Today, people around the world know how important diet and nutrition are to overall health and well-being. A healthy and wholesome diet provides the necessary nutrition to support digestive health, central to energy levels, the immune system, and even emotional health. Furthermore, at the core of good digestion is a healthy and balanced gut microbiome.
The gut microbiome is an environment within the digestive tract where trillions of microorganisms thrive. Composed of various bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, and other gut microbiota, a healthy balance of these organisms is crucial for good health.
The balance of the microbiome relies on microflora to support the digestive and immune systems. Beneficial bacteria play essential roles in the production of neurochemicals that regulate mood and weight. The gut microbiome is key to weight control, while an imbalance is linked to obesity and metabolic health. (1)
Scientists now know that certain bacterial species directly influence health, having an important role in maintaining optimal health. Humans need a wide range and variety of microflora to impact various areas of our health positively. Fortunately, studies show that diet directly affects the health of the gut microbiome. Therefore we can influence our microbiome and our health.
Probiotics and Gut Health
Probiotics are beneficial or helpful bacteria that, when ingested, have a positive influence on the gut microbiome. Each strain of probiotic has unique characteristics and qualities in regard to their influence on our health. Some beneficial bacteria aid in food digestion and crowd out pathogens that may be harmful, while others help produce vitamins such as B12 and vitamin K.
Everyone is susceptible to digestive issues, but athletes are more prone to digestive distress and lowered immunity because of it. Regular exercise is associated with better health and even improved digestion. However, athletes that undergo intense and prolonged training, such as endurance athletes, are prone to weaker digestion, which leads to immune suppression, risking our best health.
Current research on probiotic supplementation indicates that certain probiotics positively affect immunity. In other words, some probiotics can boost the immune system. Not only that, the right probiotics lead to improved nutrient absorption and improved immune response.
Unfortunately, some beneficial bacterial strains found in probiotic supplements, and foods like yogurt may not survive the digestive process long enough to influence digestion and gut health. However, some strains are proven beneficial, such as Bacillus subtilis, also known as DE111.
Bacillus Subtilis or DE111, the Superior Probiotic
DE111 is a more soluble probiotic with unusually high heat tolerance and can withstand pH extremes such as those found throughout the human digestive tract. This particular strain positively influences health by supporting the immune system and healthy digestion, and studies show it may help improve occasional constipation. (2)
With the unique ability to form a protective barrier or spore, this probiotic is resistant to the stomach’s extreme acidity and the human body’s intense heat. While many microbes found in dietary supplements may not be efficient or even destroyed upon ingestion, DE111 experiences optimal growth and activation at the same temperature as the average human body. This winning combination makes it a robust probiotic and a reliable strain beneficial for use in natural supplements.
Some beneficial bacterial strains may survive the digestive process but are only activated in lower temperatures. That means that as they must exist in the human body at a higher temperature, they may be rendered helpless. B. subtilis, on the other hand, has an optimal growth temperature of 37° C, so the heat of the human body will activate it, contributing to a healthy digestive tract.
According to another study on athletes, female athletes who incorporated a dietary supplement of DE111 for ten weeks with a healthy post-workout diet improved body composition. Body composition is the analysis of the core components like muscle, fat, water, minerals, and protein. Improved composition occurs when lean muscle increases of body fat decrease and both are associated with improved fitness levels.
An exciting benefit of DE111 is its ability to enhance the intestinal tract cells and help prevent harmful pathogens from attacking the gut lining. When it comes to health, this means less internal inflammation and the ability to support healthy immune function. That is because DE111 can support and even stimulate normal microflora in the gut microbiome, leading to healthy digestion, which is the basis for overall health.
How Much Does It Take?
Probiotics are measured by Colony Forming Units or CFUs; in other words, how many viable bacterial colonies are found in a controlled environment, such as a dietary supplement. This matters when it comes to using food or nutritional supplements to boost health by balancing digestive health.
In the case of Bacillus subtilis, studies show that this particular organism supports a healthy GI tract and digestive health. When used in a dosage of 1 billion CFU, it supports healthy gut function and normal bowel movements, both of which are an indication of overall health. DE111 taken at 5 billion CFU also supports exercise recovery, improved strength training performance and results, optimal body composition, and even normal fat metabolism.
DE111 aids digestion by assisting in the breakdown of sugars and fats into small chain fatty acids, which are the primary source of energy for the colon. These fatty acids are important for the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats and may lower the risk of health issues like obesity and heart disease.
The results of these beneficial actions lead to a healthy functioning digestive tract with the improved ability to break down food into useable nutrients and energy, which may be used for muscle recovery. Better digestion leads to improved health, less chance of constipation, and other digestive issues.
DE111, in a dosage of 5 billion CFUs, is also known to promote urinary tract health. When the gut microbiome is out of balance, harmful bacteria known as uropathogens may grow in abundance. When left unchecked, these particular pathogens lead to an unhealthy microbiome. (3) DE111 supports overall health, normal gut microflora, and healthy gut function, which may be why it supports a healthy urinary tract.
How Can I Get Some?
If you are like many other health-conscious people, you may be taking a myriad of daily dietary supplements already. Supplement manufacturers know this and are ready to meet the challenge by offering different and more exciting routes of delivery like probiotic gummies.
When something tastes delicious, it’s easy to remember to take your daily dose. Since DE111 is a highly digestible and resilient strain of probiotics that can survive the trek through the digestive tract, it makes perfect sense to add this probiotic to a gummy supplement. And this is what Balanced Health did when they combined the Adult Gummy with 5 billion CFUs of De111. The combination is almost ironic because the gummy tastes like a treat, but instead of suppressing the immune system, this treat will support it.
What is a Gummy Supplement?
Gummy supplements are similar to candies like the popular gummy bear. They come as small, chewy bites that may be made with gelatin and corn starch as well as natural flavors like cherry, lemon, and orange. They are often sweet and chewy, making them an easy way to take a daily supplement and help children support their health, too.
One of the main benefits of a gummy supplement is that it may be more digestible than a tablet or capsule. That’s because chewing stimulates digestive enzymes in your mouth while your teeth break down the food at the same time. When paired with this highly digestive probiotic, you are supporting your digestion, immune system, and your health. This makes taking daily probiotics easy for adults and kids, even picky eaters.
Balanced Health Adult Gummy is a delicious combination of fruity flavors enhanced with Bacillus subtilis. With 5 billion CFUs of DE111, this probiotic dietary supplement will support exercise recovery, normal fat metabolism, and of course, healthy immune function. And when it tastes this good, you will be happy about adding this treat to your daily health regimen.
References:
1 Patterson E, Ryan PM, Cryan JF, Dinan TG, Ross RP, Fitzgerald GF, Stanton C. Gut microbiota, obesity, and diabetes. Postgrad Med J. 2016 May;92(1087):286-300. doi: 10.1136/postgradmedj-2015-133285. Epub 2016 Feb 24. PMID: 26912499.
2 Cuentas AM et al., “The effect of Bacillus subtilis DE111 on the daily bowel movement profile for people with occasional gastrointestinal irregularity.” Journal of Probiotics & Health, vol. 5, no. 4 (2017): 189
3 Akgül T, Karakan T. The role of probiotics in women with recurrent urinary tract infections. Turk J Urol. 2018;44(5):377-383. doi:10.5152/tud.2018.48742