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What are Probiotics?

Cultured food products have a long history in traditional societies.  Whether it is the Korean's kimchi, the German's sauerkraut, the Bulgarian's yogurt, or the Japanese miso, the lactobacilli have been harnessed for a long time for food preservation.

In addition to preserving the food, the lactobacilli imparted additional health benefits to its consumer.  Just in the last decade, modern clinical research has begun to rediscover these health benefits in relation to the use of lactobacilli.

In modern times we have turned to the use of supplements of beneficial bacteria, known as probiotics. The word probiotic is from the Greek language and means "for life".  The number of bacteria in our bodies exceeds the number of cells.  Maybe ten times as many bacteria as human cells. These bacteria reside in small numbers in the small intestine, and in abundance in the colon.  Scientists and doctors are finding that these bacteria, whether good or bad, play a profound impact on our health. 

Where Do the Bacteria Come From?

During birth, as a baby passes through the birth canal, he gets his first dose of probiotics from his mother.  (Babies birthed by C-section miss out on this first dose.)  Colostrum and breast milk contain specific oligosaccharides and other factors that promote the growth of bifidobacteria in the colon.  Babies deprived of breast milk miss out here too, as formula does not contain these same factors.  Formula-fed babies have been found in many studies to have a much smaller population of bifidobacteria in their colon.

Roots and plants that grow close to the ground tend to have some lactobacilli on them.  To begin fermentation of vegetables one only needs to shred up the vegetable, add sea salt, mash the vegetables a bit, and put the lid on the jar.  The bacteria already present do the fermentation, converting the sugars in the food into lactic acid, and producing substances, called bacteriocides, which inhibit the growth of or even kill pathogenic bacteria.  So, these bacteria are ubiquitous, and are important in maintaining the balance of microflora in our environment.

There are many species of bacteria normally found in the small intestine and colon, over four to five hundred types by some counts.  The bacteria that first colonize the small intestine and colon tend to have a strong foothold and are very difficult to replace later in life, by beneficial or pathological bacteria.  The diet also plays a major role on the balance of pathogenic and beneficial bacteria.  Although everyone has some beneficial lactobacillus and bifidobacteria, it was found that vegetarians had lower counts of pathogenic bacteria and higher counts of lactobacillus.

Who Benefits Most From Probiotics?

The people who benefit most from probiotics are those who are most susceptible to infections, those who have disorders involving diarrhea, those people taking antibiotics, pregnant and nursing mothers, and people undergoing radiation treatments of the pelvis or abdomen, and those who suffer from gastro-esophageal reflux disease.  These people will see the greatest difference in their health by using probiotics regularly. 

Ideally, everyone would be consuming probiotics or a fermented food that contains beneficial organisms.  When you stop consuming probiotics, it takes just a short time before all of the bacteria from the probiotic are gone from your system.  No probiotic has been found which permanently colonizes the intestinal tract.

Selecting an Effective Probiotic

There is now proliferation of probiotic supplements on the shelves. Some evaluations of what is available have shown the number of viable organisms to be much less than labels claim (even less than ten percent as much as the claimed potency), that not every organism listed is present or named correctly, and that other organisms, even pathogenic ones, are present that aren't listed.

Even beyond meeting the label claims, there are more important issues.  Will the probiotics get to the distal small intestine and colon? Can they survive the stomach acid and bile salts that the trip entails? Once the bacteria have reached their destination, will they adhere and multiply? Has there been any research and publications in the peer-reviewed medical literature demonstrating benefits of the specific species and strains present in the supplement? Do the probiotics demonstrate any ability to inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria? All of this testing is a costly investment for a company. Yet, it is necessary to do this testing to verify if a selected probiotic is of any benefit to a consumer.

Natural Energetics is in the probiotic business.  Dr. William Shaw in his findings as Director of Great Plains Laboratory in Overland Park, Kansas has given us a direct link to candida (fungus) and its negative effect on the Kreb Cycle.  Dr. Alene Christiano author and college professor has given a name to this health epidemic: L.I.D.S., Life Style Induced Dysbiosis Syndrom.  

What Do Probiotics Do?

The bacteria that reside in the intestinal tract generally have a symbiotic relationship with their host. In exchange for food and a place to live, these bacteria do an enormous amount of good. We depend more on the bacteria in our GI tract than you may have ever imagined.

5 Functions a Probiotic needs in the fight to control L.I.D.S.

L.sporogenes or Bacillus coagulans as it is registered on the grass list of probiotics comes closer to performing the 5 functions than any of Lactobacillus bacteria.

  1. Viability - Are the bacteria alive when consumed? Sporogenes is truly in the Bacillus family of bacteria so it has its own defense mechanism, a shell that can naturally protect it from O2, light, and heat.  Those factors kill Lactobacillus bacteria like acidophilus.  Sporogenes stays safe in its protective shell until you need it and does not need to be refrigerated.

  2. Survivability - Extremely important, can the bacteria survive the Hydrochloric acid of the stomach that is designed to digest and kill bacteria that are alive and made of protein? Sporogenes is a plant base baterium unlike the animal based Lactobacillus bacteria.  The protective shell is plant based protecting sporogenes from the hydrochloric acid naturally not artificially like enteric coating.

  3. Growth - Can the bacteria (probiotic) grow in the small and large intestines when candida overgrowth has taken control?  The changing pH is detrimental to Lactobacillus bacteria and conducive to he growth of pathogens such as Candida. Sporogenes can grow in a pH range from 4.4-10.6; with maximum growth between 6-7pH in the high 7's and above.  Advantage sporogenes.

  4. Production of lactic acid - Can bacteria produce L + lactic acid in sufficient numbers that the enzyme lactase can utilize and fully metabolize? Sporogenes is one of three bacteria used in probiotics that produces Lactobacillus and lactic acid in greater quantity.  Advantage sporogenes.

  5. Colonization - Can the bacteria re-establish as permanent residents? Sporogenes is a transient bacterium that is cultured from Malt sprouts.  It is found in plants where it has a short life expectancy when it comes out of its shell.  Its weakness is, it will not colonize.

L.sporogenes may have been put on this Earth specifically as the first step in the fight against L.I.D.S.  This is why Natural Energetics uses L.sporogenes.

Our beneficial bacteria produce natural antibiotics to keep pathogenic bugs in check (preventing diarrhea and infections) and produce some B vitamins for us in the small intestine where they can be utilized. Beneficial bacteria help with food digestion by providing extra enzymes for us in the small intestine. Beneficial bacteria help strengthen the immune system right in the gut where much interaction between the outside world and our body goes on. Beneficial bacteria can help prevent food allergies. They can help prevent cancer at various stages of development. These good bacteria can improve mineral absorption, too, so that we get as much out of our food as possible. They can even improve your breathe in the morning and prevent cavities!

Decrease in unfavorable metabolite in the colon

Reduction of Helicobacter pylori infection

Reduction of allergic symptoms

Relief from constipation

Relief of irritable bowel syndrome

Beneficial effect on mineral metabolism

Cancer prevention

Flora G

Ingredients per 50mg vegetable capsule: 260 million Bacillus coagulans (Lactobacillus sporogenes), 250mg of FOS, Fructose Oligosaccharides

Recommended Use: As a dietary supplement, take 1 capsule with meals or as directed by a health professional.  It is recommended to take 2-3 times a day reducing dosage to a maintenance level of 1 capsule per day after 10 days.

Available in: 180 Vegetable Capsules for $29.45

Flora G Chewable 60 ct. for $29.95

Disclaimer: The information on this web site is for educational purposes only. If you are ill you should see a health care professional. However, it is your God-given right and your Constitutional Right to prescribe treatment for yourself, but this can involve risk. If you choose to use the information here without approval of a health professional, you must assume that risk.