Probiotics for Overall Health

FOR OVERALL HEALTH

Building a strong microbiome to maintain wellness for a lifetime

When it comes to health and wellness, both in terms of keeping illness away and proactively supporting overall, full-body health and vitality, immunity is always top of mind. From adopting healthy diets and active lifestyles to finding the best, research-backed supplements, proactive immune support is critical in today's world. We are all looking for the best ways to protect our health and probiotics are a good place to start.

At its most basic definition, our immune system is what keeps us from getting sick, but how and where this process happens may come as a surprise. “Asked about their immune system, most people might think of white blood cells, lymph glands or vaccines,” said Dr. Natalia Shulzhenko, , MD, phD, author of a new report in Clinical Reviews in Allergy and Immunology, and assistant professor and physician in the Oregon State University Department of Biomedical Sciences. But the latest thinking is markedly different. “They would be surprised that’s not where most of the action is,” says Shulzhenko. “The human gut plays a huge role in immune function,” Shulzhenko said. “This is little appreciated by people who think its only role is digestion. The combined number of genes in the microbiota genome is 150 times larger than the person in which they reside. They do help us digest food, but they do a lot more than that.”

Immunity starts in the gut

“The human gut plays a huge role in immune function.”

— Dr. Natalia Shulzhenko

of our immune system resides in the gut.

70%

The power of probiotics

Enter the microbiata or microbiome, a flourishing community of micro-organisms, in the form of bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa, that make up our gut. We’re not talking about a couple of micro-organisms here, but trillions of them (100 trillion to be exact), that work together as part of a complex and sophisticated system to help keep us healthy. So important is this relatively recent scientific discovery that scientists refer to the microbiome as the “last undiscovered organ” or a “black box” that needed to be found. A full 2% of our body weight is comprised of our microbiome. For a 175-pound person, that’s a full 3.5 pounds — the microbiome packs a mighty punch.

Your microbiome: The "last undiscovered organ"

Head-to-toe benefits of probiotics

To counter these stressors:

Our microbiome is not static. We’re learning that it’s a dynamic environment that’s affected and thrown off by many factors in our modern lifestyle. In addition to antibiotics, oral contraceptives, acid blockers, NSAIDs, cholesterol-lowering meds and antidepressants all negatively affect the gut, says LaValle. Many people don’t understand this, he says, explaining that it’s also important to remember that the gut is our interface with the outside world—what we take in can and will profoundly affect us through this pathway. Similarly, the standard Western diet is hard on the gut. It’s associated with low diversity of bacteria in the gut and low diversity is linked with a surprising range of conditions: IBS, celiac disease, diabetes, psoriatic arthritis, eczema, obesity and arterial stiffness. Also, stress is believed to harm the microbiome. The gut contains 500 million neurons, which are connected to your brain through nerves in your nervous system. This gut-brain axis is a well-established pathway, and stress disrupts the signals, causing everything from simple “butterflies” in your stomach to actual changes in the gut microbe composition. All this said, just as the microbiome is negatively affected by the above factors, it can and should be strengthened to improve overall health.

Meet your bacteria

The only way to to ensure you're meeting both of these is to take a product backed by science. If you’re looking for help with a specific issue, you deserve to get what you pay for, says LaValle. Clinical trials are time consuming and expensive but companies that take this path believe it’s worth it and wouldn’t do it any other way. While most manufacturers, include information on specific strains only, Wakunaga studies its combinations of species to ensure that they effectively work together to deliver results. “I think there are a multitude of reasons why investigators do research. [Some] investigators try to understand the mechanisms of health or how therapies work, yet others are just curious and want to seek an answer. My main motivation is to identify products or activities that improve patient outcomes,” says Matthew Budoff, Professor of Medicine at UCLA and Director of Cardiac Research at Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, who has participated in research for Wakunaga, parent company of Kyolic and Kyo-Dophilus. “Trials vary from epidemiologic (looking at large populations to understand associations) to translational (trying to understand how basic science findings can influence human systems) to randomized controlled trials (to understand cause and effect). The most careful studies are usually double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trials. These studies keep the investigator and the patient unaware of the therapy (double blinded) so they can’t be biased by the treatment, and placebo controlled means that there are matching pills so we can assess differences between active and non-active treatment arms.”Wakunaga is one of the few probiotic brands with the research behind it, says LaValle, and this pushes Wakunaga to the top of the field. Wakunaga keeps studying through the whole process, rather than assuming its ingredients are working. With its nine strain product, for instance, even after studying efficacy, the company made sure all nine species were still alive in the end, says LaValle. Additionally, Wakunaga’s state-of-the-art manufacturing systems and stringent quality assurance result in products that are safe and effective—products that you can count on to support your microbiome and lifetime wellness. Purity is another important factor, says LaValle—that you’re getting the intended ingredients in your probiotic, with an absence of contaminants. Wakunaga quality checks every aspect of the manufacturing process and its products are manufactured according to the guidelines of Good Manufacturing Practices established by the World Health Organization. In addition, Wakunaga has earned the distinctive ISO 9001:2015 certification by Intertek, recognizing compliance to the international quality standard and demonstrating the company’s commitment to the Quality Management System, and it was also the first company to achieve National Nutritional Foods Association GMP certification.

The importance of science-based supplements

How to choose the right probiotic supplement for you

Diversify the diet

More is not always better when it comes to colony-forming units (CFUs), and too much can actually be a burden, especially if you have a sensitive digestive system. To find the right probiotic, instead of focusing on how many CFUs, look for:

These non-digestible carbohydrates serve as food for probiotics and are a necessary component for probiotics to grow and multiply. They’re found in high-fiber foods such as whole grains, bananas, greens, onions, garlic, soybeans, but we typically don’t get enough of these. Research touts the benefits of taking prebiotics on their own—including healthy weight management, regular bowel movements and improved bioavailability of minerals—but when paired with probiotics, they have been shown to improve probiotics’ survival as they pass through the digestive tract. Coming soon: next generation products called synbiotics, which contain both live bacteria and prebiotics together in one format. Keep an eye out for these.

Men

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Diversify the diet

According to the American Gut Project, eating a wide variety of plant foods and soluble fiber is linked with a greater diversity of gut bacteria. Essentially, different bacteria prefer different foods, so the more diverse the diet, the more diverse the bacteria in the gut. And when it comes to bacteria, the more diverse the merrier. Ideally, aiming for 25 to 35 different species of plant foods can change the diversity of the microbiome within days. Bonus points for organic plants: Soil that clings to garden-fresh food is teeming with beneficial microbes.

Reduce sugar intake

As good bacteria need soluble fiber to survive, bad bacteria feast on sugar. Eliminate or minimize refined sugar in the diet to minimize unhealthy yeast in the digestive tract.

Repopulate with probiotic-rich foods

One, or ideally two, servings of probiotics per day will serve up healthy bacteria and keep the microbiome running smoothly. Yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi and pickled vegetables are all natural sources of probiotics. Tip: Purchase these products from the refrigerated section to be sure that the cultures remain intact.

Take a supplement

Probiotic supplements are a great way to inject more bacteria into your diet. Choose products that indicate that the bacteria will be live at expiration, rather than simply live at manufacture. Some labels may indicate that the supplements are heat-stable or stomach acid resistant, which means they’re able to reach the large intestine intact. Keep these supplements in a cool, dark and dry location to promote the stability of the bacteria inside.

PAID CONTENT

PROBIOTICS

Did you know? As you age, your body's good bacteria declines. Read more.

Older adults have a much lower number of friendly bacteria and may also have more harmful bacteria in their intestines than younger adults. This isn’t a subtle shift: Some studies show that friendly bacteria levels in the gut of a typical person over the age of 60 is one thousandth of that of a younger adult’s, raising the risk of illness in the elderly. What’s more, as you age, your cellular immunity also declines. These are the white cells that are necessary for your ability to maintain a healthy immune system. Can this be changed and improved? Experts say, absolutely, yes!

It’s as if we’ve oversimplified the gut, says James LaValle, R.Ph., C.C.N., clinical pharmacist, author, board certified clinical nutritionist and founder of Metabolic Code Enterprises, Inc. People have this misconception that if we have a bowel movement every day, we have a healthy intestinal system, but it’s so much more than that. “I don’t refer to the ‘gut’ anymore,” LaValle says, “but rather the ‘gut-immune-brain.’ It’s a network and relationship, and it requires care.”

“Our intestines contain more immune cells than the entire rest of our body.”

— Dr. Natalia Shulzhenko

Have more questions? Connect with Wakunaga's team of gut-health experts

A healthy microbiome is connected with:

• Improved inflammatory response • Immunity • Blood pressure • Cholesterol levels • Cognitive function • Mood and reduced obesity • Anxiety • Depression

Building a strong microbiome is foundational to having a healthy life. The science showing probiotics' effect on immunity and abundant. Read up on some of the most compelling studies.

The research showing probiotics’ effect on immunity is abundant. In one study, during the course of two winter and spring periods, researchers enrolled more than 450 participants to receive either probiotics or placebo for three months in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. If participants caught a cold, they recorded their symptoms daily. Results showed that total cold symptoms, cold durations and number of days with a fever were lower in the probiotic-treated group than in the placebo group. Research has also shown that probiotics reduce risk of hospital-acquired infections and length of hospital stays, while also reducing symptoms and quality of life in allergy sufferers. Probiotics have their effect on the immune system by activating the cells in the gut to improve their fight response. And they do it in a way that does not disrupt the natural environment of the gut, according to a 2019 report in Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism,making them safe to take daily for long periods of time without negative effects.

Reduce sugar intake

Repopulate with probiotic-rich foods

Take a supplement

Digestive health

Nutrient absorbtion

Immune health

Brain health

Heart health

Healthy skin

Women's health

Digestive health

One of the main reasons people turn to probiotics is to achieve better gut health, and for good reason: Intestines contain trillions of bacterial cells, not all of which are friendly, so introducing probiotics into the mix promotes a healthier environment overall. Supplementing with probiotics can help ward off a variety of digestive issues, from constipation and diarrhea to gas and bloating. In fact, two large studies show that probiotics can reduce antibiotic-associated diarrhea by 60%.

Nutrient absorption

A healthy gut is key to getting the most out of the foods and vegetables we eat. Studies show that taking probiotics during meals can increase the body’s absorption of iron, for example, which can reduce the risk of this common nutrient deficiency. Probiotics also break down food and produce enzymes that aid in absorption of nutrients and vitamins.

Immune health

Because the intestines house about 70% of the body’s innate immune function, boosting friendly bacteria in the gut benefits the body’s ability to fight off not-so-friendly bacteria. Research shows that probiotics can cut the duration and severity of cold symptoms, and lead to fewer missed days at work or school.

Brain health

Scientists are beginning to understand that gut flora can have a measurable impact on brain activity and mood. One paper shows that probiotics can function as delivery vehicles for potent brain chemicals. For example, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium churn out GABA, a key neurochemical responsible for quieting the mind. Escherichia, bacillus and saccharomyces produce norepinephrine, the concentration-aiding neurotransmitter. A 2016 study found connections with Alzheimer’s patients: Those who drank probiotic milk scored better on a test to measure cognitive impairment.

Lactobacillus

Bifidobacterium

Heart health

Scientists have found that regular consumption of probiotics in yogurt, fermented and sour milk and cheese and supplements can have modest effects on LDL and total cholesterol, and that eating probiotics regularly may help promote normal blood pressure. Additionally, a 2018 meta-analysis found that probiotics lowered total cholesterol levels.

Healthy skin

Skin, which is the largest organ of the body, is constantly exposed to physical, chemical, bacterial and fungal challenges. Studies have shown that probiotics have the potential to help with a number of skin irritations and discomforts.

Women's health

A common folk remedy for addressing candida albicans imbalance is to eat or topically apply yogurt, and it may not be too far off. Experts say that probiotics may help manage bacterial imbalances all over the body—including the delicate balance necessary to maintain vaginal health—with research showing benefits for other vaginal bacterial imbalances.

Strains supported by cinical studies

Shelf stability

Make sure the CFU is listed at time of expiration, not time of manufacture

Strains supported by clinical studies

"I like what Wakunaga calls The Friendly Trio," says James LaValle: Lactobacullis gasseri, Bifidobacterium bifidum and Bifidobacterium longum. These are three of the most stable and well documented clinically studied species. Sourced from human strains, these probiotics adapt easily to the digestive tract and replicate at a high rate. They support the GI system, enhance immunity and reduce inflammation and cold and allergy symptoms.

Shelf stability

Gone are the days of needing to refrigerate your probiotics. The best probiotics have probiotic strains that are so stable that they do not require chilling. Wakunaga has cracked the code on this, says LaValle, with the introduction of its shelf-stable product. Remember: If a product is refrigerated, it is to keep it from degrading. By contrast, a shelf-stable product has this protection built in. Keeping shelf stable products out of the refrigerator keeps them from possible moisture contamination, they should be kept dry until consumed.

Make sure the CFU is listed at time of expiration not time of manufacturer

This ensures the count will be accurate for the life of the product. Note: The best manufacturers test for stability to ensure that the count on the label is accurate.

Genus? Species? Strain?

Women

Seniors

Kids

Men

In addition to focusing on probiotics for overall digestive support, help maximize the impact of one of the supplements that men most commonly take: protein. All the protein in the world won’t make a difference without proper digestion, and recent research shows that probiotics may have a positive influence on the digestion and utilization of proteins. Another bonus? Probiotics can boost immunity, which is often depleted by the stress of exercise.

Men

Women

Because women experience occasional diarrhea and gut discomfort more than men (60% to 65% of worldwide sufferers are women), probiotics can play a significant part in helping women reach their wellness goals. Research shows that 75% of women will also experience a vaginal imbalance at least once in their life. Additionally, for the more than 50% of women who experience urinary tract discomfort, probiotic supplements boosted with cranberry can be a game changer. Thinking about starting a family? Recent studies show that bacteria can transfer from mother to fetus and influence positive outcomes like higher birth weights and longer gestation periods.

Men

Seniors

According to an article in Nature, microbiota composition is correlated with frailty, comorbidity, nutritional status and markers of inflammation, which means it’s more important than ever to keep the gut balanced during the golden years. Plus, age tends to bring chronic conditions involving the gastrointestinal, metabolic and cardiovascular systems—all areas that can be supported with probiotics.

Kids

Supplementing with friendly bacteria has been shown to help with dry irritated rashy skin, modulate and improve immune function and support healthy digestion in kids. A recent analysis examined 20 published trials and concluded that Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium probiotics cut the duration and severity of cold symptoms and led to fewer missed days of school.

87%

Safety:

Efficacy:

ensuring dosage levels, while verifying lack of contaminants

proving that the supplement provides its intended effect in a way that’s conclusive and reproducible

Why supplement science matters

So, now you know about probiotics ... What are prebiotics?

The purity piece

For more information on finding the best probiotic supplement to meet your needs, connect with Probiotics Concierge

Click here to learn about the whole-body health benefits of a healthy microbiome

Why so much interest? Scientists have found that not only is the microbiome critically linked with immunity as mentioned above but that it also communicates with the entire body. When it’s out of balance, it affects bodily functions and even risk of diseases that were never before believed to be linked with the gut at all. An emerging theory of disease, Shulzhenko said, is a disruption in the “crosstalk” between the microbes in the human gut and other cells involved in the immune system and metabolic processes. “In a healthy person, these microbes in the gut stimulate the immune system as needed, and it in turn talks back,” Shulzhenko said. “There’s an increasing disruption of these microbes from modern lifestyle, diet, overuse of antibiotics and other issues. With that disruption, the conversation is breaking down.” Indeed, problems ranging from autoimmune disease to clinical depression and simple obesity may in fact be linked to immune dysfunction that begins with a “failure to communicate” in the human gut, the scientists say.

While many of us believe that probiotics simply “boost” the levels of good bacteria (and this is true to some degree), the latest thinking indicates that the process is much more complex and sophisticated, affecting how the entire microbiota interacts in the body as well as communicates with host cells. It’s as if taking probiotics is a way of adding firepower to improve specific health conditions and health overall. Probiotics refer to the specific live strains of “good” bacteria that help the body maintain wellness. They’re found naturally in foods such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi and pickled vegetables, in supplement form and increasingly as additives in a number of functional food and beverage products. For a long time, the word “bacteria” was associated with germs and disease. But the reality is that the body is teeming with healthy bacteria that keep digestion, immunity and an ever-increasing list of other bodily functions in balance. Once they arrive in an adequate host environment, these microbes can replicate. Generally, a moist environment is necessary for probiotics to stay alive. But in the case of supplements, if the bacteria are stabilized and dried properly, they remain alive and can start to grow and replicate again once they return to a moist environment (in this case, your body). While many of us believe that probiotics simply “boost” the levels of good bacteria (and this is true to some degree), the latest thinking indicates that the process is much more complex and sophisticated, affecting how the entire microbiota interacts in the body as well as communicates with host cells. It’s as if taking probiotics is a way of adding firepower to improve specific health conditions and health overall. When you supplement with probiotics, you’re essentially repopulating the gut with the healthy bacteria it needs to maintain a balanced microbiome (the collection of microbes that lives in and on the human body). This is so important because a full 70% of our immune system resides in the gut. Many people associate probiotics with better digestion since probiotics are taken to supplement the bacteria that live in the gut. But immunity is close behind in common uses. After digestion, the number two reason people take probiotics is for improved immunity.

How Wakunaga approaches probiotic science. Click here.

The majority of people take dietary supplements to support a healthy lifestyle, and probiotics are both an established and growing path to health. A 2019 survey shows that 87% of people agree that there’s a link between digestive health and overall health and seven in 10 people are taking steps to support their digestive health. Research shows that people take probiotics to: support overall health, support digestive health, address digestive issues, build immunity and prevent disease. That said, it’s not always easy to distinguish between low- and high-quality products. And just because there may be more probiotics on the market doesn’t mean they are all created equal. How do you figure out which probiotic is best for you? It's all in the science. And there are two main issues that define quality dietary supplements:

Probiotics and Prebiotics: Better Together

The right probiotic options for you and your goals.

We all have different needs, but one thing is universal: Whatever your stage in life, probiotics can help.

Immunity starts in the gut

Your microbiome: "last undiscovered organ"

Meet your bacteria

How to choose the right probiotic for you

A refresher on probiotics

It’s best to keep it simple when highlighting the best probiotics with the tips above. But if you want to understand the language, let’s look at Lactobacillus acidophilus M22, for example. Lactobacillus = genus, acidophilus = species and M22 = strain code. The strain code refers to the specific strain of that species studied by researchers and included in a brand’s product. So, now you know about probiotics ... What are prebiotics?

The only way to to ensure you're meeting both of these is to take a product backed by science. If you’re looking for help with a specific issue, you deserve to get what you pay for, says LaValle. Clinical trials are time consuming and expensive but companies that take this path believe it’s worth it and wouldn’t do it any other way. While most manufacturers, include information on specific strains only, Wakunaga studies its combinations of species to ensure that they effectively work together to deliver results. “I think there are a multitude of reasons why investigators do research. [Some] investigators try to understand the mechanisms of health or how therapies work, yet others are just curious and want to seek an answer. My main motivation is to identify products or activities that improve patient outcomes,” says Matthew Budoff, Professor of Medicine at UCLA and Director of Cardiac Research at Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, who has participated in research for Wakunaga, parent company of Kyolic and Kyo-Dophilus. “Trials vary from epidemiologic (looking at large populations to understand associations) to translational (trying to understand how basic science findings can influence human systems) to randomized controlled trials (to understand cause and effect). The most careful studies are usually double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trials. These studies keep the investigator and the patient unaware of the therapy (double blinded) so they can’t be biased by the treatment, and placebo controlled means that there are matching pills so we can assess differences between active and non-active treatment arms.”Wakunaga is one of the few probiotic brands with the research behind it, says LaValle, and this pushes Wakunaga to the top of the field. Wakunaga keeps studying through the whole process, rather than assuming its ingredients are working. With its nine strain product, for instance, even after studying efficacy, the company made sure all nine species were still alive in the end, says LaValle. Additionally, Wakunaga’s state-of-the-art manufacturing systems and stringent quality assurance result in products that are safe and effective—products that you can count on to support your microbiome and lifetime wellness. Purity is another important factor, says LaValle—that you’re getting the intended ingredients in your probiotic, with an absence of contaminants. Wakunaga quality checks every aspect of the manufacturing process and its products are manufactured according to the guidelines of Good Manufacturing Practices established by the Food and Drug Administration. In addition, Wakunaga has earned the distinctive ISO 9001:2015 certification by Intertek, recognizing compliance to the international quality standard and demonstrating the company’s commitment to the Quality Management System, and it was also the first company to achieve National Nutritional Foods Association GMP certification.

The purity piece