A Doctor Explains Going Beyond Probiotics
By Zach Bush, MD

Do probiotics create a healthy microbiome? Unfortunately, probiotics are very limited in their capacity to affect the microbiome and human health. Brief attention to what a probiotic is reveals its limited capacity: a probiotic is typically composed of three to seven species of bacteria, but at very high numbers—the probiotic bottle likely touts 35 billion or 50 billion CFU (colony forming units). 

This is an amazing simplification of microbiome data. A healthy gut should have 20,000 to 40,000 species of bacteria, plus fungi and beyond. And yet, one of the only tools that have been handed to us for gut health is capsules of three to seven species. If we take probiotics daily, we are overwhelmingly creating a very narrow spectrum of microbiome throughout the gut. Furthermore, the vast majority of the bacteria in probiotics are not grown from human gut microbiome, but from the microbiome of cows. 

Cows have much different, nonacidic digestive tracts with much different species of bacteria, etc. If you are going to use them, then a short duration would be recommended. If long-term maintenance is needed, then changing your brand/bacterial species content frequently is recommended. Read more

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Biofilm Busters You Need to Know About

Chronic infections have become increasingly challenging, and not just due to the antibiotic resistance problem. Bacteria have developed a sneaky way of protecting themselves and becoming impervious to treatment. The trick is a sticky coating that they can surround themselves with called biofilm. 

Bacteria clump together and the biofilm forms, surrounding the bacteria with a matrix of proteins and sugars designed to serve as a protective armor. Biofilms shield the bacteria from any substance that can destroy it, including antibiotics. Up to 80% of infections involve biofilms, which make for very persistent and difficult to treat infections that spread easily. Bacteria with biofilms have a 10 to 1,000 times greater resistance to antibiotic therapy. The protective coating allows bacteria to "hide" and multiply, which makes a person sicker with chronic, but unexplainable symptoms. But, not all biofilms are bad. They can also be present in healthy conditions, as they can serve as protection for good bacteria in our digestive tract and mucous
membranes. Read more

*Due to the manufacturer's online marketing policy, we cannot show the discount for Klaire Labs products on our website, so call in your order at 800-634-1380 Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-7:00 PM or Saturdays from 9:00 AM-5:30 PM EST.

FloraMend Prime Probiotic

FloraMend Prime Probiotic contains the three characteristics
needed in order to be an optimally-effective probiotic supplement: (1) it's viable at room temperature; (2) it withstands stomach acid, so it's not degraded before it reaches the intestines; and (3) it's formulated to be distributed throughout the intestinal tract where it can adhere and reproduce. When taken daily, FloraMend helps promote a healthy gut microbiota that supports a wide variety of health benefits—from GI support and weight management to immune function. FloraMend is also dairy-free and is available in a convenient, once daily supplement. 

Mounting evidence supports the influence of the gut microbiome on all aspects of health. The microbiome consists of all of the bacteria and other organisms that inhabit the gut, plus all of the genetic material and metabolites associated with these bacteria. Research indicates that the majority of flora in the gut is also related to body weight. Animal and human studies demonstrate that lean individuals have different types and more diverse flora than obese individuals. Read more

*Due to the manufacturer's online marketing policy, we cannot show the discount for Allergy Research Group products on our website, so call in your order at 800-634-1380 Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-7:00 PM or Saturdays from 9:00 AM-5:30 PM EST.