prebiotics Archives

gut-brain axis and the connection to mental wellbeing

The Gut-Brain Axis: How Probiotics Support Mental Health Through Digestive Wellness

Digestive Health, Mental Health, Probiotics / By Courtney Reding

Have you ever experienced “butterflies” in your stomach before a big event? Or made an important decision based on a “gut feeling?” These familiar feelings hint at something scientists recently confirmed: your gut and brain are deeply interconnected through what we call the gut-brain axis.

The Gut-Brain Axis isn’t just responsible for digestive issues during times of stress – it may also play a crucial role in your mental well-being. Recent scientific research reveals that our gut biomes influence our mood, anxiety, and cognitive function. That makes sense. No one is happy or at their emotional and cognitive best when their gut is upset.

What Exactly Is the Gut-Brain Axis?

The gut-brain axis is a bidirectional network linking your central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) with your enteric nervous system (the intricate network of neurons lining your gastrointestinal tract).

This network has multiple pathways, including the vagus nerve, hormonal signals, immune system activity, and other neurotransmitters.

One of the most important discoveries about this connection is that approximately 90 percent of your body’s serotonin—a neurotransmitter that regulates mood—is produced in the gut, with specific bacteria playing important roles in its production.

This finding revolutionizes how we understand the relationship between digestive and mental health.

How Your Gut Microbiome Affects Your Brain

The balance of your gut biome appears to impact your brain function through several mechanisms:

Neurotransmitter Production: Gut bacteria produce neurotransmitters like serotonin, GABA, and dopamine that regulate mood, anxiety, and cognitive function.
Inflammation Control: Healthy guts reduce oxidative stress by producing antioxidant enzymes and inhibiting inflammatory responses, which improves neurological function.
Stress Regulation: A healthy microbiome helps regulate the body’s stress response by influencing the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which controls cortisol (the body’s primary stress hormone) release.
Immune System Modulation: The gut microbiome plays a vital role in regulating your immune system, which affects inflammation levels throughout the body, including the brain.

When Your Gut Microbiome Is Out of Balance

An imbalance in gut bacteria (dysbiosis) can inhibit this vital gut-brain communication. Recent research has linked dysbiosis to various mental health challenges, including:

Anxiety Disorders
Depression
Stress Sensitivity
Cognitive Impairment
Sleep Disturbances

Scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School recently discovered that specific microbial metabolites—particularly indoles—directly regulate brain activity linked to anxiety, opening exciting possibilities for probiotic-based therapies to improve mental health.

The Probiotic Solution: Restoring Balance for Better Mental Health

Probiotics—beneficial gut microorganisms—offer a promising approach to supporting both gut and mental health. These “good bacteria” can help restore balance to your gut microbiome and strengthen the gut-brain axis.

According to a review published in February 2025, probiotics can regulate gut microbiota, which is vital not only for digestion and metabolism but also for immune function and mental health.

Multiple clinical studies show probiotics’ potential mental health benefits:

Reduced Anxiety and Depression Symptoms: A 2025 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study found that a multi-species probiotic reduced negative mood in healthy volunteers, with effects beginning after just two weeks of daily use.
Improved Stress Resilience: One study found that workers taking a probiotic containing Lactobacillus plantarum experienced significant reductions in self-perceived stress, depression, and overall negative emotions, along with decreased cortisol levels.
Enhanced Cognitive Function: Research has shown that specific probiotics like Lactobacillus rhamnosus are associated with improved cognitive performance, including better mental alertness and focus.
Reduced Rumination: Patients given a multi-strain probiotic experienced significantly fewer ruminative thoughts (repetitive negative thinking) compared to those taking a placebo.

EndoMune Probiotics: Supporting Your Gut-Brain Connection

EndoMune Advanced Probiotic, developed by a board-certified gastroenterologist, promotes digestive health and supports overall wellness, including the vital gut-brain connection.

What makes EndoMune particularly effective for supporting the gut-brain axis?

Multi-Strain Formulation: EndoMune Advanced Probiotic contains 10 strains of beneficial bacteria from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families, including Lactobacillus rhamnosus referenced above.
Prebiotic Support: EndoMune includes fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), a natural prebiotic made from plant sugars that feeds beneficial bacteria and enhances their effectiveness. Prebiotics like FOS may help mitigate depressive symptoms and support brain health alongside probiotics.
Scientifically Formulated: The specific bacterial strains in EndoMune were selected based on scientific research into their benefits for both digestive and mental well-being.
Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium Focus: These generally have shown significant potential in modulating the microbiota-gut-brain axis.

How EndoMune Supports Serotonin Production

Serotonin is often referred to as a “happy hormone” due to its influence on mood and emotional regulation. Scientists estimate that 80-90 percent of the body’s serotonin is produced in the gut. Research published in the medical journal Cell linked the production of serotonin in the gut by enterochromaffin (EC) cells to specific bacteria.

In an experiment with mice, researchers found that EC cells from germ-free animals produced about 60 percent less serotonin compared to normal mice. When gut bacteria from normal mice were transplanted into germ-free mice, their serotonin levels rebounded.

EndoMune’s multi-strain formula helps support the diverse bacterial community necessary for optimal serotonin production, potentially supporting more stable mood regulation naturally.

Beyond Serotonin: Multiple Pathways to Mental Wellbeing

The benefits of probiotics for mental health extend beyond serotonin production. As noted by researchers at University College Cork in Ireland, probiotics (sometimes called “psychobiotics” when referring to their mental health benefits) can produce and deliver neuroactive substances such as gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) and serotonin, which act on the brain-gut axis.

EndoMune’s comprehensive formula supports multiple pathways that influence mental well-being:

Anti-Inflammatory Effects: Reducing inflammation that can contribute to mood disorders.
Improved Intestinal Barrier Function: Preventing leaky gut that can trigger systemic inflammation.
Enhanced Nutrient Absorption: Supporting optimal brain function through improved nutrition.
Balanced Immune Response: Preventing overactive immune reactions that affect the brain.

How to Incorporate EndoMune into Your Mental Wellness Routine

For optimal gut-brain axis support:

Consistent Daily Use: Take EndoMune Advanced Probiotic daily as directed to maintain a steady presence of beneficial bacteria.
Pair With Prebiotic Foods: Enhance the effectiveness of your probiotic by consuming prebiotic-rich foods like bananas, onions, garlic, asparagus, and whole grains.
Reduce Stress: Even the best probiotics work better when complemented by stress-management practices like meditation, adequate sleep, and regular exercise.
Limit Gut Disruptors: Minimize eating processed foods, excessive alcohol, and unnecessary antibiotics that can disrupt your gut microbiome.
Be Patient: While some people notice improvements in digestion quickly, the mental health benefits of probiotics often develop gradually over several weeks of consistent use.

The Future of Gut-Brain Health Research

The field of gut-brain axis research is expanding rapidly. Scientists are investigating how specific probiotic strains might address various psychological conditions by modulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, directly influencing the immune system, and through production of neurotransmitters and neurohormones.

Research consistently shows that incorporating prebiotics, probiotics, and symbiotics (combinations of pre- and probiotics) into a healthy diet can lead to improvements in cognitive functions and mood, potentially offering fresh approaches for maintaining brain health as we age.

Key Takeaways: A Holistic Approach to Mental Wellness

The emerging science of the gut-brain axis offers an exciting perspective on mental health, one that acknowledges the profound connection between our digestive system and our emotional well-being. By supporting your gut microbiome with a high-quality, multi-strain probiotic like EndoMune Advanced Probiotic, you’re not just investing in better digestion, you’re potentially supporting your mental health from the inside out.

Remember that probiotics work best as part of a comprehensive approach to wellness that includes a nutritious diet, regular physical activity, stress management, and good sleep hygiene. By addressing both your gut and brain health simultaneously, you may discover a more balanced, resilient state of well-being – naturally without medication.

References

“Gut over Mind: Exploring the Powerful Gut–Brain Axis” – Published in February 2025 in the journal Nutrients (MDPI). This recent narrative review provides a comprehensive overview of the gut-brain connection and how probiotics regulate gut microbiota of both digestive and mental health benefits.

URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/5/842

“Scientists reveal gut microbes’ hidden role in anxiety” – published in February 2025 by Duke-NUS Medical School in Science Daily. This study discovered the connection between gut microbial metabolites (specifically indoles) and anxiety-related behavior, suggesting potential for probiotic-based therapies.

URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250205165613.htm

“Probiotics reduce negative mood over time: the value of daily self-reports in detecting effects” – Published in NPJ Mental Health Research. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study showed that a multispecies probiotic reduced negative mood in healthy volunteers after two weeks of use.

URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44184-025-00123-z

“Probiotics as modulators of gut-brain axis for cognitive development” – Published in Frontiers in Pharmacology (February 2024). This research explains the mechanisms by which probiotics influence neurotransmitter production and cognitive function, including the role of different bacterial strains in producing serotonin and GABA.

URL: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2024.1348297/full

The Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated these statements. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

The Gut-Brain Axis: How Probiotics Support Mental Health Through Digestive Wellness Read More »

How to Take Probiotics: The Ultimate Guide

How to Take a Probiotic: The Ultimate Guide to Boosting Your Gut Health

Probiotics / By Staff Writer

Probiotics are increasingly recognized for their incredible health benefits, ranging from improved digestion to a stronger immune system. But are you taking them correctly? This guide will discuss the best ways to take a probiotic so you can maximize its effectiveness.

Why Timing Matters: When is the Best Time to Take a Probiotic?

Getting the timing right is crucial for probiotic survival. The goal is to get those beneficial bacteria from the bottle to your gut intact. Here’s a breakdown of the best times to take your probiotic:

On an Empty Stomach (Ideally Before Breakfast): Taking a probiotic about 30 minutes before your first meal, typically breakfast, allows the beneficial bacteria to travel to your gut with minimal interference from stomach acid. A glass of water is a great addition!
- Why This Works: When your stomach is empty, the pH is lower, creating a less harsh environment for the probiotic bacteria to survive.
- The Science: A study in Beneficial Microbes found that survival of key bacterial strains improved when taken 30 minutes before a meal.

How to Take a Probiotic for Different Age Groups

The best way to take a probiotic can vary based on age and specific needs. Here’s a breakdown:

Adults: Aim for 30 minutes before a meal on an empty stomach (as mentioned above).
Young Children (Under 3): For infants and toddlers, sprinkle a multi-species probiotic in powdered form (like EndoMune Baby Probiotic Powder) in a liquid, non-carbonated formula, or on soft foods before or with their meal once a day. This helps support their developing immune systems and potentially reduce issues like colic.
Older Children: Once kids are past the toddler stage, they can transition to a chewable probiotic (like EndoMune Kids Advanced Chewable Probiotic) following the general adult guidelines.

Taking Probiotics While on Antibiotics: A Crucial Consideration

Antibiotics are often necessary to combat bacterial infections, but they can also wreak havoc on your gut microbiome by killing off both harmful and beneficial bacteria. If you’re on antibiotics, taking a probiotic is recommended.

The Key to Success: Separate your antibiotic and probiotic doses by at least two hours. This gives the probiotic bacteria a chance to establish themselves without being immediately targeted by the antibiotic.

The Power of Prebiotics: Fueling Your Probiotic

Prebiotics are non-digestible plant fibers and carbohydrates that act as food for the beneficial bacteria in your gut. Think of them as fertilizer for your probiotic!

Look for Probiotics with Prebiotics: Many high-quality probiotics include prebiotics in their formulation. Fructooligosaccharides (FOS), found in foods like garlic, leeks, asparagus, and bananas, are a common and effective prebiotic. (EndoMune products contain FOS)
Dietary Sources: Increase your prebiotic intake through diet by incorporating foods rich in fiber.

Additional Tips for Maximizing Probiotic Effectiveness

Choose the Right Strain: Different probiotic strains offer different benefits. Consider your specific needs when selecting a probiotic supplement. If you are concerned about thrush, consider probiotic strains, like Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium, found in EndoMune Advanced Probiotic and EndoMune Kids products.
Start Slowly: If you’re new to probiotics, start with a lower dose and gradually increase it to avoid digestive discomfort.
Be Consistent: Regular probiotic use is key for maintaining a healthy gut microbiome. Make it part of your daily routine.
Store Properly: Follow the storage instructions on the probiotic label. Some probiotics require refrigeration – EndoMune Advanced Probiotic does not require refrigeration.
Consult Your Doctor: Always talk to your doctor before starting any new supplement, especially if you have underlying health conditions or are taking medications. They can help you choose the right probiotic and dosage for your individual needs and to address any concerns you may have, particularly if you’re taking a drug for a specific health issue, like an immunosuppressant or antifungal.

Mastering the Art of Taking Probiotics

Understanding how to take a probiotic is essential for unlocking its full potential. By following these guidelines, you can optimize your gut health and experience the wide-ranging benefits of these beneficial bacteria. Remember to choose a high-quality probiotic like an EndoMune Advanced Probiotic and be consistent taking them. Lastly, always consult with your doctor to ensure that taking probiotic supplements is the right choice for you.

References:

Saxelin M, Lassig A, Karjalainen H, et al. Persistence of probiotic strains in the gastrointestinal tract when administered as capsules, yoghurt, or cheese. Int J Food Microbiol 2010;144(2):293-300. doi:10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2010.10.009
Tompkins T, Mainville I, Arcand Y. The impact of meals on a probiotic during transit through a model of the human upper gastrointestinal tract. Beneficial Microbes 2011;2:4:295-303.
Possemiers S, Marzorati M, Verstraete W, et al. Bacteria and chocolate: a successful combination for probiotic delivery. Int J Food Microbiol 2010;141(1-2):97-103. doi:10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2010.03.008
Fernández-Alonso M, Aguirre Camorlinga A, Messiah SE, et al. Effect of adding probiotics to an antibiotic intervention on the human gut microbial diversity and composition: A systematic review. J Med Microbiol 2022;71(11):10.1099/jmm.0.001625. doi:10.1099/jmm.0.001625

How to Take a Probiotic: The Ultimate Guide to Boosting Your Gut Health Read More »

IBS + Fibromyalgia + Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Digestive Health, Disease, Probiotics / By Staff Writer

Summary: The gut-brain link between irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is very real.

Several months ago, we discussed the genuine link between irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and disruptions in the gut-brain axis.

It’s hard to deny that connection, given that IBS patients experienced greater symptoms of depression and anxiety at rates more than double the norm compared to those without IBS.

Apparently, this same research team from the University of Missouri was just getting started in finding connections with IBS…

The painful link

A second look at data collected from more than 1.2 million IBS patients at 4,000 American hospitals yielded new connections with fibromyalgia, a condition punctuated by widespread and intense musculoskeletal pain, fatigue and cognitive problems, as well as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

IBS patients were five times more likely to experience symptoms of fibromyalgia than those who weren’t dealing with IBS, according to the study appearing in the medical journal Biomedicines. Also, CFS was more prevalent among IBS patients, but not at as high a rate as fibromyalgia.

One interesting quirk in this analysis sheds light on younger people experiencing more gut-related problems than ever before: IBS patients with fibromyalgia or CFS were more likely to be younger compared than others dealing solely with IBS.

Also, the ever-present problems we face with the epidemic of obesity along with hypertension elevated the risks that IBS patients would face CFS or fibromyalgia too.

The why

When asked how fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome could “piggyback” with IBS to create new and painful challenges, scientists pointed to two very familiar culprits that create gut health problems:

Antibiotic use leads to bacterial imbalances in a patient’s microbiome.
Breakdowns in the gut wall allow waste products, toxic substances and other nasties to seep through the intestinal barrier and into your bloodstream, a condition better known as leaky gut.

Fortunately, the same non-drug solution for treating IBS — probiotics — is also a solution that has garnered some success in treating patients with fibromyalgia and CFS, according to a previous report. But not any probiotic will do.

If you really want to protect and improve the health of your gut, you’ll need a probiotic featuring multiple strains of beneficial bacteria that support the healthy microbial diversity of your gut.

Any probiotic you consider should also contain a prebiotic, the unsung heroes of gut health made of carbohydrates and non-digestible plant fibers that feed the good bacteria in your gut.

You can achieve both of your gut-healthy goals with EndoMune Advanced Probiotic, formulated with 10 strains of beneficial bacteria from Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus families, plus the proven probiotic FOS.

Resources

IBS + Fibromyalgia + Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Read More »

Improve Your Blood Pressure With Prebiotics

Diet, Healthy Aging / By Staff Writer

Improve Your Blood Pressure With Prebiotics

We never tire of reminding you about the benefits of prebiotics, the unsung heroes of good gut health.

Derived from carbohydrates and non-digestible plant fibers, prebiotics are commonly known as the food that feeds the bacteria in your microbiome.

More recently, prebiotics have taken center stage for a multitude of reasons, including their natural cancer-fighting abilities and their use as a sleep aid.

Add lowering blood pressure to that list of important prebiotic benefits, according to findings appearing in Nature Cardiovascular Research.

Just Like A Drug

Australian researchers at Monash University conducted a small trial of 20 patients that compared the benefits of taking a high-fiber supplement (20 grams of a resistant starch) contained in meals twice a day to an inert placebo separately for three weeks.

Among the criteria for participating in the study, all patients were required to be untreated for hypertension. Over the course of the trial, patients also maintained dietary diaries and tracked their blood pressure numbers multiple times each day.

The real difference noticed by researchers was more than a 4-point drop in overall systolic blood pressure numbers among patients during the high-fiber phase of the study.

The benefits of this decrease in blood pressure alone were equal to a patient taking blood pressure medication along with lowering the risk for death due to coronary issues by 9 percent and stroke by 14 percent.

How did systolic blood pressure numbers drop so much? Scientists believe taking a high-fiber supplement increased production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and bacteria in the gut that produces them.

Where We Go From Here

Despite the good news reported in this study, Australian scientists believe larger studies will be needed to confirm these findings.

But considering that nearly half of all Americans suffer from hypertension (having a systolic blood pressure reading above 130 or a diastolic blood pressure reading above 80), knowing there’s a non-drug solution that can go a long way toward protecting the health of your gut too is very appealing.

However, you don’t need fiber supplements to take advantage of these extra benefits. In fact, you only need to consume 25-35 grams (about 1 ounce) of prebiotic, non-soluble fiber each day to make a healthy difference.

You can get your daily dose of prebiotics and some extra cardiovascular protection when you take EndoMune Advanced Probiotic, formulated with 10 battle-tested strains of beneficial bacteria from Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families and the proven prebiotic fructooligosaccharides (FOS).

Resources

Nature Cardiovascular Research

Nutra Ingredients Asia

Improve Your Blood Pressure With Prebiotics Read More »

Prebiotics 101

Misc / By Staff Writer

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 Staff Writer

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 »

How Probiotics Support Your Immune System

Disease, Probiotics / By Staff Writer

During the unprecedented Coronavirus pandemic, we’ve seen a renewed focus from our customers on ways to “support your immune system.” The obvious question is: can probiotics, by helping your gut be as healthy as possible, also support your immune system? Although probiotics are proven to help digestion and optimal gut health, recent studies indicate probiotics also protect and enhance your immune system.

The primary reason probiotics, by strengthening your gut health, help your immune system function better is simple. Your gut and immune system have a symbiotic relationship. For example, 70-80% of your immune cells are located in your gut. The health of your gut directly impacts the overall health of your entire immune system.

Healthy guts make healthy immune systems. Conversely, compromised, unhealthy guts erode the effectiveness of immune system function. That leads to potentially more illnesses like common colds, flu, and many other infections – potentially even COVID-19.

Scientists have known for years that our microbiome helps keep overactive immune responses (leading to conditions like IBS and other autoimmune diseases) in check. However, they were still unsure of the exact mechanisms that drive this interaction.

Vitamin A

Emerging research may have found one of the potential answers. Vitamin A seems to help the healthy bacteria in our guts produce beneficial chemicals and activate naturally occurring vitamin A found in the food we eat that helps regulate our immune system naturally. After all, our goal as medical professionals is to help your body defend itself from disease naturally without medications, and the frontline of your body’s war against threats from bacteria and viral diseases is in your gut.

A study led by Shipra Vaishnava, Assistant Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at Brown University, found that when your gut has an adequate level of vitamin A, your gut seems to be able to suppress overactive immune responses. That suggests that instead of your body’s defense system attacking helpful bacteria in your gut and upsetting the natural balance of these necessary flora, they can coexist with each other peacefully; hopefully, leading to a combination of optimal gut and immune system health function.

“A lot of these diseases are attributed to increased immune response or immune activation, but we’ve found a new way that bacteria in our gut can dampen the immune response,” Shipra Vaishnava argues. “This research could be critical in determining therapies in the case of autoimmune diseases such as Crohn’s disease or other inflammatory bowel diseases, as well as vitamin A deficiency.”

Simply put, probiotic supplements give your body the ability to absorb nutrients more efficiently, resulting in an improved immune system. That’s why better gut health prepares your body to defend itself against external threats – even during a pandemic.

Diversifying your Gut to Strengthen your Immune System

Since a COVID-19 vaccine may not be available until sometime next year, anyone looking for ways to build up your body’s defenses naturally should make sure your body has a diverse microbiome which leads to a healthy gut. A health gut, in turn, leads to a more robust, healthier immune system

The best way to increase microbiome diversity is to eat foods that support a healthy gut, and avoiding alcohol and highly processed foods. We get it, that’s always hard to do, and is challenging during a pandemic like COVID-19. One easy way to help your gut stay healthy and strong is to take a multistrain probiotic like EndoMune Advanced Probiotics.

However, don’t forget to help your body stay strong by managing your mental health, getting enough sleep, and staying physically active if you can do so safely.

It’s small, daily steps like these that make a big difference in protecting your health.

For more information on how to combat the Coronavirus, read our previous blog:

C oronavirus: Protect Your Immune System

How Probiotics Support Your Immune System Read More »

EndoMune Advanced Adult Probiotic passed the test! Image of bottles.

We Passed the Test!

Probiotics / By Staff Writer

Hi Everyone!

As part of our quality control best practices, we frequently test EndoMune Advanced Probiotic to ensure our quality and label matches exactly what’s in each capsule.

Well, we got our latest test results and we’re very proud to share that they’re fantastic!

We’ve just learned each capsule of EndoMune Advanced Probiotic contains 50 percent more of the beneficial bacteria you’ve come to rely on for more than a decade!

That awesome news came to us despite absolutely no changes in our proven formula or our ongoing testing schedules.

Along with the prebiotic FOS that feed the bugs in your gut, each capsule of EndoMune contains 30 billion CFUs of beneficial bacteria from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families up to the expiration date found on the bottom of each bottle.

If you’re thinking that we’re sharing this awesome news just as an excuse to increase our prices, forget it!

EndoMune Advanced Probiotic offers 50 percent more of the beneficial gut bugs at the same price as always!

To you and yours in good gut health!

Dr. Lawrence Hoberman

P.S. For each bottle of EndoMune you purchase, we will donate $2 to the Feeding America COVID-19 Response Fund that helps stock food banks that support our communities being affected all across America by this pandemic!

We Passed the Test! Read More »

Fighting Cancer With Prebiotics

Disease / By Staff Writer

Prebiotics are the unsung heroes of gut health.

Made of non-digestible plant fibers and carbohydrates, prebiotics do much of the dirty work behind the scenes by feeding the good bacteria living in your gut and stimulating their growth.

But that’s not all they do…

More recently, science has discovered new benefits of prebiotics related to protecting your bones from osteoarthritis and promoting better sleep.

A new role may be emerging for prebiotics as a natural cancer-fighting agent.

Prebiotics vs. Cancer

Among the therapies used by physicians to fight melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, are drugs that target mutated groups of genes (BRAF and MEK inhibitors).

Unfortunately, some of these therapies don’t help everyone and, in other cases, patients can develop a resistance to these treatments.

Researchers at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in San Diego had observed how the addition of prebiotics to therapy regimens had helped in fighting cancer in previous studies but were unsure how those mechanisms worked.

They observed how the action of two prebiotics (inulin, a starch-like substance found in herbs, vegetables and fruits like onions, asparagus, bananas and leeks, or mucin, an intestinal protein) shaped the gut microbiotas of mice to boost their tiny immune systems and aid in the effectiveness of the medicines they were given.

Scientists fed these animals water and food containing inulin or mucin, then transplanted either melanoma or colon cancer cells into their tiny bodies.

The winner is…

The addition of prebiotics made a great deal of difference in a number of ways:

Stimulating the number of immune cells that fight tumors.
Helping mice develop more distinct gut health signatures, thus generating more anti-tumor immunity.
Slowing the growth of melanoma.
Improving the response to the presence of mutated cancer genes.

“Prebiotics represent a powerful tool to restructure gut microbiomes and identify bacteria that contribute to anti-cancer immunity,” says Dr. Scott Peterson, co-author of the study.

Certainly, prebiotics do a lot of the work to keep your good guys in your gut fed and healthy, but not all of it.

You may recall a small study I wrote about in which multi-strain probiotics played a critical role in improving the health of colon cancer patients by protecting their gut bacteria diversity.

Medical researchers are taking a very cautious approach about the use of probiotics and prebiotics when treating serious diseases like cancer, as they should be.

However, there’s little doubt that it takes a community of beneficial bacteria in a multi-strain probiotic like EndoMune Advanced Probiotic — that contains the natural prebiotic fructooligosaccharide (FOS) — to make a daily difference in your gut health and so many parts of your overall health too.

Resources

Cell Reports

Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute

Mayo Clinic

American Cancer Society

WebMD

Fighting Cancer With Prebiotics Read More »

woman holding white pill tablets in hand with glass of water

How Drugs Interact With Your Gut

Drug interactions / By Staff Writer

The gut microbiome is a vital and important part of human health that touches so many aspects of our daily lives, yet it works in very unpredictable ways.

For example, consider how certain drugs interact with the human gut. Sometimes, they do work but not so well at other times, as we learned about statin drugs.

The very same thing may be true about metformin, the go-to drug prescribed for type 2 diabetic patients to control high blood sugar, according to a study appearing in EBiomedicine.

“For example, certain drugs work fine when given intravenously and go directly to the [blood] circulation, but when they are taken orally and pass through the gut, they don’t work,” says senior study author Dr. Hariom Yadav, a researcher at the Wake Forest School of Medicine.

As we’ve seen previously, metformin works well with the gut, although some patients who take it tend to experience more side effects (nausea, diarrhea and flatulence).

Based on their review of studies, Wake Forest researchers determined the metabolic capacity of a patient’s microbiome may influence how various drugs aimed at treating type 2 diabetes are absorbed and function in effective, inactive or even toxic ways.

“We believe that differences in an individual’s microbiome help explain why drugs will show a 90 or 50 percent optimum efficacy, but never 100 percent,” Dr. Yadav said.

Now, Wake Forest researchers are taking the next important gut-friendly step by testing prebiotics, a natural component of non-digestible plant fiber that feeds the good bacteria living in your gut, and probiotics that may help diabetes drugs work more effectively.

Could a multi-species probiotic containing 10 kinds of beneficial bacteria plus a handy prebiotic (FOS) like EndoMune Advanced Probiotic make gut-friendly difference in the way patients take their drugs?

The evidence is growing!

How Drugs Interact With Your Gut Read More »