6 Mind-Blowing Gut & Probiotic Facts

There are so many reasons to be amazed by the human body. Like the fact that your brain is capable of generating 23 watts of power (put two brains to work and you could fully charge your laptop) and that you have more than 100,000 miles of blood vessels in your body (they could wrap around the world four times!)

Lately, too, more and more of us are becoming aware of just how cool (and influential) our guts can be. That’s right, it’s beyond time to add our digestive systems and their microbiomes (colonies of “good” bacteria) to any favorite-things-about-our-bodies lists. Here are just a few reasons why:

1. You have more than 100 trillion microorganisms living inside and on you – mainly in your digestive tract or “gut.” Lumped together, says the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), they’d weigh about six pounds – as much as a newborn. According to the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry these “beneficial” bacteria span 1,000 species and 7,000 strains and outnumber your human cells ten to one.

2. Your gut is unique to you. Like a fingerprint, the microorganisms that call your digestive tract home are entirely your own. They have a singular recipe given to you first by your mother and then accumulated over time until your gut was fully populated around the time you turned three. In these early years, your microbiota played an essential role in your growth and development; from digestion and the activation of your immune system to the production of neurotransmitters for behavior and cognitive function.

3. Your brain and your gut are linked. The American Psychological Association (APA) tells us that gut bacteria produce hundreds of neurochemicals that the brain uses to regulate learning, memory and mood. Scientists are still learning about this but in studies it seems that adding more “good” bacteria can influence feelings – especially in mice. NIH reports that mice consuming particular probiotics (aka doses of selected bacteria) displayed more relaxed behavior than those that did not consume the probiotics. NIH also notes that the probiotic strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus contains a neurotransmitter that helps regulate brain activity and can calm anxiety in mice. (Both Florajen Women and Florajen Kids contain L. rhamnosus.) Meanwhile, the British Journal of Nutrition reports that a 30-day course of probiotics containing Lactobacillus helveticus and Bifidobacteria longum led to decreased anxiety and depression in healthy human volunteers. (Bifidobacteria longum is found in Florajen Digestion.) We can’t wait to learn the results of more human studies regarding the brain-gut connection and how probiotics (like Florajen) containing live, active colonies of potentially beneficial bacteria might help.

4. Your gut-brain connection is a two-way street. Not only can gut bacteria influence the brain, the brain can influence gut bacteria. According to the APA, research indicates that psychological stress suppresses beneficial bacteria.For example, during exam week, stool samples taken from university students contained fewer lactobacilli than the samples taken earlier in the semester. Similarly, in mice, living with stress has been linked to decreased numbers of beneficial bacteria and an overgrowth of harmful bacteria, making the critters more susceptible to infection and gut inflammation. Probiotics could help in these situations as they contain microorganisms that are the same as or similar to those naturally living in the body and help the microbiome to replace what may have been lost due to illness, stress, or taking antibiotics (which kill bacteria that are both harmful and useful to your body.)

5. Our “modern” probiotics are a “new” twist on ancient wisdom. Academics say that fermented milk products may have been used to treat digestive illnesses during the Roman times and that one version of the Old Testament attributes Abraham’s long life (supposedly 175 years) to his “consumption of sour milk.” Later, in 1907, Russian microbiologist Elie Metchnikoff recorded an association between Bulgarians’ consumption of large amounts of fermented dairy products and their good health and longevity. Travel the world and you’ll find that nearly every culture’s diet includes some form of fermented food and has been doing so for a long, long time. This is especially amazing considering that the microbiome and its importance to our health wasn’t really recognized by the scientific community until the late 1990s.

6. Diversity is good — this applies to your office as well as your gut. According to National Public Radio (NPR), people with more diverse microbiomes tend to be healthier overall. To help keep diverse microbiomes healthy, you can feed them the prebiotics they need (namely lots of different types of fiber) and help stimulate their populations through the use of probiotic supplements like Florajen.

When you look in the mirror, we hope you feel the awe that we do for the amazing human body and the microbiome that keeps it running smoothly.

If you’re considering adding probiotics to your wellness routine, we encourage you to look at labels and do research. Ask knowledgeable doctors, pharmacists and other healthcare providers about which probiotic to choose depending on your situation and goals.

Probiotics are generally considered safe and to have no side effects, says Harvard Medical School. But they aren’t for everyone. For instance, people who have an immune deficiency, are critically ill, recently had surgery, or are being treated for cancer should not use probiotics without thoughtful discussion with a knowledgeable doctor first. Also talk to a doctor before giving probiotics to your baby, especially if he or she is sick. Florajen Kids, for example, is only recommended for children over 6 months of age. For most other people in good health, says WebMD, probiotics won’t cause any issues. If there are any side effects, they’re usually very mild (like a little more gas than usual.)

Looking for Florajen? Because we keep our products refrigerated for freshness and potency, ask for them, no prescription necessary, behind the pharmacy counter!

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

REFERENCES:

  1. Segers ME, Lebeer S. Towards a better understanding of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG - host interactions. Microbial Cell Factories. 2014;13(Suppl 1):S7. doi:10.1186/1475-2859-13-S1-S7. [LINK https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4155824/ ]
  2. Sugahara H, et al. Probiotic Bifidobacterium longum alters gut luminal metabolism through modification of the gut microbial community. Scientific Reports 5, Article number: 13548 (2015) [LINK http://www.nature.com/articles/srep13548 ]
  3. Kirjavaninen et al. Aberrant composition of gut microbiota of allergic infants. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol. 2001;32;1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1773282/
    Bjorksten et al. The intestinal microflora in allergic Estonian and Swedish infants. Clin Exp Allergy. 1999;29:342.
  4. McFarland LV. Epidemiology, risk factors and treatments for antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Dig Dis. 1998;16(5):292-307
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9892789
  5. Waigankar SS, Patel V. Role of probiotics in urogenital healthcare. Journal of Mid-Life Health. 2011;2(1):5-10. doi:10.4103/0976-7800.83253.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3156505/
    and
    Vásquez A, Jakobsson T, Ahrné S, Forsum U, Molin G. Vaginal Lactobacillus Flora of Healthy Swedish Women. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 2002;40(8):2746-2749. doi:10.1128/JCM.40.8.2746-2749.2002.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC120688/
  6. Wright JJ, Paauw DP. Complications of Antibiotic Therapy. Medical Clinics of North America; July 2013, 97(4): 667–679.
    http://www.medical.theclinics.com/article/S0025-7125(13)00029-1/abstract
  7. Vanderhoof J.A., et al . Lactobacillus GG in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in children. J Pediatr. 1999;135(5):564-568.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10547243
  8. “ A.G. Mohamed, Hayam M. Abbas, Abeer F. Zayan and Nayra Sh. Mehanna, 2016. Bacterial Strains as Vitamins Supplements to Prepare Functional Dairy Beverages. American Journal of Food Technology, 11: 234-239. https://scialert.net/fulltextmobile/?doi=ajft.2016.234.239
  9. Probiotics, What’s the Bottom Line. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health website. Accessed April 2, 2017 https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/probiotics-what-you-need-to-know
  10. Kim SE, et al. Change of Fecal Flora and Effectiveness of the Short-term VSL#3 Probiotic Treatment in Patients With Functional Constipation. Constipation Research group of Korean Society of Neurogastroenterology and Motility. J Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2015 Jan 1;21(1):111-20. doi: 10.5056/jnm14048. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25537674
  11. Probiotics May Ease Constipation. Harvard Health Publications, Harvard Medical School website. Accessed April 4, 2017 http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/probiotics-may-ease-constipation-201408217377
  12. Dimidi E, et al. The effect of probiotics on functional constipation in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. August 6, 2014, doi:3945/ajcn.114.089151 https://ajcn.nutrition.org/article/S0002-9165(23)04789-5/fulltext
  13. Khalif IL, et al. Alterations in the colonic flora and intestinal permeability and evidence of immune activation in chronic constipation. Dig Liver Dis. 2005 Nov; 37(11):838-49. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16169298
    and
    Barbara G, et al. Interactions between commensal bacteria and gut sensorimotor function in health and disease. Am J Gastroenterol.2005 Nov;100(11):2560-8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16279914
  14. Miller LE, Ouwehand AC. Probiotic supplementation decreases intestinal transit time: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. World J Gastroenterol. 2013 Aug 7; 19(29):4718-25. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23922468
  15. Cha BK, et al. The effect of a multispecies probiotic mixture on the symptoms and fecal microbiota in diarrhea-dominant irritable bowel syndrome: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2012;46:220–227. doi: 10.1097/MCG.0b013e31823712b1.
    and
    Whorwell PJ, Altringer L, Morel J, et al. Efficacy of an encapsulated probiotic Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 in women with irritable bowel syndrome. Am J Gastroenterol. 2006;101:1581–1590. doi: 10.1111/j.1572-0241.2006.00734.x.
  16. MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine website. Accessed April 4, 2017 https://medlineplus.gov/diarrhea.html
  17. Using Probiotics for Diarrhea. WebMD website. Accessed April 4, 2017 http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/probiotics-diarrhea#1
  18. McFarland LV. Meta-analysis of probiotics for the prevention of traveler's diarrhea. Travel Med Infect Dis. 2007 Mar;5(2):97-105.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17298915
    and
    Traveler’s Diarrhea. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Accessed March 31, 2017. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2016/the-pre-travel-consultation/travelers-diarrhea
  19. How to Prevent Diarrhea While You Take Antibiotics. Cleveland Clinic website. Accessed April 4, 2017 https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-prevent-diarrhea-while-you-take-antibiotics
  20. Infectious diarrhea: Can probiotics help against diarrhea? PubMed Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine website. Accessed April 4, 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0088733/
  21. Based on market survey conducted by American Lifeline December 2016.
  22. Could Probiotics Help Alleviate your Functional Gastrointestinal Symptoms? International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestional Disorders website. Accessed April 4, 2017. https://www.iffgd.org/diet-treatments/could-probiotics-help-your-symptoms.html
  23. Kim HJ, et al. A randomized controlled trial of a probiotic, VSL#3, on gut transit and symptoms in diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome. Aliment Pharmacol Ther (2003)17: 895–904. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12656692
  24. Kim HJ, et al. A randomized controlled trial of a probiotic combination VSL# 3 and placebo in irritable bowel syndrome with bloating. Neurogastroenterol Motil (2005)17: 687–696. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16185307
  25. Supplements for IBS: What Works? WebMD website. Accessed April 4, 2017 http://www.webmd.com/ibs/features/supplements-for-ibs-what-works#1
  26. Bloating 101: Why You Feel Bloated. WebMD website. Accessed April 4, 2017 http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/diarrhea-10/bloated-bloating
  27. Health benefits of taking probiotics. Harvard Health Publications, Harvard Medical School website. Accessed March 31, 2017. http://www.health.harvard.edu/vitamins-and-supplements/health-benefits-of-taking-probiotics
  28. Survey of full-time U.S. pharmacists who stock Florajen, by DMD Healthcare Research, December 2015.
  29. Jiang, W., Ni, B., Liu, Z. et al. The Role of Probiotics in the Prevention and Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis in Children: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Pediatr Drugs 22, 535–549 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40272-020-00410-6
  30. Tan‐Lim, CSC, Esteban‐Ipac, NAR, Mantaring, JBV, et al. Comparative effectiveness of probiotic strains for the treatment of pediatric atopic dermatitis: A systematic review and network meta‐analysis. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2021; 32: 124– 136. https://doi.org/10.1111/pai.13305
  31. M. Alexander Otto. “Yeast Infection Four Times as Likely with Penicillin Use.” Clinician Reviews, 13 Dec. 2016, https://www.mdedge.com/clinicianreviews/article/77427/infectious-diseases/yeast-infection-four-times-likely-penicillin-use?sso=true.
  32. Navarro-López V, Ramírez-Boscá A, Ramón-Vidal D, et al. Effect of Oral Administration of a Mixture of Probiotic Strains on SCORAD Index and Use of Topical Steroids in Young Patients With Moderate Atopic Dermatitis: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Dermatol. 2018;154(1):37–43. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2017.3647
  33. Yan F, Polk DB. Probiotics and immune health. Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2011 Oct;27(6):496-501. doi: 10.1097/MOG.0b013e32834baa4d. PMID: 21897224; PMCID: PMC4006993. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21897224/
  34. Hanifin JM, Reed ML; Eczema Prevalence and Impact Working Group. A population-based survey of eczema prevalence in the United States. Dermatitis. 2007 Jun;18(2):82-91. doi: 10.2310/6620.2007.06034. PMID: 17498413.
  35. Eczema Prevalence, Quality of Life and Economic Impact.” National Eczema Association, 16 Mar. 2021, https://nationaleczema.org/research/eczema-facts/.
  36. Elizabeth Campbell and Allen Sayler. “Medical Foods – Insights Into FDA's Interpretation and Enforcement.” Food Safety RSS, Food Safety, 6 Mar. 2018, https://www.food-safety.com/articles/5701-medical-foods-insighte28099s-into-fdae28099s-interpretation-and-enforcement.
  37. Simpson EL, Guttman-Yassky E, Margolis DJ, et al. Association of Inadequately Controlled Disease and Disease Severity With Patient-Reported Disease Burden in Adults With Atopic Dermatitis. JAMA Dermatol. 2018;154(8):903-912.
  38. Wei W, Anderson P, Gadkari A, et al. Extent and consequences of inadequate disease control among adults with a history of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. J Dermatol. 2018;45(2):150-157.
  39. Study finds 1,000 species of bacteria on healthy human. Los Angeles Times website. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-may-29-sci-skin-bacteria29-story.html. Accessed April 13, 2021.
  40. Segers ME, Lebeer S. Towards a better understanding of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG – host interactions. Microbial Cell Factories. 2014;13(Suppl 1):S7. doi:10.1186/1475-2859-13-S1-S7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4155824/.
  41. Hill D, Sugrue I, Tobin C, Hill C, Stanton C, Ross RP. The Lactobacillus casei Group: History and Health Related Applications. Front Microbiol. 2018;9:2107. Published 2018 Sep 10. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2018.02107
  42. Chyn Boon Wong, Toshitaka Odamaki, Jin-zhong Xiao, Beneficial effects of Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum BB536 on human health: Modulation of gut microbiome as the principal action, Journal of Functional Foods, Volume 54, 2019, Pages 506-519, ISSN 1756-4646, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2019.02.002.
  43. Sugahara H, et al. Probiotic Bifidobacterium longum alters gut luminal metabolism through modification of the gut microbial community. Scientific Reports 5, Article number: 13548 (2015) http://www.nature.com/articles/srep13548