Microbiome Support & Whole Food-based Supplements
The Importance of Nutritional Support
Improve the Microbiome by Improving Diversity
In order for the microbiome to remain in a healthy state (homeostasis), it requires a diverse selection of microorganisms to remain resilient against disruptive changes.4 Maximizing resilience is important for when we encounter challenges in life, such as a need for antibiotic use that could threaten healthy bacterial populations as well as the intended microbial target.
Diet Supports the Microbiome by Promoting Diversity
Our diets – both foods and beverages – provide nourishment for more than just our cells. Microorganisms in the gut microbiome also rely on the human diet for energy. Making healthy diet choices to improve the microbiome can tilt the odds in favor of commensal (“good”) bacteria over disruptive (“bad”) bacteria, by providing commensal bacteria with the specific energy they need whenever possible.
Dietary fibers (i.e. inulin, cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, and psyllium) are an important part of the diet because they are uniquely able to evade digestion in the small intestine, waiting until they make it to the large intestine to feed and support the gut microbiota. Dietary fibers interact directly with the microbiota and are an important factor in producing key metabolites important for gut health, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFA).1 These metabolites are key mediators of many cellular processes and are vital for digestive health, regulation of metabolism, modulation of inflammatory response, and general microbiome homeostasis (balance).2
It is also important for dietary choices to be diverse, because diversity in the gut microbiome reflects diversity in the diet. In addition to dietary fiber, fermented foods — such as yogurt and kefir — improve the microbiome by adding bacterial species to the populations of microbiota in the gut.3
Commensal and Disruptive Gut Bacteria
Commensal: These are the “good” bacteria that benefit from being a part of the human microbiome and also positively influence human health through the production of beneficial metabolites.
Disruptive: These are the “bad” bacteria that benefit from being a part of the human microbiome and also negatively influence human health through the expression of various detrimental virulence factors.
Microbiome Supplements Support Diversity
In addition to diet, we can also feed and support microbiota through supplements:
Prebiotic: Substances obtained via diet or supplementation that circumvent digestion in the GI tract to feed gut bacteria. This can often result in either positive or negative compositional changes in the microbiome and/or benefits for gut health. This works by supporting commensal “good” bacteria and discouraging disruptive “bad” bacteria. Prebiotic supplements include:
- Human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) like 2’-FL
- Inulin
- Psyllium
Certain prebiotics, such as 2’FL, are selective, supporting commensal “good” bacteria.
Probiotic: Live microorganisms that positively influence microbiome and gut-related host health after consumption, including foods (yogurt and other fermented foods) and supplements which increase microbiome diversity by adding in specific microbial species. Probiotic supplements may increase or decrease certain species of microbiota,4 in turn having a significant impact on microbiome diversity. Probiotics are also associated with supporting the immune response through various mechanisms, including cytokine production.4 Cytokines are chemical messengers employed by the immune system to instigate important events, such as inflammation during the innate immune response.5
Symbiotic bacteria: Live organisms that provide benefit to the host while also receiving benefit from the host.
Our Supplements for Microbiome Support*
GI Stability™
GI Stability™ is a prebiotic supplement designed for both every day and acute gastrointestinal (GI) needs. It helps support a healthy gut microbiome, selectively feeds the growth of beneficial bacteria.*^
ProSynbiotic
ProSynbiotic, a prebiotic and probiotic combination supplement, is a synergistic blend of four research-supported probiotic strains and two prebiotic fibers to support gut flora and overall intestinal health.*
Lact-Enz®
Lact-Enz® is a probiotic supplement that combines digestive enzymes with probiotic bacteria to support healthy digestion and immune system function.*
Prebiotic Inulin
Prebiotic Inulin is a prebiotic supplement that supports bone health, immune system response function, and gut balance.*
Whole Food Fiber
Whole Food Fiber is a good source of prebiotic fiber from nutrient-rich whole foods.
Gastro-Fiber®
Gastro-Fiber® provides prebiotic support for the digestive system.*
Zypan®
Zypan® combines betaine HCl with digestive enzymes to support macronutrient digestion and gastric pH.*
How Can We Help Your Journey?
Find a health care practitioner who carries Standard Process supplements.
Find a Practitioner- https://www.cell.com/cell-host-microbe/fulltext/S1931-3128(18)30266-X
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24388214
- https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/76/Supplement_1/4/5185609
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5964481/
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1091581815584918
^To date, shown in multiple animal studies, infants, and one adult human study.
