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Trillions of microscopic organisms call your body—particularly your gut—home. And, they’ve done so since the moment you were born.1
Sometimes you have the perfect amount of a bacteria. Sometimes you don’t.
These bacteria affect everything from how well you digest food to your immune system to your overall health. Lifestyle, diet, antibiotics, and more can change these microbes, forcing them to adapt to new situations daily.
If you’re interested in making changes to your health, start with your gut. To guide you on your gut health journey, we’ve listed our nine favorite types of gut bacteria—you may want to buddy up with these.
Akkermansia
This bacterium has the potential to positively impact a disrupted metabolism. People considered to be a healthy weight tend to have about three to five percent of Akkermansia in their gut. The level has been shown to drop considerably in people who are overweight.2
Lactobacillus
Lactobacillus is a ‘friendly’ microbe that lives in our digestive system. Lactobacillus produce lactic acid which helps make your digestive system less hospitable for undesirable microbes. Lactobacillus helps improve the digestion of foods and also helps to support a healthy immune system. Lactobacillus stimulates powerful defense cells to help counter unhealthy invaders.
Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM (Natural) is supported by over 100 scientific studies, including 50 human clinical studies. L. acidophilus NCFM survives the journey through the gastrointestinal tract and helps to crowd out bad microbes to help improve gut health and maintain the balance of healthy microbiota.
Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 (Natural)—or L. helveticus as his friends call him—has been validated by 82 scientific studies, 45 of which are human clinical studies, to enhance gut microbiome health and help improve mood. L. helveticus R0052 can adhere to the intestinal cell lining, helping to maintain the intestinal barrier of the gut, while promoting immune and gut health.
Lactobacillus plantarum LP-115 (Natural) has been validated by four scientific studies, and has a long history of safe use. L. plantarum LP-115 has exceptional survival ability through stomach acid and helps produce lactic acid which, in turn, helps to inhibit growth of undesirable microbes. L. plantarum LP-115 has excellent adhesion to the intestinal lining, which brings this healthy bacterium in close contact with the intestinal immune system, giving the probiotics a better opportunity to modulate immune response.
Bifidobacterium
Bifidobacterium attaches to the cells of the intestine and help protects the physical lining of your intestine against damage from bad microbes. Bifidobacterium also helps to produce important vitamins like vitamins B12, biotin and K.
When you were born, Bifidobacterium made up 95 percent of your intestinal bacteria and helps to promote gut microbiome health. Bifiidobacteria are broadly recognized for their key role in the gut microbiome throughout life.
Bifidobacterium lactis Bl-04 (Natural) has been validated by 13 scientific studies. With its ability to tolerate stomach acid and adhere to the human intestinal tract, B. lactis is well-suited for intestinal survival. B. lactis Bl-04 helps to maintain and more rapidly restore microbiota after antibiotic treatment and can help to improve immune system health.3
Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07 (Natural) is a super powerful probiotic demonstrated in more than 36 scientific studies to help improve digestion and enhance immune system response. In a human clinical study, B. lactis Bi-07 was shown to help reduce bloating, improve intestinal regularity, and provide relief for gastrointestinal problems.3
Bifidobacterium Longum (R0175) can help to promote emotional well-being and general brain health.4
Feeling blah?
Add a little L. helveticus and B. longum to your life. This dynamic duo has been clinically demonstrated to help reduce levels of the stress hormone (cortisol) while significantly decreasing stress reaction, promoting greater sense of relaxation and improving mood.3,4
Saccharomyces Boulardii
Saccharomyces boulardii is actually a yeast that happens to function like a probiotic in the body. It can survive passage through stomach acid to deliver its benefits straight to the intestinal tract. S. boulardii helps to regulate intestinal microbiota and protect against harmful microbes.
Saccharomyces boulardii I-3799 (Natural) helps to protect and maintain normal intestinal microbiota, helps restore disruptions to microbiota imbalance, and supports digestive health.
Bacillus Coagulans
Bacillus coagulans is a spore-forming bacterial species within the genus Bacillus. Spores are super hardy so that they can be activated in the acidic environment of the stomach where they begin germinating and proliferating in the intestine. B. coagulans is a lactic acid producing probiotic which provides a wide range of intestinal health benefits.
Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 (Natural) was demonstrated by 11 clinical studies to reduce GI distress, relieve bowel discomfort, and benefit health.3
It's important to manage your health with the right types of foods and supplements. Promoting proper balance in your microbiome—and, in particular, keeping your gut bacteria functioning properly—is crucial to maintaining the highest level of good health.
References
1 http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/microbiome/changing/
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3048395/