The 21st century has seen a revolution in how we view bacteria. We now understand that gut microflora dictates many aspects of our health status from digestive regularity and metabolic function to even mental health. At the same time, we are realizing that our microbiome is affected by changes in the external environment such as diet, geography, stress response and many kinds of medication.
While new and exciting research on the subject is ongoing, one thing is certain – it is very important to support a healthy microbiome for optimal human health. A well-formulated probiotic is just one piece of the puzzle to restore and balance a disrupted microbiome.
What constitutes a healthy microbiome? While there are hundreds of bacterial species that populate the digestive tract, there are two dominant species of bacteria in humans. The most abundant species found in humans are the lactobacilli and bifidobacteria families.
Bifidobacteria are known to be important for providing a protective barrier to infection. In addition, bifidobacteria produces an antimicrobial substance that works against pathogenic bacteria and may have immunomodulating properties by stimulating humoral immune cells.
Lactobacilli is another prominent indicator of healthy microflora in the human gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts. For patients with disrupted microflora, Lactobacilli is therapeutically important for the rapid recolonizing of the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts, thereby preventing harmful colonization by pathogenic bacteria. They are also therapeutically important for decreasing intestinal permeability and aiding nutrient assimilation.
Specific lactobacilli and bifidobacteria strains have been studied for their ability to improve the health of the digestive tract during acute times of stress. For example, Lactobacillus rhamnosus has been studied extensively for the improvement of acute diarrhea in children and traveler’s diarrhea while numerous studies have supported the use of probiotics for reducing the frequency of antibiotic associated diarrhea. In addition, an important clinical application of probiotics exists for inflammatory bowel disease. Clinical trials have utilized a combination of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria to prevent relapse and the colonization of harmful bacteria in ulcerative colitis patients.
Multi-Strain 50 is Cyto-Matrix’s high-potency probiotic containing 9 different strains and a guaranteed 50 billion colony forming units (CFUs) per vegetable capsule. The high dose and carefully selected lactobacilli and bifidobacteria strains in Multi-Strain 50 allow for the rapid restoration and healthy recolonization of the gastrointestinal microflora during periods of acute stress such as antibiotics, infections or inflammatory bowel flares.
Multi-Strain 50 has been formulated with an enteric-coated vegetable capsule to ensure that each probiotic strain survives the harsh acidic environment of the stomach. Multi-Strain 50 is also entirely free from fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS). FOS is typically added to probiotic supplements as a prebiotic, yet many patients report worsening gastrointestinal symptoms such as flatulence and bloating. Given that Multi-Strain 50 is FOS-free, this product is also safe for use in individuals following a low FODMAP diet.
