Misc Archives

Industry Innovator EndoMune Probiotics Supplements Purchased by San Antonio-based Medical Care Innovations

Misc, Press, Probiotics / By Dawn Goforth

Long-time EndoMune Operations Executive Dawn Goforth Leads New EndoMune Owners Medical Care Innovations

EndoMune’s Innovative Products, Distribution Channels, and Operations Remain the Same as New CEO Goforth Positions EndoMune Probiotics for Sales Growth and Product Extensions for 2024 and Beyond.

[SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS] — Today EndoMune Probiotics announced the company and its family of innovative probiotics supplements were purchased by San Antonio-based Medical Care Innovations. Medical Care Innovations is led by long-time EndoMune operations executive Dawn Goforth and her husband, businessman Rick Goforth. The terms of the deal are undisclosed.

Founded in 2007 by Gastroenterologist Dr. Lawrence J. Hoberman, EndoMune’s innovative probiotic supplements Advanced Probiotics, Junior Advanced Chewable Probiotic, Junior Advanced Probiotic Powder, and Metabolic Rescue support digestive and immune health, and increased energy levels for active adults, children, and seniors.

Today EndoMune Probiotics are available at more than 300 HEB grocery stores, independent pharmacies and wellness centers across the U.S., Amazon, and EndoMune.com. Market analysts expect the U.S. probiotic supplement market to grow to $6-$8 billion in 2024.

“Our new team is excited to build on EndoMune’s 17 years of probiotics innovation and success,” said Dawn Goforth, Managing Partner of Medical Care Innovations. “Our flagship EndoMune supplements Advanced Probiotics, Junior Advanced Chewable Probiotic, Junior Advanced Probiotic Powder, and Metabolic Rescue remain the same. EndoMune’s operations, manufacturing, and distribution partners are unchanged. Medical Care Innovations is investing in new EndoMune product lines for 2024 and 2025, and focusing on sales growth to take advantage of the fast-growing probiotics supplement marketplace.”

“My long-time operations director and friend Dawn Goforth, and her husband and business partner Rick, are the ideal people to continue the EndoMune success story,” said EndoMune Founder and Gastroenterologist Dr. Lawrence J. Hoberman. “Dawn and Rick are the only people I could think of who possess the marketplace expertise, vision, and know-how to lead EndoMune’s future growth. Plus, they share my life’s commitment to making life better for everyone. EndoMune Probiotics is in great hands.”

About EndoMune Probiotics

Founded in 2007, EndoMune Probiotics (EndoMune.com) is a leading innovator in probiotic supplements for active adults, children, and seniors. EndoMune’s Advanced Probiotics, Junior Advanced Chewable Probiotic, Junior Advanced Probiotic Powder, and Metabolic Rescue support digestive and immune health, and increased energy levels. EndoMune Probiotics are available at independent pharmacies and wellness centers across the U.S., more than 300 HEB grocery stores, Amazon, and EndoMune.com. EndoMune’s supplements and product statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. EndoMune’s supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. EndoMune Probiotics are 100% made in the U.S.A. EndoMune Probiotics is owned by Medical Care Innovations, a privately held, Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) based in San Antonio, Texas.

Industry Innovator EndoMune Probiotics Supplements Purchased by San Antonio-based Medical Care Innovations Read More »

EndoMune Advanced Probiotics presented with 2023 Premier Service Award Seal for Nutrition by CityOf.com

EndoMune presented with 2023 Premier Service Award Seal for Nutrition

Misc / By @drHoberman

EndoMune Advanced Probiotics presented with 2023 Premier Service Award Seal for Nutrition by CityOf.com

March 27, 2023

Medical Care Innovations, LLC., the maker of EndoMune Advanced Probiotics, is excited to announce its new partnership with Cityof.com, a premier service provider in San Antonio, Texas. This partnership is aimed at bringing top-notch nutritional products to the residents of San Antonio and beyond.

EndoMune Advanced Probiotics is a unique blend of multiple strains of beneficial bacteria that work together to support the digestive and immune systems. The product was developed by Dr. Lawrence Hoberman, a board-certified gastroenterologist with more than 35 years of experience in the field. Dr. Hoberman’s research and experience have shown that a healthy gut is crucial to overall health and well-being, and that probiotics are an essential component of gut health.

Cityof.com is a trusted resource for information and services in San Antonio and surrounding areas. As a premier service provider, Cityof.com connects local residents with businesses and organizations that offer high-quality products and services. This partnership with Medical Care Innovations, LLC. is a natural fit, as Cityof.com is committed to promoting health and wellness in the community.

“We are thrilled to partner with Cityof.com to bring EndoMune Advanced Probiotics to the people of San Antonio,” said Dr. Hoberman. “Our product has been proven to support digestive and immune health, and we believe it can make a real difference in people’s lives. Cityof.com is the perfect partner to help us reach more people and spread the word about the importance of gut health.”

One of the unique aspects of EndoMune Advanced Probiotics is that it contains multiple strains of beneficial bacteria, including both Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species. This diverse blend of bacteria is designed to work together to support a healthy gut microbiome, which is essential for overall health. The product is also formulated with prebiotics, which are fibers that help feed the beneficial bacteria in the gut.

In addition to its clinical benefits, EndoMune Advanced Probiotics is also a convenient and easy-to-use supplement. It comes in a small, easy-to-swallow capsule that can be taken once a day with or without food. The product is also shelf-stable, meaning it does not require refrigeration, making it an ideal choice for people on the go.

To read the Medical Care Innovations, LLC premier service provider listing on Cityof.com, visit:

https://www.cityof.com/tx/san-antonio/medical-care-innovations-inc-6186471 to find EndoMune Advanced Probiotics near you, visit: https://endomune.com/store-locator/ or to learn more about the benefits for EndoMune Advanced Probiotics, visit: https://endomune.com/why-endomune/

Together, Cityof.com and Endomune Advanced Probiotics are helping people in San Antonio and beyond achieve optimal health and well-being through better nutrition and gut health.

EndoMune presented with 2023 Premier Service Award Seal for Nutrition Read More »

Pet Food Safety

Misc / By @drHoberman

Can Fido’s Food Make Your Gut Sick? Yes!

If we’re completely honest, the bar for cleanliness in most homes takes a big hit when we live with pets (and kids, but that’s another story for another day).

We give them cool names and treat them like members of our family (actually like royalty), yet the familiarity has made us two-legged creatures all too lax when it comes to protecting our health from gut-sickening bugs like E. coli and Salmonella.

Unfortunately, you’re exposing your body to harmful gut bugs merely by the way you handle your pet’s food, according to a recent study published in PLOS One.

BAD Pet Parents!

Researchers at North Carolina State University recognized the need to examine the unhygienic feeding of pets based on their own practices which were haphazard and disregarded FDA safety recommendations.

For the first part of their study, scientists polled 417 dog parents about their pet food handling preparation, and the results were scary based on the numbers:

Less than 5 percent of pet parents were aware of FDA guidelines for handling pet food.
Not only did a third prepare their pet’s food in the same places they made their own meals, roughly the same number washed their hands afterward.
Some 43 percent of pet parents stored dog food 5 feet or less from where they made their meals.

Scientists followed up with 50 owners (68 dogs) for a bacterial analysis of food bowls, based on two groups following FDA guidelines for cleanliness, food handling and a third control group following no extra steps at all for eight days.

Pet parents in both groups who followed FDA suggestions decreased the amount of bacterial contamination in food bowls by at least 90 percent. On the other side, bacteria increased in bowls between tests among pet parents who followed no restrictions.

Keeping It Clean!

If those numbers don’t concern you, this one should: Among the families surveyed, 36 percent had kids or members who were immune-compromised leaving both groups very vulnerable to illness from bad bacteria.

What’s more, the risk of exposure to harmful bacteria like E. coli isn’t confined to the poor handling of commercial pet foods. While the primary focus of this study was on feeding dogs dry and canned foods, about 4 percent of pet owners prepared cooked foods or raw commercial foods for their pets which could be contaminated by bad bacteria (Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes).

(If you do feed your pets raw foods of any kind, we urge you to check out this FDA fact sheet listing stringent guidelines for preventing foodborne bugs from harming you and your family.)

All that said, the good news here is that many of the very same recommendations we’ve shared with you often during the coronavirus pandemic for protecting your immune system also apply to handling your pets’ meals and dishes, like thorough hand-washing.

One extra step you can take to protect your immune health from gut-sickening bugs like E. coli is an easy one: Taking a probiotic with multiple strains of beneficial, medically proven bacteria from the Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus families, like EndoMune Advanced Probiotic.

Resources

Pet Food Safety Read More »

Prebiotics 101

Misc / By @drHoberman

Prebiotics: Food For Your Gut and More

We talk so much about the benefits of probiotics that it’s worth reminding you how important prebiotics — the unsung heroes of good gut health — really are.

Made of non-digestible plant fibers and carbohydrates, prebiotics are known best for being the food that feeds the good bacteria in your gut.

But that’s not all they do…

We’ve shared previous reports about the importance of prebiotics in protecting your bones, getting a good night’s sleep and even fighting cancer.

Prebiotics may do even more good behind the scenes than we ever imagined, thanks to an international research team who recently developed a non-invasive diagnostic imaging tool using bioluminescence, a chemical reaction that produces light inside the body.

See What They Found!

That research team, led by scientists at the University of Missouri, tested the tool (an easy-to-swallow capsule) that measures levels of bile salt hydrolase, a naturally occurring enzyme in the gut, in fecal samples from mice and humans.

This is critical because higher bile salt hydrolase levels have been shown to be indicators of excellent gut health and low levels of inflammation, according to previous studies.

The good news: “We show for the first time that certain types of prebiotics alone are capable of increasing bile salt hydrolase activity of the gut microbiome,” says Dr. Elena Goun, an associate professor at the University of Missouri.

Among the prebiotics monitored with this new tool, fructooligosaccharides (FOS) was responsible for noticeable increases in Bifidobacterium species and bile salt hydrolase levels in mice compared to inulin, another prebiotic derived from chicory root and other sources.

FOS are chains of plant sugars derived from whole foods like bananas, blue agave, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes and asparagus, and you don’t need to consume a lot of it to make a gut healthy difference.

Thanks to FOS, you can make a prebiotic difference and maintain the healthy balance of bacteria in your gut by taking a prebiotic-probiotic combo with multiple strains of beneficial bacteria like EndoMune Advanced Probiotic.

References

Nebraska Medicine

Science Advances

University of Missouri

Healthline

Prebiotics 101 Read More »

Man laying face down sleeping in bed. Text reads "Sleep 101: Your Gut Heath Matters

Sleep 101: Your Gut Health Matters

Mental Health, Misc / By @drHoberman

Sleep 101: Your Gut Health Matters

Whether it’s working longer hours, traveling across time zones, catching up on your favorite book or late-night doom-scrolling on your phone, getting a good night’s sleep remains a serious challenge for many people.

Any one of these aforementioned variables can disrupt your circadian clock (the human body’s natural sleep-wake schedule), stealing precious time your body needs to “reboot” and repair itself from the rigors of daily living.

Over time, these disruptions to your sleep may create vulnerabilities to serious health problems like the cluster of symptoms that lead to stroke, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease better known as metabolic syndrome.

Did you know your gut health plays an important role in helping you get the sleep you need too?

The Prebiotic Solution

Previously, we’ve shared the results of a report from the University of Colorado about the benefits of prebiotics, the unsung heroes of gut health, related to sleep.

Made of non-digestible plant fibers and carbohydrates, prebiotics do a lot of work behind the scenes to feed the bacteria living in your gut.

Researchers at the University of Colorado were tasked by the Office of Naval Research to learn how prebiotics could ease disruptions in the body-clock from irregular work schedules, jet lag, and a lack of daily exposure to sunlight.

These challenges are a daily reality for military personnel, especially those who work on submarines for months at a time, says lead study author Dr. Robert Thompson.

First, scientists fed two groups of rats regular food or chow enhanced with two prebiotics, then manipulated their light-dark cycles (creating the stressful effect of traveling to a new time zone 12 hours ahead) each week over two months.

No surprise, the addition of prebiotics made a healthy difference, helping test animals more quickly adjust their sleep-wake cycles and core body temperatures (a problem when the body’s internal clock is disrupted).

What’s more, the gut health of animals fed prebiotics generated an abundance of health-promoting bacteria and resisted changes in gut flora related to stress and jet lag.

Gut Health and Good Sleep Hygiene

There’s lots of ways to improve your rest through good sleep hygiene. Here’s a few common-sense suggestions from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Maintain a consistent sleep schedule.
Establish a relaxing bedtime routine.
Turn off any tablets or phones at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
Keep your bedroom at a cool, comfortable temperature.

Adding a prebiotic to your diet may seem simple, given that a lot of vegetables (leeks, asparagus, garlic, onion, corn and bananas) contain rich amounts of them, but doing it consistently and daily can be challenging.

Fortunately, you can give your sleep a healthy and natural prebiotic advantage — along with the health of your gut — by taking a proven probiotic like EndoMune Advanced Probiotic with 10 strains of beneficial bacteria and the proven prebiotic Fructooligosaccharides (FOS).

Resources

Brain, Behavior, and Immunity

CU Boulder Today

Healthline

American Academy of Sleep Medicine

CDC

Sleep 101: Your Gut Health Matters Read More »

Don’t Let Traveler’s Diarrhea Slow You Down!

Digestive Health, Misc / By @drHoberman

With the COVID-19 lockdowns coming to an end — no more work or school from home (unless you need or want to), and we would be very, very surprised if you haven’t already made travel plans to catch up with friends and family in faraway places this summer. However, before you hit the road, this is a good time to remind you not to let traveler’s diarrhea slow you down, especially if your plans take you long distances and out of the country, even on a cruise.

As exciting as traveling can be, getting there is stressful and can throw your circadian clock and sleep schedule for a loop when you jump into different time zones.

Then, throw in a Western-style diet full of fatty, sugary foods — something very easy to do when you’re away from your healthier routines at home — and you’re creating opportunities for traveler’s diarrhea to occur.

What Is Traveler’s Diarrhea?

Traveler’s diarrhea is a disorder in the digestive tract that causes abdominal cramping and loose stools, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Eating or drinking contaminated foods or liquids are the main causes of traveler’s diarrhea, the most predictable travel-related illness with estimated rates of “attack” as high as 70 percent, depending on when and where you travel, according to the CDC.

Typically, travelers come into contact with the most common bacterial pathogens (E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter jejuni) due to poor hygiene practices in local restaurants.

Traveler’s diarrhea usually occurs abruptly, and can happen during or after your trip. What’s more, you may experience it multiple times.

Although it isn’t considered serious in many cases, recent research from The Rockefeller University showed how some people can develop irritable bowel syndrome due to an unfortunate encounter with traveler’s diarrhea.

How Do You Prevent Traveler’s Diarrhea?

If you and your family are heading out on the road any time this summer, here’s some easy steps you can take to reduce your risk for traveler’s diarrhea.

Know where your water comes from, and avoid drinking unsterilized water. Bottled water is your best friend while traveling.
Wash your hands with plain soap and water early and often, especially before eating.
Don’t ask your doctor to prescribe an antibiotic specifically to prevent traveler’s diarrhea, as it can contribute greatly to your risks of antibiotic resistance.
A recently updated meta-analysis of studies published in Epidemiology and Health concluded taking a probiotic may significantly improve your odds of avoiding traveler’s diarrhea altogether.

In fact, among the beneficial bacteria cited in this analysis are two of the 10 building block strains from the Lactobacillus family contained in EndoMune Advanced Probiotic.

More over, older studies have also found that taking a probiotic like EndoMune at least two days before leaving on your trip and during it can help you and yours avoid traveler’s diarrhea and enjoy that long deserved vacation you’ve been waiting for a very long time to enjoy!

References

Don’t Let Traveler’s Diarrhea Slow You Down! Read More »

Our Campaign Against Hunger Continues

Children’s Health, Misc / By @drHoberman

We are proud to announce a new 2021 campaign to support Feeding America. EndoMune will donate $1 for each bottle of product sold on the EndoMune.com website to Feeding America’s disaster response efforts for those impacted by the 2021 North America winter storms.

We are committed to helping people facing economic hardship and hunger, particularly in the aftermath of devastating winter storms that left so many Americans challenged to access food.

Through its network of 200 food banks across the U.S., Feeding America secures and distributes 4.3 billion meals per year as the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization to children and families in need.

Each dollar we donate to Feeding America can help provide at least ten meals to those in need.

To place orders that benefit Feeding America’s disaster response efforts, visit https://endomune.com/shop-probiotics/.

Our Campaign Against Hunger Continues Read More »

Woman wearing mask with text on photo "Got maskne? Here's the Gut-Skin-Brain axis solution"

The Gut-Skin-Brain Axis Solution For Maskne

Misc, Probiotics, Women’s Health / By @drHoberman

More than ever before, people are experiencing skin problems related to acne, especially around their faces, due to wearing masks, sometimes for extended periods throughout the day. This issue has become so common and chronic, people refer to it as maskne — mask + acne — and dermatologists take this problem just as seriously as their patients.

Living in the coronavirus pandemic hasn’t been easy, but you’ve been making the best of it by following the healthy steps to stay out of harm’s way and protecting your immune system.

Wearing a mask outdoors when running simple errands — going to the grocery store, taking a walk around your neighborhood or navigating situations where social distancing is not feasible — has become our new normal, and it’s likely to stay that way for a little while longer.

It’s nothing new

Maskne isn’t new. Way before the coronavirus pandemic, this issue arose more than you think, mostly with sweaty athletes who wear helmets with straps.

However, maskne has become such a thing that medical experts from Yale Medicine and John Hopkins Medicine to the American Academy of Dermatology have weighed in on treating it.

Most of the steps these institutions recommend are based on common sense.

Keep your face clean with mild soaps (definitely no antibacterial soaps).
Easy on the makeup and skincare products if you use them.
On masks, be sure you’re using ones made from materials that don’t irritate your skin and wash fabric masks you’re regularly wearing.
Men with facial hair or fair skin and extra hair follicles, pay attention to excess irritation and ingrown hairs.

Some professionals even believe probiotic cosmetic creams can be a good way to treat acne. Certainly, some creams may help but do they get to the heart of the problem?

Your gut’s role

When it comes to acne, the health of your gut really matters in several ways, demonstrating that the gut-skin-brain axis connection is a real thing.

For one, doctors prescribe lots of medications to treat acne. In moderate to severe cases, antibiotics are the go-to drugs that create all kinds of problems we’ve discussed a lot in this space.

Unmanaged stress is another concern that triggers acne. There’s certainly plenty of that to go around with having to deal with the coronavirus every day, not to mention poor Western diets full of sugar and a lack of exercise.

These challenges disrupt the balance of bacteria in the gut, triggering inflammation that shows up on your body as acne or, in this case, maskne.

So what can you do about it?

An extensive report detailed in Frontiers in Microbiology points to a simple solution: Successful treatments of acne with varieties of beneficial bacteria from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families in the form of probiotics.

What’s more, we’ve seen over and over how probiotics formulated with multiple strains of beneficial bacteriathat promote a diverse, healthy gut microbiome make a big difference in the health of your gut which happens to be connected to your brain and skin too.

EndoMune Advanced Probiotic features a proprietary blend of 10 beneficial strains of bacteria, along with a very important prebiotic (FOS), to protect your gut-brain-skin axis and help ease the effects of maskne.

References

The Gut-Skin-Brain Axis Solution For Maskne Read More »

Are You Boiling Your Water?

Disease, Misc, Probiotics / By @drHoberman

With the remnants of the multiple winter storms finally making their way out of the United States, an estimated 14 million Texans and many more across the country are being affected by boil-water advisories.

Suppose you haven’t encountered a boil water advisory before. In that case, local utility companies issue them during and after natural disasters, including this most recent trio of winter storms and even hurricanes like ones that have hit the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts in the past.

Local utilities typically order boil water advisories to protect your body from the possibility of water contaminated by parasites, viruses, and bacteria that can make you sick – and yes, these recommendations extend to our furry friends and pets as well!

What does the boil water advisory mean for you? In short, there are certain things you should and should notdo with tap water unless it’s boiled first. Local water experts instruct you to boil tap water (even if it’s filtered) for at least two to three minutes before drinking it, using it for cooking meals or brushing your teeth. That includes water or ice delivery systems connected to your refrigerator.

However, bathing (don’t drink the bathwater!), using your dishwasher, and doing laundry are all still acceptable with clear-running tap water. Keep in mind, we’re also still in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, so this isn’t an excuse to skip handwashing with antibacterial soap!

During the aftermath of these natural disasters is no time for your family to forget to take a probiotic either. EndoMune Advanced Probiotic has 30 billion colony forming units of 10 strains of beneficial bacteria (plus a very important prebiotic) that could give your intestinal immune system a much-needed boost when your body may come into contact with nasty bacteria that can harm you. Don’t forget – your pets can also benefit from probiotics and a healthy immune system, just like we humans do.

Stay safe, stay healthy, and take your probiotics, friends!

Resources

Are You Boiling Your Water? Read More »

Are Gut-Harming Chemicals Hiding in Your Home?

Disease, Misc, Probiotics / By @drHoberman

It’s never been easier to keep our homes and ourselves clean and germ-free, even during a pandemic. All of that antimicrobial/antibacterial “power” comes a great cost, however, creating overly sterilized home environments that are too clean for own good gut health. Gut-harming chemicals can hide in places you’d never think to look, like yoga mats and even the walls of your home.

But, what about other chemicals that find their way into other products our families come in contact with every day, like shampoos, detergents, cosmetics and water-repellant fabrics?

These substances — semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) — can be just as harmful to human gut health, especially to the youngest of us.

Unhealthy tradeoffs for convenience

A group of scientists examined how the impact of SVOCs in everyday environments affected gut health by measuring their levels in blood, urine and fecal samples taken from 69 young children (from toddlers to preschoolers).

In those samples, scientists detected levels of SVOCs commonly found in raincoats, shower curtains, soaps, shampoos and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) used to coat non-stick cookware, fast food packaging, carpets and furniture.

What’s more, children with higher levels of PFASs in their bloodstreams experienced reductions in the diversity and amounts of bacteria in their guts.

Here’s how resourceful and remarkable the human gut is: Children who had higher levels of these chemicals in their blood also had several kinds of bacteria in their guts that clean up toxic materials.

Unfortunately, these unique strains of bacteria aren’t usually found in the human gut. In fact, they are often used to clean up harmful chemical residues (think dry cleaning solvents) from the environment.

“Finding the increased levels of these bacteria in the gut means that, potentially, the gut microbiome is trying to correct itself,” says lead researcher Dr. Courtney Gardner.

“Gaining a more holistic understanding of the interactions between man-made chemicals, the gut microbiome and human health is a critical step in advancing public health.”

The probiotic solution

If exposure to these chemicals that persist in our environment is a constant problem for all of us, the best and healthiest solution for protecting our gut health is a simple one.

Taking a probiotic formulated with multiple strains of beneficial bacteria that mirrors and enhances the diversity of your gut microbiome is critical.

The 10 tried-and-true strains of beneficial bacteria from the Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus families contained in EndoMune Advanced Probiotic along with the prebiotic (FOS) can make a very big difference in balancing your gut microbiome and promoting better immune health too.

Resources

Are Gut-Harming Chemicals Hiding in Your Home? Read More »