By Roland
Lactis, infantis, breve, bifidum…, what do all these words have in common? They are different strains of Bifidobacteria which are a VERY important genus of probiotics for human health and the world of probiotic supplementation. In our blog series we have focused on various health strategies or conditions but we have rarely highlighted what makes Master Supplements/US Enzymes unique; our products! We have several formulas that include high amounts Bifidobactera including Theralac®, TheralacPRO®, TruBifido®, TruBifidoPRO®, Biome-xym™, and others in smaller quantities but for the sake of this article we are going to focus on TruBifido® and TruBifidoPRO® because they ONLY contain this critical type of probiotic. We’ll also explain the purpose of this Bifidobacteria exclusivity from a clinical perspective.
Bifidobacteria are very special to the human story as they are the first colonizers of the gut in a post-birth scenario under natural means. The inoculation through the birth canal “seeds” the beginnings of the microbiome. Specialized oligosaccharides (indigestible fibers in breast milk) are the strategic food designed to supply these little critters with the necessary nutrients they need to grow and thrive as a community within the microbiome. The immature gut is very bifido-heavy as they help to anchor specific characteristics of the microbiome and encourage immune tolerance that comes with development and maturity which ideally results in;
- a healthy diverse bacterial profile within the microbiome,
- immune tolerance and modulation abilities under various situations,
- a healthy internal environment within the colon that discourages dysbiosis.
This reality is experienced providing we maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle practices in addition to strategic supplementation when necessary or general supplementation as a proactive strategy.
To me, the above description shows the natural symbiosis of events that is required to maintain health within the gut and microbiome. We never know better than nature when it comes to how cohesively a biological system can and should fit together. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and using this ideology is a great way to explain how MSI/USE honors the science of supplementation. Take our probiotic TruBifido. When it comes to its formulation, thought and intention were put into making a product with designated strains for a specific mode of action. This means that down to the deepest level of identity, we know what the strains are, what they do functionally, and via intentional combinations, we can provide beneficial effects when taken as a supplement. Specifically, with TruBifido we know it supports humoral immunity or the acquired immune response, which is key for certain individuals. Additionally, the strains have an affinity for colonization in the colon because Bifidobacteria are strict anaerobes and only live in a suitably oxygen-deprived environment. All these considerations and more are what go into creating a superior quality supplement (and also directly hint at possible clinical applications). However, that is not the whole story…
The second aspect is taking a superior product and ensuring it gets to its intended target. Bifidobacteria are fragile freeze-dried probiotic strains. They are very easily perturbed and affected by antibiotics and compromised environments. This is where our proprietary delivery system technology comes in. We start with a DR (delayed-release) capsule and then include our patented sodium alginate powder for added protection in the acidic stomach. Lastly, we rehydrate and nourish the probiotic cells with our patented prebiotic, LactoStim®, which dramatically increases probiotic effectiveness. This combination ensures that the fragile bacteria have protection as they go into your gut because we must understand it is the harshest environment in the human body. This patented science, ensures that the therapeutic dose of powerful bacteria are getting where you want them to go via deep delivery and once they are there, they are sent in with a food source which allows them to have the energy for maximum colonization potential.
Our fiber products like; SunFiber®, TruFiber®, or SunSpectrum™, are key to helping someone rebuild their innate bifidobacteria populations which have likely been damaged via diet, lifestyle, stress, infection, and/or medications. By taking the approach of Bifidobacteria plus fiber, you can see how we are doing our best to honor the original gut expert; mother nature!
A lot of thought and consideration goes into ALL that we formulate and for good reason as one of our founders puts it best; “the most expensive supplement is the one that doesn’t work”! We take pride in our formulations and in creating a scenario for the body that helps move the dial towards whole-body health and wellness!