This article will discuss the importance of Gut Health. It will also discuss what Probiotics are, what happens when you don’t have enough, and what you can do about it.
The Importance of Gut Health
Your gastrointestinal tract (Gut or GI tract) plays an important role to your immune function and mood and is involved in your entire well-being. Your intestines are responsible on what leaves your gut and enters your bloodstream. When your intestines are working well, they are permeable enough to let nutrients enter the bloodstream, but also tight enough to prevent larger molecules such as toxins from leaving the intestines.
Your Gut is Your Second Brain
Your Gut also has interesting similarities to the brain and is often called the “second brain”. Your Gut contains as many neurons as the spinal cord and has its own nervous system (the Enteric Nervous System). The Enteric Nervous System (ENS) is a complex network of lymphoid tissue that constantly monitors the GI tract, processes information, and forms plans to keep the GI tract and the entire body healthy.
The ENS in your gut contains extensive neural circuits that allows it to communicate with your Central Nervous System (CNS). There’s a two-way communication between the CNS and the ENS called the gut-brain axis that lets them work together to regulate the gastrointestinal, immune, endocrine, and nervous systems.
Bacteria is the Key to Gut Health
Having a large diversity of bacteria (aka microbes) in your Gut is one of the most critical factors to your Gut’s health. Scientists estimate that more than 500 species and 100 trillion microbes live in your gut. The bacteria in there affect all sorts of things: intestinal integrity, mood, bowel regularity, the inflammatory response, skin health, metabolic activity and cognition.
Gut and Immune System Connection
Your Gut also has a connection to your Immune System. Your Immune System can sense the types of bacteria (aka microbes) in your gut and whether the microbes are “good” or “bad”. If larger molecules (toxins) escape your intestines, an immune response may be triggered to get rid of the “bad” gut microbe. In addition, the “good” gut microbes help activate certain immune cells that regulate the immune system, shutting down auto-immune responses and defending against microbes that can cause disease. Therefore, “good” gut microbes can help prevent auto-immune-related illnesses and infectious diseases.1
Did you know that about 80% of your Immune System is located within your Gut? Your Gut is the largest immune organ in the body.2 The Gut-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (GALT) identifies foreign substances that trigger immune responses in the body (antigens).3
Important Connection between Bacteria and your Gut
Villi are millions of hair-like microstructures that cover the walls of our intestines. Villi are important because they transport the nutrients from the food that you eat out of your Gut and into your bloodstream. Bacteria live on the Villi and support their functions. Friendly bacteria in your Gut prevent harmful bacteria from settling in your gut. Harmful bacteria can disrupt the overall well-being of your gut. Friendly microbes reduce harmful microbes by competing with them for nutrients and space to colonize. They also produce chemical by-products that prevent harmful microbes from colonizing.
Bacteria and Nutrient Absorption / Production Connection
The bacteria in your Gut also helps break down and absorb carbohydrates and nutrients like calcium, magnesium, and iron. It also helps with the production of nutrients like vitamins K and B. For example, some friendly bacteria called Probiotics produce an enzyme that your body doesn’t naturally create on its own. This enzyme helps break down carbohydrates into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). SCFAs are a major source of energy and metabolism for microbes and help support a healthy cardiovascular system function.
Lifestyle Affects Gut Health
What you are eating in your diet will affect your Gut health. Eating fiber-rich foods (fruits and vegetables) increase friendly microbes. However, consuming large amounts of animal fats and proteins encourage the colonization of unfriendly bacteria. The North American diet is usually high in protein and refined carbohydrates, while low in fiber which do not allow healthy bacteria to flourish in the gut. Other lifestyle factors such as stress, physical exertion, and toxins in diet can make it difficult for friendly microbes to colonize your gut. As you age, the number of microbes in your gut also declines.
Prebiotics and Probiotics
- Prebiotics are fibers that provide a nutritional source for friendly microbes. That is, it provides food for friendly microorganisms to promote bacterial growth
- Probiotics are live friendly bacteria that provide health benefits when consumed. These bacteria help digest food, destroy disease-causing cells, and produce vitamins. You can get Probiotics from eating yogurt and fermented foods, but most people don’t eat enough of these to sufficiently populate the Gut.
If you are not consuming enough yogurt and fermented foods to maintain a healthy gut, you can take a Probiotic supplement which contain strains of friendly microorganisms.
Enteric Double Encapsulated Coating in PB Assist+ (Probiotic Supplement)
What makes the PB Assist+ probiotic supplement more effective than other probiotic supplements is that it has an Enteric double encapsulated coating. Anything you consume first passes through your stomach before going to your small intestine. Most probiotic supplements do not have an Enteric coating which means those capsules are likely opening up and the bacterial strains are getting destroyed by your stomach acids. The Enteric coating on PB Assist+ allows the bacterial strains to bypass your stomach in order to get to the small intestine where the probiotics go to work to give you the healthy gut biome.
PB Assist+ is double encapsulated with the outside capsule containing the Prebiotic (food for probiotics to promote bacterial growth), while the inner green capsule contains the Probiotics that get released into your small intestine. Most probiotic supplements offer extremely high numbers of bacteria at 50 billion in the hopes that the bacteria can make it past your stomach to settle in the intestines, but you are wasting your money! The PB Assist+ bacterial numbers are lower at 6 million since the Enteric coating ensures the bacteria can make it down to settle in your intestine.
PB Assist+ Probiotic Strains
The PB Assist+ contains a Prebiotic fiber and sic (6) active probiotic strains to support a healthy gut. The 6 probiotic strains in PB Assist+ are:
- Lactobacillus acidophilus (La-14)
- Lactobacillus salivarious (Ls-33)
- Lactobacillus casei (Lc-11)
- Bifidobacterium lactis (Bl-04)
- Bifidobacterium bifidum (Bb-06)
- Bifidobacterium longum (Bl-05)
The first three strains listed promote the colonization and function of microflora in the upper GI tract. The latter three strains listed support the healthy digestive and immune function of the lower intestine. Each of these strains was selected for its stability, potency and viability benefits. Research has shown that they don’t compete for space in the GI tract and so they won’t compete against each other.
The letters and numbers after each of the 6 Probiotics represent the Strain of that particular Probiotic. The reference of the Strain is important because it means it is a proprietary Strain that has been studied. Probiotic Strains without letters and numbers means that is a generic probiotic that has not been studied. Each of these Proprietary Strains has demonstrated the superior ability for intestinal colonization.
Primary Benefits of the PB Assist+ Probiotic Strains
The primary benefits of the Probiotic Strains in PB Assist+ are:
- La-14 – unique form of Lactobacillus acidophilus. Promotes bowel regularity, supports a healthy immune response, and aids normal respiratory function. Together with other bacteria (Lactobacillus casei and Bifidobacterium bifidum), supports overall gastrointestinal health.
- Ls-33 – stabilizing effect on the immune system.
- Lc-11 – supports healthy immune function and alleviates minor GI discomfort.
- Bl-04 – like Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bl-04 helps to alleviate environmental stresses, soothe minor GI discomfort, and support a healthy immune system.
- Bb-06 – has been used with other probiotics (like Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus acidophilus) to support a healthy gut microbiome and healthy metabolic activity.
- Bl-05 – has demonstrated its ability to adhere to the GI tract. Together with Lactobacillus acidophilus and other probiotics, it also supports healthy immune function.
I hope this article was helpful in providing information on Gut Health, Probiotics and what you can do to keep your gut healthy. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message at RoseExcellenceCoach@gmail.com.
Thank you,
Rose 🌹