Throughout our history, humans have been involuntarily ingesting microorganisms and bacteria. Some are bad for us, but some of the billions of microbes present in our guts are vital to our health. The World Health Organization defines probiotics as “live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.” There are about 1,000 species of bacteria from four taxonomic groups living in our gut, and, although the population is highly dynamic, it is critical in developing and shaping the gut immune system, and it’s vital for us to keep it in balance.

Disrupting the Balance

An interruption in the balance of these colonies of microorganisms, also known as microbiota, can lead to dysbiosis in your GI tract. Some typical causes are:

•    Dietary changes
•    Alcohol
•    Medications and antibiotics
•    Stress or anxiety, which can weaken the immune system
•    Infections such as Clostridium difficile, Helicobacter pylori, and other enteropathogenic bacteria.

So, how can we relieve this dysbiotic condition? We are learning that conventional medical treatments for some diseases and infections can actually cause or aggravate dysbiosis and as a result, there is a need for approaches to support gut health by restoring microbial homeostasis – this is where probiotics can be beneficial. The most common commercial probiotics are lactic acid bacteria – Lactobacilli – found in beverages, yoghurts and similar and other “functional foods”. However, these products may not contain the most beneficial strains, depending on which condition whoever is taking them is trying to alleviate.

AOR’s Probiotic-3

Background

The exact combination of probiotics in Probiotics-3 has been on the market in Japan and in other Asian countries for over 60 years. Over 30 clinical studies on the combination of strains found in Probiotic-3 have yielded significant health benefits and a high standard of safety.

Let’s explore what makes Probiotic-3 unique in the world of probiotics:

More Strains Doesn’t Mean More Benefits

The trend in the market is that more strains of probiotics are more beneficial than fewer strains, but this is not always borne out by the evidence. The reality of many high dose probiotics is that they have a temporary, albeit positive, effect when they are consumed. Once stopped, however, symptoms typically resume. Probiotic-3 has just three synergetic strains in evidence-based doses because that is all that is needed to produce profound benefits.

Real Change in the Gut

Unlike other probiotics with hundreds of strains that may positively alter the types of strains for a short time, the strains in Probiotic-3 work together to create a lasting positive change in the gut because it has the unique ability to alter the gut environment and shift the microbiota.

Other Benefits of Probiotic-3

Probiotics-3 has been proven to be beneficial in reducing allergies, improving immunity, fighting colds and flu, promoting detoxification, reducing symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease, and improving bloating and constipation.  Probiotic-3 is particularly effective in acute diarrhea and gastroenteritis, in both adults and children. It can be used both preventatively and as acute treatment for travelers and antibiotic-associated diarrhea.

How Does Probiotic-3 Work?

It’s important to note that Probiotic-3 is also a Synbiotic, meaning that the combination of probiotic strains is more effective than each strain alone. The strains in Probiotic-3 act as both PREbiotics and PRObiotics so there is no need for a prebiotic fiber, which can cause bloating and GI discomfort in many people.

Here’s what each of the three strains of probiotics in Probiotics-3 does:

•    Clostridium butyricum – produces large amounts of a short chain fatty acid call Butyrate which promotes immune function and tolerance. This means it both increases resistance to infections as well and reducing autoimmunity. Butyrate is also an essential fuel for other healthy bacteria and also heals and repairs the gut mucosal lining.  Finally, it can reduce inflammation locally in the GI tract as well as throughout the whole body because it can be absorbed into the bloodstream.

•    Enterococcus faecalis lowers the pH of the gut to make is more inhospitable to pathogenic bacteria. It also produces anti-bacterial compounds called bacteriocins that can inhibit harmful bacteria.

•    Finally, Bacillus mesentericus exponentially increases the growth of bifidobacteria which are one of the most critical and beneficial classes of bacteria in the gut.

Easy to Take and to Store

Probiotic-3 is gastric acid and bile salt-stable, which means it can survive the acidic conditions in the upper GI tract and make it down to the lower intestines. It is room-temperature stable and does not need to be refrigerated to maintain its potency, making it ideal for travelers to tropical places where the risk of gastroenteritis is the highest.