11 Reasons Why You Should Forget About What You Know About Probiotics

I had the chance to sit down and chat with Research Microbiologist Kiran Krishnan about Probiotics in this podcast episode of the Less Stressed Life show. 

It was such an insightful discussion on microbiomes, the role of bacteria in building our immune system and how different spore-based probiotics are from conventional probiotics and here are 11 reasons why you should forget about what you know about Probiotics. 

1. Humans are walking and talking rainforest of organisms. Our bodies allow thousands of different species to cohabit and work together to ensure that we are healthy as a whole.  

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2. Mom and baby connection is a very significant factor that influences how the immune system is built up.  The exposure of a baby to the "soup of life" or organisms found in the birth canal (and sometimes poop!) influence how strong our immune systems will be.  Colostrum which comes from mom's milk helps in strengthening our immune system that is why it is best to breastfeed for as long as possible.

3. Glyphosates are everywhere.  Consumption of vegetables and fruits that were exposed to chemicals with glyphosate such as weed killers will greatly affect your gut bacteria.  Washing produce with soap and water doesn't decrease the effect of glyphosate.

4. Leaky gut is the #1 cause of mortality worldwide!  A 2015 study published in a Journal of Frontiers in Immunology stated that leaky gut is the #1 driver of most chronic disease.  

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 5. The food you like or dislike is dictated by the bacteria you feed.  By feeding a certain type of bacteria the neurotransmitters they create will tell your brain to eat more of those kinds of food. So, if you consume a lot of sugary food the bacteria that live on sugary food will keep telling your brain to eat more of that type of food.

6. A 10-day course of antibiotic will take 2 years for your gut to heal.  Some antibiotics' effect includes anxiety and depression.  Taking probiotics while you are on antibiotics will help reduce the recovery time of your gut. 

7. Spore-based probiotics are stable in the presence of antibiotics and act as "gardeners" inside your gut.  These spore-based probiotics act on competitive exclusion which means they have the ability to wipe out only the overgrown and bad bacteria while allowing good bacteria to thrive. 

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8. If you are on antibiotics, you also affect the microbiomes of those who live with you in the same household. The kind of relationship or the level of intimacy will not matter when it comes to disrupting the microbiomes of those who live in close proximity to someone who takes antibiotics. 

9. Having a diverse microbiome means you have healthy microbiomes.  Not all probiotic strains survive the gastric system.  To be able to get a measurable change to the diversity of one's microbiomes you will need to send these trillions of bacteria through a tract that avoids acid wash - this is where fecal transplants come in.

10. There are two types of organisms: soil-based organisms and spore-based organisms.   Soil-based organisms can be beneficial to your immune system when they pass through but they don't do anything much for your gut. Spore-based organisms, on the other hand, stays in your gut and are part of the commensal flora.

11. Acne and Parkinsons have the same starting mechanism - leaky gut.  In order for a disease to be diagnosable, it will take several years for it to develop in our body.  Taking a probiotic during an illness is like throwing a glass of water to a fire. 

 Whew! These were just some of the key points that you can take away from this episode.  It was a delight to nerd out with Kiran on microbiome, gut health and probiotics.  

Want to read the transcription? Click this link to read the transcribed episode.

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