Recent Research Connecting the Gut and Multi-System Health

More and more clinical studies are making the connection between the balance of bacteria in the gut to issues that may not seem immediately related, such as cognitive health, digestive support, immune support, and even behavioral issues. Even mainstream pundits and practitioners who have traditionally been wary of implementing supplements as part of their protocols are touting the benefits of probiotics (healthy bacteria).

The previous notion that the blood brain barrier creates a clear separation between a healthy gut and a healthy brain was flawed; recent research is demonstrating that dysfunction in the gut can lead to a host of issues. In addition to the previously understood issues related to healthy immune and digestive systems, the balance between “good” and “bad” bacteria in the gut can have a strong impact brain health, mood issues, and other categories of cognitive function. Recent research (following citations 1 and 2) has demonstrated very strong correlative links between microbiome imbalance/dysfunctions and a host of cognitive conditions, including ADHD1, autism, depressive disorders, anxiety, and even schizophrenia2.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5581161/1

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5641835/2

When you factor in things like our diet, stress levels, and environmental factors, our bad bacteria drastically outnumbers the good bacteria. To put this in perspective, let me posit the following—you have approximately 2 trillion human genes in your body. Conversely, you have about 20 trillion bacterial genes . . . that means that, best case, you’re around 10% human, 90% bacterial (it’s gross, but make friends with the monster in the mirror!). That means if your bacterial balance is off, just about everything else could be too.

When considering a probiotic, there are a number of factors to consider. Diversity of the profile (i.e. how many different strains are in the product) and dosage (how many total bacteria are in the formula) are important, but so is how many your body can actually deliver into the gut. Consider this: Part of the function of your stomach acid (aside from breaking down protein and other hard-to-digest molecules) is to kill any bacteria left on your food. That means that if the capsule dissolves in the stomach, most (if not all) of the overwhelming majority of probiotics sold are neutralized before they ever have a chance of being used by the body. Patients are being “tricked” with the term CFU (“culture forming units”) that is typically used to indicate potency. The problem is they buy a 50 Billion CFU product with an inferior gelatin capsule, and maybe if they’re lucky, 1 Billion gets to the intestines.

By contrast, Greens First Daily Care Probiotics have 10 Billion CFU but with 1 key difference:

This product uses the trademarked “NGProbiome Guard” capsule, where testing shows only a 6% dissolution rate after 2 hours in simulated stomach acid of pH of 1.2 (keep in mind that typical gelatin capsules dissolve 100% in 30 minutes).

In other words, this product is designed to survive the low pH environment of the stomach, which is around a pH of 1.2, and only dissolves and releases the probiotic strains when the pH of the intestines rises to a more neutral level around pH 6.8.  This ensures the important probiotics arrive to the intestines intact, with at least 94% (or 9.4 Billion culture forming units) getting delivered.

It’s not just about what you take—it’s about what you can use.

Something to consider when choosing the probiotic you take and recommend.


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