If you wonder, “Is my probiotic really helping or not?”, today we'll get to the bottom of that question for those who worry that they may be spending a lot of money for nothing.
You'll learn about a supplement that's available now, it's a probiotic AND an antioxidant. (Click here if you just want to know where to get it — use the code KOP for a discount — if you order 3 or more, it's an even better deal than their auto-ship option + you'll get free shipping!) Read on for all the details… (Or catch these newer posts: This Mom will make you cry, how ONE change made all the difference for her son… and Can Leaky Gut be Healed? Find Out HOW: Study Showed Reversal in 30 Days)
Is My Probiotic Really Helping or am I Wasting Money?
“It's well known in the medical world that the live microflora in probiotics and fermented foods are all killed by stomach acid.”
My jaw dropped when my boss at the supplements company told me that way back in 2004! And he was not just my boss, but also an exceptional nutritional researcher and formulator, naturopathic physician with a clinical practice, and a teacher at the naturopathic college nearby. I trusted his opinion implicitly!
“But, how can that possibly be when people clearly experience benefit from probiotics?” I asked.
After all, I'd been in the natural foods and products industry my entire life and sold (and personally consumed) more than my fair share of these expensive bottles of capsules.
The doctor gave me a thoughtful look. “The mechanism is not clearly understood, but the medical guess is that possibly the bacterial dead cell bodies provide some kind of nutrition for the live microflora already there. But what you consume definitely doesn't survive to the intestines, or at best,” he held his thumb and forefingers tightly together, “it's a miniscule amount. We know that for sure.”
As a person with lifelong gut problems, this was shocking to me. Granted, I didn't personally feel that much different when I took probiotics, but, crap (no pun intended), weren't they at least doing something?!?
Since that conversation more than a dozen years ago, it hasn't been that I entirely forgot what the good doc said…
However, over the intervening years, as a health coach and retail vitamin specialist who has regularly heard testimonials about conventional probiotics helping some symptoms, I decided that taking them appeared to be better than doing nothing at all, especially for specific, acute conditions, like food poisoning, nausea from antibiotic use, and healing some digestive disorders (especially when used with the GAPS Diet).
The newest science… (keep reading, the breakthrough is coming!)
The most recent science shows that we do, indeed, support a huge community of microflora in our gut. I think of my intestines as a major metropolitan area, comprised of trillions of bacteria, and, probably because I'm originally from the east coast, I picture them accomplishing enormous amounts of work, while gesturing to one another and talking in a fast-paced, New York City accent. 🙂
Just like in an urban area, there are many classes and functions to these bacterial workers. Some bacteria are high level communicators who direct others in their work. Others are more like the worker bees in the hive. But since it's in the best interest of our probiotic bacteria that we humans, their “container,” stay healthy, they all work hard together to help us thrive. This is why there is actually more neural communication from the gut to the brain than the reverse.
We have also recently learned that the average microbiome of a western industrialized human is far weaker, having fewer quantity and less diversity of microflora, than those of rural, nonindustrialized populations.
Why? In large part it's due to our exposure to:
- Pesticides, notably glyphosate (Roundup) Read more: Why Glyphosate is Dangerous
- Most pharmaceutical medications, including birth control pills — read more: The Dangers of the Birth Control Pill
- A more sterile environment (think hand sanitizers)
- Antibiotics, both in food as well as prescribed as a medication, which can impair our gut microbiome for up to TWO YEARS… or more and
- “Unnatural” birthing practices like caesarean sections and bottle feeding — read more: The BEST Way to Protect Your Immune System – It's Not What You Think!
These all can and DO kill the bacteria in our gut.
Ok, where's the “breakthrough” you promised?
Strains of protective probiotic bacteria that survive digestive acid to actively colonize the gut have actually been in use for decades, both for humans as well as farm animals. Unfortunately though, for the U.S., most of us here have not had access to these particular strains.
Why?
These robust strains are costly to manufacture, so most probiotic companies selling to the public in this country chose to concentrate on the less expensive lacto, bifido, etc forms commonly found in 99+% of all retail probiotics.
Well known in Europe and Asia for decades, the hardier strains were marketed primarily to and through physicians abroad, and so were largely only available by prescription there (as they still are today). Physicians prescribed them along with antibiotics, to be taken at the same time. See my article The ONLY Probiotics to Take With Antibiotics (This May Save Your Life Some Day).
These “breakthrough” probiotic strains are called gut commensal spore bacillus and learning about how they function in the gut has entirely changed the way I look at what a microbiome needs to remain healthy.
It is true that the majority of the bacterial population in the human gut is made up of lacto and bifido strains. However, the strains of lacto and bifido that thrive in our gut are NOT exactly the same as ones that grow in lacto-fermented foods or in probiotic pills. Why not?
Because the strains in our gut are ANAEROBIC, that is, they thrive in an environment that has no oxygen.
The strains in fermented foods, or those grown in a lab, have been produced an oxygen-exposed environment. This exposure genetically alters them into the AEROBIC version and, therefore, unable to bind to the correct receptor sites in the intestines.
Without that binding ability, conventional strains (aerobic lacto, bifido, etc.) are unable to colonize the gut.
Instead, microbiologists say our newest technology clearly shows that, even if some miniscule amount manages to remain alive through stomach acid, conventional bacteria simply pass through the intestines in a matter of hours to be excreted in the bowel movement.
If all they do is pass through, does that mean the lacto and bifido strains from fermented food or probiotic pills are worthless?
Absolutely not! Because we also know that we get well-documented immune benefit from consuming these kinds of non-colonizing bacteria, even if microbiologists, at this point, don't fully understand the mechanism for how.
Sandor Katz, author with Sally Fallon of the fermentation classic, Wild Fermentation, in a panel discussion on May 11, 2016 at UCLA called Microbes: From Your Food to Your Brain offered a possible explanation.
One scientific guess, Katz said, about the origin of the benefit of fermented foods is that there may be an advantageous genetic exchange between the alive microbes residing in the gut with the dead transient microbial passersby as they move through the intestines. Or another possibility, as my doctor friend suggested, is that the dead cell bodies of the consumed microbes provide nutrition for the live bacteria.
Bottom line? We just don't know enough yet to state definitively how the bacteria in live, fermented foods can produce benefit to the immune system; we just know that to a degree they do.
So how do the spore bacillus function differently?
Spore bacillus is a family of bacteria that has naturally evolved over time to be particularly hardy by developing a shell. This outside spore not only protects it against extremes like moisture and dehydration, heat and cold, and the harsh acids of the bile and stomach, but also enables it to naturally survive in environments that are both oxygen-rich, like air, as well as anaerobic, like the human intestines.
This allows the gut commensal spore bacillus to safely exist in our external environment for eons in their inactive spore form, literally just waiting for the chance to be inhaled, drunk or consumed by, oh, say… a human.
And once they reach the small intestines, because they are of the gut commensal family (meaning the gut is their natural home), the shell falls away so the bacteria can bind to the correct sites.
Designed by nature to be our gut cleaners, these gut commensal strains then immediately begin killing pathological strains and supporting beneficial ones. At the end of about 3-4 weeks, they have moved down the entire length of the gut, correcting and rebalancing the microbial population wherever they travel.
I learned this by getting exposed to a new probiotic that has only recently launched here in the U.S. Ten years in the making, this is the first 100% gut commensal spore probiotic to be sold at the retail level in this country. It has been shown in third party gastric survivability testing to arrive 100% alive in the intestines, actively colonize the gut, and produce antioxidants.
There are now 5 questions I ask when choosing a probiotic.
1. Is this probiotic comprised of gut commensal spore bacteria?
Clinical studies show that Just Thrive's spore-based bacteria (Bacillus indicus HU36, Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus clausii, Bacillus subtilis HU58) have a 100% survival rate.
*Do conventional lacto/bifido strains survive to the intestines?
LESS THAN .01%
*How do you know whether or not your probiotic contains gut commensal spore bacteria?
Look on your bottle. If the name of the strain starts with lacto or bifido, it is NOT an spore forming probiotic.
Spore forming strains are all start with the word Bacillus and are followed by the latin name of the family. Anything else is one of the fragile, non-spore strains.
*If a probiotic is so delicate it must be refrigerated at 50 degrees in order to survive to the day it is sold, how can it possibly successfully reproduce at 98.6 degrees in the human body?
There are some companies who claim that their conventional bacteria strains have some kind of coating which creates a delayed release.
Look on the label or marketing literature for any references to clinical testing proving that their strains not only survive digestion, but actively colonize the gut. If you don't see any… think twice.
2. Are all the strains safe, human-derived and gut commensal?
Don't be confused!
- Gut commensal spore bacteria can be found in soil in their inactive, spore shell, but they are NOT “soil-based organisms” (SBOs). They are of the gut commensal variety, meaning the gut is where they come alive and reproduce.
- Always ask for safety studies! Just because a strain is included in your probiotic doesn't necessarily mean it has been verified as safe. For example, there are some soil-based strains that have never been tested or characterized as safe for human consumption. If it doesn't naturally belong in your gut, do you want to consume it?
Characteristics of SBOs (or bacteria designed to live in the soil):
- Reproduce in the oxygen-rich earth, thereby making the soil fertile – and farmers happy!
- Consist mostly of non-spore bacteria. A few are spore-based, but they are not the gut commensal variety.
- Can be beneficial to the human gut microbiome, while some are harmful, but most do nothing at all. Ask for studies proving benefit in the human microbiome.
Also keep in mind that the phrase “soil-based organisms” is NOT a correct scientific term. It was coined years ago by a probiotic manufacturer when it began adding soil bacteria into their product. However, microbiologists and research scientists never use that description.
I prefer to use the more scientifically accurate phrase “gut commensal spore bacteria” when describing the spore-based bacteria that are natural to our gut.
And when describing the lacto/bifido, etc. strains commonly used in most conventional probiotics, I use the microbiologically accurate term “vegetative” meaning a bacteria that has no protective shell. Virtually all conventional strains are permanently vegetative because they lack the ability to develop a spore shell.
Please note: Once a gut commensal spore bacteria reaches the intestines, because it is now “home,” it de-sporulates and remains in its vegetative state until it finishes traveling the length of the intestines. When it senses it is returning to a “hostile” environment, this vegetative gut commensal spore bacteria then re-sporulates before being excreted back into the environment.
In a “perfect world” that would mean landing back into the soil from which it could hopefully, once again, catch a ride on a growing plant and be eaten by an animal… So the cycle starts once again!
Just Thrive is the first and currently only 100% gut commensal spore probiotic in the retail market.
3. Are the strains used “smart” and highly effective?
As I said, bacteria are extremely varied in terms of the jobs they perform in our body.
As a comparison, when an area has been destroyed by a natural disaster, highly trained personnel are always brought in first. Why? Because they have the ability to most effectively instruct the rest of the workers in how to fix the disaster.
Similarly, the strains in Just Thrive were carefully chosen as the most “intelligent” of the bacillus world.
All four strains use “quorum sensing” to discriminate between harmful versus beneficial strains for the host. They respond appropriately, selectively killing only the pathological microbes, while at the same time making nutrients to assist probiotic strains to regrow and thrive.
Unlike lacto and bifido strains, the four forms of bacillus in this probiotic perform like “smart” gardeners, cleaning and correcting the gut microbiome for up to 4 weeks by selectively pulling out unwanted weeds while simultaneously adding amendments to enhance the growth of desired plants.
This is why these particular strains create a disproportionately large impact on both diversity as well as total numbers of the intestinal population.
In fact, testing has shown that these four proprietary strains stimulate a 30% change for the better in the microbiome in just about two weeks with one cap daily.
Update: It's now been proven to work — it has been shown to reverse Leaky Gut at one cap daily in 30 days with no other changes in diet or lifestyle. Those results were peer reviewed and published August 2017: Oral spore-based probiotic supplementation. It involved 100 people. Half got the probiotic, half didn't. Everyone who got the probiotic improved, while very little to no change for those with the placebo.
(*For those suffering from depression, keep in mind that 90% of serotonin is produced by specific probiotic strains in the gut. Do you have enough of the right bacteria?)
4. How have these probiotic strains been researched, chosen and manufactured?
Very significantly, this antioxidant/probiotic has been shown in a double blind, placebo-controlled, third party human clinical trial to REVERSE LEAKY GUT using the proprietary strains found only in Just Thrive. See my article Can Leaky Gut Be Healed? Find Out HOW: Study Showed Reversal in 30 Days.
These results have been submitted to the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Pathophysiology for peer review and publication in Fall 2017.
In addition, there are six other ongoing human, clinical trials on Just Thrive's finished product:
- Thyroid conditions/Hashimoto's Disease (headed by internally thyroid expert, Dr. Izabella Wentz)
- HIV/AIDS gut enteropathy (disease) to be conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), see Leaky Gut Full of Holes?
- Liver failure
- Immunology
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome and
- Leaky gut (a longer, more comprehensive study than the first).
Click here to get the only probiotic and antioxidant I take now, or keep reading to learn more.
Can your probiotics manufacturer answer the following questions?
- If a spore bacteria, is this strain soil-based or gut commensal?
- Has 3rd party testing been done that demonstrates that the strains survive gastric passage?
- Were these strains grown separately or together in a single vat?
- Where is the supplier located?
- How much of each strain is in the product?
- Where did the strains originate from?
- Has DNA analysis been done on each strain to verify label claims?
- Has each strain been published with safety profiles?
- Does each strain have proven clinical benefit to humans?
- Are the strains verified, branded, registered and licensed?
- Can chain of custody as to the origin of each strain be shown?
- Are any clinical trials being conducted on the finished product?
5. Does this probiotic produce high levels of antioxidants?
We think of our best source of antioxidants as being from fruits and vegetables. But…
Could it be possible that most of what we absorb is actually coming from the correct strains of bacteria in our gut? (IF we have the correct strains…)
The four strains in Just Thrive produce a range of nutrients, detoxifiers and antioxidants, including:
- Quinols (as in CoQ10-Quinol, etc)
- Vitamin B Complex
- Vitamin K2 (read my article here about how I was able to rid my teeth of virtually all tartar by getting correctly diagnosed by a microbiome expert as being K2 deficient)
And that's not all!
Just Thrive's patent-pending Bacillus indicus HU36 is completely unique because it makes seven antioxidants in amounts as high as the Recommended Daily Amount (RDA) – so not just a dusting, but substantial, measurable levels.
Furthermore, these vitamins and antioxidants are produced exactly at the microvilli site of nutrient uptake, virtually guaranteeing high absorption rates.
Avoiding the body's destructive digestive acids is important to any kind of absorption because, no surprise, stomach and bile acids can negatively impact the nutrients in any supplement or food, not just probiotics.
Bacillus Indicus HU36 produces:
- CoQ10
- Alpha carotene
- Beta carotene
- Lycopene
- Lutein
- Astaxanthin
- Zeaxanthin
So, overall what's the best thing I can do?
My personal approach these days now is, on a daily basis, to take both this gut commensal spore bacillus probiotic as well as at least one serving of live, fermented foods. (Such as real, raw sauerkraut, dairy kefir, etc.)
The bacillus strains in this probiotic function like actual gardeners in my microbiome to:
- Pull weeds (kill the pathological strains) and
- Encourage the growth of new varieties (expand the diversity of beneficial strains) by providing nutrients specifically to the desirable plants.
Consuming fermented foods on top of a gut commensal spore probiotic is like giving compost to my gardeners. I figure I can't lose with that combination!
But, beyond fermented foods, what about purchasing lacto and bifido based probiotic pills?
Testing done in 2015 by researchers at the University of California questions the quality of many conventional probiotics, a concern I heard echoed by microbiologist, Elaine Hsiao, at the recent UCLA panel discussion she shared with Sandor Katz on May 11, 2016.
After testing 16 easily obtained probiotics from off the shelves at local retail stores, UC researchers were only able to find one whose label matched the contents: strains were missing, quantities were lower than labeled, or strains that were not on the label, were, in fact, in the product. See more on this at Quality Control of Probiotics Lacking, Nov, 2015.
In trying to decipher a probiotic label, frequently what you'll see is a “proprietary” cocktail mix of strains. The reason for this is that most combinations are grown by suppliers (often times overseas and/or in China) in a single vat into which all the strains are thrown together.
This mixing of strains can produce cross-contamination and new genetic strains that are untested for safety.
Each of the four strains in Just Thrive is produced in its own vat to prevent genetic cross-contamination.
Furthermore, gut commensal spore bacillus have a long record of safety having been prescribed by physicians for decades in Europe and Asia, largely for the inflammation and discomfort induced by antibiotics.
These spore-based bacillus can be taken at the same time as antibiotics because they survive exposure to the medication. They also encourage the regrowth of the permanent microbial gut residents which, post-medication, are low in numbers.
How do I take this kind of probiotic?
Best with food simply because the bacteria like to eat the food you eat, so taking it with a meal means the repopulation rate is higher. Took it on an empty stomach? No worries! They still survive and make it to the small intestines.
In fact, these strains survive temperatures up to 455 degrees! Not only do they travel well, but the cap can be opened and the powder added to any food or drink, hot or cold, frozen or even baked, and is tasteless, colorless and odorless.
What's die-off?
The bacillus strains in Just Thrive will immediately go to work in your intestines killing off pathological strains. The protein cell bodies of these dead microflora and the toxins they contain will need to be filtered out of your system by your detoxifying organs.
Depending on the numbers of pathological strains in your gut, your liver and kidneys may get temporarily overwhelmed. You may experience fatigue, gastrointestinal discomfort, headache or any kind of aggravation of your usual, chronic symptoms.
This is a great sign! It means Just Thrive is doing exactly what you want it to do, which is killing “the bad guys.” You just need to slow the process down to let your liver and kidneys catch up.
If that happens? (Of course consult with your natural-minded doctor, but also…) Drink lots of water and simply back off to one cap every second or third day, or try a half cap, whatever works. And as soon as you feel better, take it again!
The key is to stick with it, but at the pace your body determines. That will keep your health moving in a spiral upwards.
Who can take it? As always, consult with your doctor before taking any medication and/or supplements. However, this has been safely given to pregnant and nursing mothers, infants, toddlers and children, elders and those on medication.
Click here to get it.
(Use the code KOP for a discount.)
Read more on gut commensal spore bacteria and their effect on our microbiome and immune system:
- Here's a beautiful 6-min testimony: This Mom Will Make You Cry: How One Small Change Brought Help and Hope for Her Autistic Son!
- Could It Be This Simple? A Surprising Solution for Up to 64% of Women Who Can't Get Pregnant
- The Best Way to Protect Your Immune System – It's NOT What You Think!
- 15 Ways to Keep Your Child Healthy (That Your Doctor Never Told You)
- 2 Supplements I'd DEFINITELY Consider If I Got Cancer
- I'm Doing All the ‘Right Things'! Why Am I Not Losing Weight?
- What Causes Shingles and 2 Simple Solutions
featured pic, Smart Guy photo, Leakygut photo
Margaret Winn says
I love Just Thrive. I give it to my daughter, who has had multiple rounds of abx. It is the only thing that has truly made a difference for her.
Guest says
Hi Flo! How often you want to take Just Thrive Spore Probiotic is really up to you and what your body tells you. Some is always better than none. The thing to keep in mind is that we’re designed by Mama Nature to be consuming these Gut Commensal Spores on a daily basis from plants we eat. Both our digestive and immune systems are organized around having these Gut Cleaners present in our intestinal tract all the time. However, we can’t get them from food any more because we’ve so sterilized both our soil and food and ag systems, in combination with washing our food (our hunter-gatherer ancestors didn’t typically wash their plant food – they gathered and ate). The microbiologist has told me that once you feel you’ve gotten to peak immune and gut microbome health, then he wouldn’t recommend cutting back to less than 3 x per week.
Flo LaDuke Richards says
Thanks! I wonder where those spores came from before they were mostly eradicated?
Guest says
They hang out in soil, inactive in their protective spore shell, waiting to hitch a ride on a plant and be eaten by us. Then their spore shell protects them from stomach acid. Not all spore bacteria can survive stomach acid, but the Just Thrive strains are particularly hardy and this has been proven out in third party gastric survivability tests to make it 100% alive to the intestines where they remove the shell and begin cleaning up the gut from beginning to end.
Flo LaDuke Richards says
Thanks! I wish this still worked this way for more of us!
Joanie says
That’s why those of us who really care about health also become so involved in sustainable farming. It all goes back to the soil.
Flo LaDuke Richards says
I always hope that I can find something to ” jump start” my body and then it can maintain itself in that area. It sounds like that’s not the case here. Apparently some people do okay on their own and others don’t and for that second group they always need to supplement — right?
Peggy Lippold Gates says
I love Just Thrive. It has helped more than any other probiotic I’ve ever tried.
Joanie says
Me too Peggy! And I’ve been taking commercial probiotics since the 70s and making my own kombucha and fermented vegetables since 2009.
Christina Lee says
Homemade yogurt has 40-100x’s more good bugs than the store bought brand.
ckrisjohnson says
Joanie, if they can culture a certain organism from ingested yogurt after it has passed through the gut, as the above research indicates (by following careful procedures), meaning they are lving organisms, then its action is more than that of a metabolic response modifier. It is hard to believe that Mother Nature relies on only bacillus spores to populate the gut orally. I don’t think we know the whole story yet.
Joanie Blaxter says
Kris, we absolutely don’t know the whole story yet, but I’m not sure what you mean that a live bacteria in feces necessarily means that its action “is more than that of a metabolic response modifier” ?? Researchers know that the vegetative strains produced by either food fermentation or in a lab are altered by exposure to oxygen and this exposure makes them unable to bind to the gut wall and survive in the anaerobic intestinal environment. L. Rhamnosus is actually more effective at stopping diarrhea dead than alive. See published in 2009: Live and heat killed Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19390478. From that they surmise that bacteria contain a “chemical messenger,” most likely the result of the process of fermentation and that when the cell wall is burst through the application of heat, that chemical messenger is more easily delivered by these microbial passersby to the bacteria that live and remain in the gut.
Sandor Katz, in a May 2016 UCLA panel discussion with two other microbiologists, suggested that the benefit may be due to be a “genetic exchange” between the two kinds of bacteria.
ckrisjohnson says
As explained in the webinar I attended, “metabolic response modifiers” are the little particles of dead bacteria (protein fragments, etc.) that can have very specific transient effects modifying metabolic pathways, even though they died in the acid stomach. Living bacteria can have much wider effects.. My point is that if the specific microbe species in the yogurt shows up in the stool where it can be cultured (only living organisms can be cultured) when they were not found before the test, then those bacteria must have come from the yogurt and survived the stomach environment, suggesting that at least some beneficial microbes have figured out how to survive passing though the stomach. My understanding of the tests they used to show that bacteria are killed by the stomach acidity, were test tube tests, since testing what actually is happening in the GI tract is really difficult – so they could be missing something.
Joanie Blaxter says
Yes, absolutely, my understanding is that scientists know they’re missing something because they don’t fully understand the mechanism behind how these bacteria convey benefit, dead or alive – is it some nutrition within the cell that forms due to the fermentation process? is it an exchange of genetic material from bacteria to bacteria? protein fractions? Scientists just know that there is some benefit conferred by these non-spore strains and the kind of benefit seems to vary from strain to strain. They only know it’s NOT because the non-spore strains reproduce in the gut. They don’t do that and they don’t kill off pathological strains by taking over microbiological territory.
ckrisjohnson says
You are describing the biological response modifiers, that produce an effect even though they die in the stomach. Kiran talked about some of them in the webinar, such as this one https://www.bifantis.com/. I’m just saying that I suspect there are some microbes that have evolved to survive the trip through the stomach. Otherwise how do some of us seem to have healthy gut microbiomes in spite of bouts of antibiotic use in the past. A healthy microbiome is very diverse. It’s hard to believe they all migrate up from the rectum, or result mostly from innoculation at birth from the mother’s vagina.
Joanie Blaxter says
Yes, I agree, it is all rather mysterious to track why one person remains healthy when another doesn’t. What defines a biological response modifier, however, is not whether a bacteria is dead or alive, but the mechanism by which it gives benefit to the host. Biological/metabolic response modifiers do not live or reproduce in the gut while gut commensal spore bacillus do.
Joanie B says
@ Marty See my additional comments below, but just because live bacteria can be found in a stool doesn’t mean it has repopulated in the gut. In fact, researchers are now saying the “vegetative” strains in cultured food are simply microbial passersby that travel through
the entire digestive tract to be excreted in the bowel movement.
Joanie Blaxter says
The strains are human-derived and grown on organic acacia plant fiber.
Allison Campbell says
But where are they derived from, food?
Joanie Blaxter says
Ellen, not sure what you mean by “opportunistic” and “staying in your system?” Let me know if this addresses your concerns: The spore bacillus strains in Just Thrive live only in the gut and their life cycle is just 21-27 days. Our bodies are actually designed to get daily exposure to these spore bacteria through breathing them in fresh air and and eating food grown in clean, fertile soil, naturally loaded with these spores. Unfortunately, our food and agricultural systems are so sterilized now, neither is a good source any longer. Also, modern humans are constantly bombarded by invisible antimicrobials in our food, products, medications and environment that harm our microbiome (not to mention unnatural birthing processes – see this article to understand how important this is: https://kellythekitchenkop.com/protect-your-immune-system/). So commercial supplementation may be necessary to address those gaps. Furthermore, with ANY kind of commercial probiotic you consume, you’ll want to be sure the bacterial strains used have been well studied and characterized by scientists as safe. In addition, you want them to be licensed and registered so a chain of custody can be followed and proved. Those are both true of the 4 strains used in Just Thrive. Also, if a company uses soil-based spore bacillus in their probiotic formula, in other words, strains that are meant to live in the soil, not the gut – they may not have been well characterized as safe. And finally, when a supplier grows multiple strains of bacteria together in a single vat, those bacteria can grow together and exchange genetic information. This process creates entirely new genetic strains which are not only not listed on the label, but also, may not been studied by researchers and found to be safe.
Ellen O'Sullivan- Mazzone says
Thank you for sharing…I was wondering if anyone heard anything about the controversy of the live spores staying in your system and can potentially become opportunistic …and create problems …would greatly appreciate feedback on this theory
Joanie Blaxter says
@ Ellen – Specifically, in terms of the idea of a benign spore becoming rogue and creating problems – that would be like turning a cat into a dog – or saying that the lactobacilli strains in your yogurt could become toxic overnight. A benign strain, be they spore-based or vegetative (lacking the shell), cannot turn into an opportunistic infection. That was confirmed to me by a microbiologist.
Carol says
I make dairy kefir with my raw milk. Does anyone have any idea what strains are in raw milk kefir?
Joanie Blaxter says
Hi Carol! Isn’t kefir delicious!!!! You can see that all the strains contained in kefir here; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kefir. The probiotic strains in homemade kefir, similar to the ones in all lacto-fermented foods, are all from non-spore bacteria. You can tell because the name for spore-based probiotic bacteria always begin first with the word Bacillus, followed by the latin name of the strain. Anything else comes from the “metabolic response modifier” category I refer to above.
Holly Cramer says
I’m taking floragen3 and I’m wondering too if it’s worth it.
Holly Cramer says
I’d like to try a good one and see if I can tell the difference
Joanie Blaxter says
Holly, as I said, it’s not either-or, but more like and-and. To me, taking the spore bacillus strains in Just Thrive is like consuming actual live gardeners that travel to my intestines where they kill the weeds (the bad strains) while supporting the plants I do want (the probiotic strains). Taking other formulas is like adding compost to my garden soil. Getting both is a great combination.
Joanie Blaxter says
Which is why I continue to consume live, lacto-fermented foods daily.
Joanie Blaxter says
Yes, absolutely! It’s not an either-or situation, more like apples and oranges. Just because a commercial bacteria formula falls into the “metabolic response modifier” category doesn’t mean it doesn’t get specific results for specific problems. It simply means it creates a temporary immune stimulatory effect on its way through the body, unlike particular strains of spore bacillus which actually thrive in the gut and kill pathological strains while simultaneously supporting the growth of probiotic ones.
Joanie Blaxter says
@ Ellen O’Sullivan Just Thrive does not contain BComplex. It contains spore bacillus that naturally produce BComplex as a byproduct of their living process in the gut. And, yes, that would be the folate form, since folic acid, the form that causes problems, is the artificial form. Getting our BComplex this way – through the action of spore bacillus in the gut – is actually the way we are designed by evolution to be absorbing much of our BComplex needs.
Joanie Blaxter says
@ Marty This is Joanie Blaxter, the author of the post for Kelly, and while it’s true that, as the NIH article states, that a small percentage of live bacteria from yogurt can be found in bowel movements, that’s not the same thing as remaining in the gut and affecting the profile of the microbial population there. In fact, microbiologists are now saying that these bacteria are just microbial passersby that have a temporary immune stimulatory effect as they move through. But they lack the ability to bind to necessary intestinal receptor sites, so do not remain in the gut and repopulate.
Joanie Blaxter says
@ Elizabeth Jean All the information for that post was vetted by Kiran Krishnan, the microbiologist behind Just Thrive, and largely comes from this link: https://www.wholefoodsmagazine.com/multimedia/video/free-webinar-under-microscope . Rebel Health Tribe also has a whole series of podcast interviews with Krishnan which I highly recommend. You have to join, but it is free and well worth receiving their emails: https://rebelhealthtribe.com/microbiome-series/
Elizabeth Jean says
I didn’t find links to the research on Just Thrive – can anyone direct me to that information? It would, of course, be more credible if more than one product was suggested (and if the person promoting it didn’t stand to receive any benefit). I believe other probiotics with enteric coating do survive the trip to the small intestine.
Joanie Blaxter says
@ Elizabeth see my reply below 🙂
Cathy Lundmark says
Good info!!
Marty McWhirter says
Some do. Kefir, I understand, can be cultured intact from stool. And surprisingly, at least one yogurt bacteria: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1489325/
Emilee Baise Long says
Have you looked into prebiotics and the benefit to your gut?! Pretty amazing!!
Alex Clark says
This makes me laugh. So plant seeds don’t traverse the digestive tract for deposit away from the mother plant? Evolution baby, all of these reproductive pathways were developed. Not everything dies in HCL LMAO!
Joanie Blaxter says
Not quite sure what you mean,Alex. Not all metabolic response modifier bacteria die from stomach and bile acids, just most. And none of them adhere to intestinal receptor sites and remain in the gut to repopulate. Only the spore bacillus are able to do that because they are protected by their endospore shell.
Ellen O'Sullivan- Mazzone says
If I understood correctly..the article also stated that Thrive had B complex…is it Methyl B for those with MTHFR?…thanks for the info
Michelle Maier says
Kind of a silly thing to assume, as gastric emptying is actually an intricate process. Low-calorie liquid food is emptied the fastest, having the least gastric digestion, so drinkps like kombucha and kvass actually carry probiotics to the gut.
Great article, though.
Nora Leininger says
Graham .. More evolving info on probiotics!
Joanie Blaxter says
Hi Denise, this is Joanie Blaxter, the author of the article. Definitely keep taking your Bio-Kult! The strains in Bio-Kult compared to Just Thrive are like apples compared to oranges. Microbiologist researchers are now calling the strains you find in most “probiotics” (like Bio-Kult) “metabolic reponse modifiers,” because the lacto, bifido, etc strains used in these products are actually only microbial passersby that are NOT designed by nature to remain in the gut and repopulate. They simply provide a temporary immune response on their way out of the body. The strains in Just Thrive, as shown in a clinical study, DO survive to the small intestine and repopulate and therefore, are TRUE probiotics. I think of the strains used in products like Bio-Kult (or in fermented foods) to be like compost on garden soil, while the strains in Just Thrive are like actual gardeners that destroy weeds while supporting the good plants. For the best therapeutic results, use both!
Denise Sandlin Wilson says
Thank you for the response! For those of us on a limited budget (five kids at home and one wage earner so seven total) can we open this capsule and split it between kids? That’s what I do with the Biocult. Thanks!
Joanie Blaxter says
Absolutely! Cap is easily opened, the powder inside is tasteless and can be mixed into food or drink, hot or cold. Just Thrive can even be baked because the spore bacillus can be heated to 455 degrees and will still survive!
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
Denise Sandlin Wilson — you can definitely open it and sprinkle it on foods, there’s no taste!
Denise Sandlin Wilson says
Thanks Kelly the Kitchen Kop!
Denise Sandlin Wilson says
So should I stop taking my Biocult? I had always heard it was one of the best! I most definitely have die off symptoms when I take a whole capsule a day!
Laura Villanti says
Thrive looks like it has 4 of the 5 strains that MegaSpore has. It too is spore forming, as is Prescript Assist which has 29 strain types. I agree that rotating around strain types is great…even with spore forming strains.
Thanks for sharing your input on the benefits of spore forming probiotics. I have been using them and sharing them with others for 8+ years and clients have loved these spore forming probiotics.
Joanie Blaxter says
Hi Laura! Nice to meet another WAPF chapter leader! My response may get a little complicated, so I’ll separate topics one by one. 1. Yes, MegaSpore and Just Thrive are sister companies that grew out of research started by Dr. Simon Cutting from London University Royal Holloway and was continued for 10 more years by Kiran Krishnan. Just Thrive is what consumers can find at retail stores. MegaSpore is the professional line sold by practitioners that has one additional strain. 2. What’s different and unique to the strains used exclusively by MegaSpore and Just Thrive is that they are licensed from London University, as well as being verified, branded and registered (see question #4 in my article). This means only these strains are guaranteed to be 100% spore forming and, therefore, as shown in gastric survivability studies, to withstand the harsh conditions of the stomach, arrive 100% alive in the small intestines and repopulate the gut. 3. The bacillus indicus HU36 strain is patent-pending, meaning you won’t find that clinically studied antioxidant-producing strain on any other probiotic label anywhere. 4. When it comes to manufactured probiotics, having more strains in a formula does NOT necessarily equate to better. It depends on the manufacturing process. Having multiple strains grown in a single vat can lead to potentially dangerous genetic mutations, cross-contamination and lack of verification of potency. You’ll definitely want to look at what UC microbiologist researchers found: https://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Quality-control-of-probiotics-is-lacking-study-suggests. 5. These problems do not happen with Just Thrive or Megaspore. To prevent genetic cross-contamination, each strain is not only grown in its own vat, but also DNA characterized and certified from London University. What is listed on the label is, in fact, in the product. 6. A great way to safely increase your exposure to a diversity of spore bacillus is simply to eat food grown in microbially fertile soil and spend as much time as possible in natural surroundings, breathing fresh air and exposing yourself to “good” dirt. This is exactly how we are designed by mama nature.
Laura Villanti says
Thanks Joanie. Great details.
Annmarie Mastro says
We are not designed by “mama nature”. We are designed by God. Thank you. May God Bless you.
Lizabeth Joi Nash Matthews says
I just ordered it a couple days ago.
I will let you know what my experience in a few weeks. Thanks for the coupon code!
Sarah says
I just finished reading a very long article about our microbiota. A lot to think about and worth the long read. https://michaelpollan.com/articles-archive/some-of-my-best-friends-are-germs/
Joanie B says
Thank you Sarah, that was an amazing article!
Jessica Robinson Will says
Is there anyway to see the label on the bottle?
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
Sure, here you go @JessicaRobinsonWill
Jessica Robinson Will says
Ands it’s good for pregnant women too? I was taking Prescript assist and just finished!
Joanie B says
@ Jessica Not only is Just Thrive safe for pregnant moms, but it’s also very important for pregnant and nursing moms to be taking a high quality probiotic like Just Thrive, for their vaginal health. As always, please consult with your doctor before taking any medication and/or supplements.
Joanie B says
@ Jessica As you know, a baby’s immune system is inoculated by passing through mom’s vaginal canal. Dr. Tom Bayne makes sure that any female patient of his who wants to get pregnant, or who is already expecting, the first thing he does is “make sure I get them on a course of Just Thrive right away, so the vaginal health is on par with what it needs to be for a healthy birth.” For more information, go to 1:05:00 of this webinair: https://www.wholefoodsmagazine.com/multimedia/video/free-webinar-under-microscope.
Liz Ferguson says
Great post! We use all different brands of probiotics in our home and definitely feel they help – – but this information fascinated me and I may ordered 2 bottles. Thanks for the discount!
Joanie B says
Glad you liked my post, Liz! Hope it’s useful. Look for a post by Kelly on Just Thrive coming soon with more information.