

Does this manufacturer ensure that strain-identification has been done, a process that ensures you have the strain of probiotic you are looking for?  Is the manufacturer diligent about the entire process ensuring that if a probiotic needs to be refrigerated it is from the moment it leaves their hands, through shipment and until the time it gets to your home?  Have they studied the probiotic to ensure it has a stable shelf life until expiry?

5. Are you having a double rainbow “what does it mean” moment?

I know, I’m sorry but it was a bit of the point of this article. I see so many patients taking probiotics but they have no idea what strain or for what outcome. Next time you see the word probiotic I hope you can see through some of the hype of what might be good marketing versus some of the benefits the best of science has to offer today. For overall intestinal and systemic health, the most basic recommendation in adults would be the periodic use of 15-30 billion of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM® (talk to your primary care giver). This strain was first isolated from the human gut and has been well researched. It is known to have digestive tolerability and been shown to adhere to the human intestinal wall. It is one of the most common probiotics in the gut and one with a very good safety record. There are over 6o studies on this specific strain demonstrating various beneficial outcomes for certain conditions.
Are you looking for specific outcomes, do you have irritable bowel syndrome or disease? If so, talking to someone who is well versed in the different strains of probiotics can get you inline with the research ensuring it has the best chance at improving the outcomes you are looking for.
If you would like more info, the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) has been created to demystify some of complexities of this ever growing and expanding body of research. Hope you’ll have a more critical eye next time you see the word probiotic.

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Why you should eat bugs- probiotics that is.

From an early age most of us are taught how to be a good host to our friends.  The 3 golden rules:

  1. Make sure they have food and drink.
  2. Create an environment that will nurture that friendship.
  3. And don’t forget to have fun.

What if I told you that you have been hosting a daily party for years.   Would that be a surprise?  What if I told you the number of guest outnumbered the number of cells you have in your body.  The friends you are hosting are healthy bacteria that reside in your gut.  These friends of yours have been working for years doing critical roles that impact your health.  This party represents a symbiotic relationship- a relationship where both the host and guest equally benefit.

Who are these buggers anyways?

According to the world health organization (2001) “probiotics are live microorganisms, which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.”

Probiotic infomercial

“We have been providing security since your birthdate.  We minimize your susceptibility to evil foreign invaders by occupying your gut wall.  When we are numerous and chilling on your wall we make it much harder for a foreign invader to fit in with us.  We literally crowd them out.

We are positive gossipers unlike the evil pathogenic counterparts.  We send positive communications to your gut cells that in return start a cascade of events important in regulating your immune system, important in decreasing inflammation as well as producing important metabolites such as vitamins and other protective molecules.”

Did you know approximately 70% of your immune system resides in your gut?  Conceptualizing that probiotics can confer digestive benefits seems plausible.  The systemic impact of probiotics on our health is far reaching and much beyond the boundaries of the gut.  Some can reduce the length of colds and flus, impact the skin, eliminate vaginal candidiasis, improve our ability to detoxify and cope with allergies.

How does your gut communicate with your immune system?  Through an immune relationship between your gut-associated lymphoid tissue and your mucosal associated lymphoid tissue.  What we know is that influencing the immune cells in your gut also results in changes in mucosal tissue.  This is why sinus issues can really be a manifestation of gut issues.

A snippet of the research (skip if you wish)

Antipathogenic barrier studies demonstrate that specific strains protect human cells from invasion of certain malignant pathogens.

Specific probiotic strains significantly reduced chronic diarrheal and vomiting in children age 6-24 months(9). Other studies demonstrate that it decreases the duration of diarrhea in acute cases as well.

Preliminary findings suggest that specific strains of probiotics reduce the activity of bacterial enzymes implicated in colon carcinogenesis.

A study looking at children age 3-5 found that “daily dietary probiotic supplementation (L acidophilus NCFM in combination with Bifidobacterium animalis subsp lactis Bi-07) for 6 months was a safe effective way to reduce fever (by 72.7%), rhinorrhea (by 41.4%), and cough incidence (by 62.1%) and duration and antibiotic prescription incidence (by 84%), as well as the number of missed school days attributable to illness (by 27.7%), for children 3 to 5 years of age.”

There are some preliminary findings with promising results that probiotic supplementation in pregnancy and in early newborn years may decrease the incidence of some atopic conditions.

Certain strains of probiotic are critical in the production of Vitamin K in the gut.

Many more roles … Busy little buggers aren’t they.

Hosting fees

There is a bit of problem.  For the most part, our society has evolved and changed its eating habits with little regard for the impact it might have on our friends.  We did have a deal after all.  They would work night and day protecting against the superpowers of evil but we did have to provide them with a nurturing thriving environment.

For the most part we haven’t been very good hosts to our inhabitants.  High fat and low fiber diets as well as acid suppressing drugs make it a rather harsh environment for them to thrive.  In addition, when we use antibiotics one of the side effect is that some of the good bacteria get killed as well.  These factors combined with the reality that our food is pasteurized and dietary sources of probiotics have greatly diminished results in a run down population. This can make us susceptible to dysbiosis or an unhealthy balance of bad to good bacteria.  Remember we had a deal and if we don’t hold our end neither will they.

Probiotic etiquette- take home message

  • Increase your dietary fiber.
  • Take proactive action after taking antibiotics with a strain specific probiotic.
  • If you depend on acid suppressing drugs on a continual basis consider a naturopathic digestive tune-up.
  • Unless you make your own unpasteurized sauerkraut your intake of probiotics is likely minimal.  Consider a daily researched strain specified probiotic such as Lactobaccilus acidophilous NCFM.

Stay tuned the next article will be on how to chose a probiotic.

Have you had a positive experience with probiotics?  I’d love to hear.