A lot is happening in the world, and as a result our lifestyle has undergone significant shifts:

• “Constant” stress is felt by more than twice as many Canadians during the pandemic as before, which can often lead to digestive distress.
• We’re not eating as healthfully as we did before the pandemic.
• We’re more sedentary.

With all this in mind, Genuine Health was inspired to create two new probiotics to support you during this time.

Why probiotics? Our gut microbiome houses up to 80%(!) of our immune system. A healthy microbiome is essential to our health across every stage of life. Having a robust and diverse microbial ecosystem is absolutely critical to our immune defense. Our microbes communicate tirelessly, both among themselves as well as with immune cells—making sure that our frontline defenders are able to effectively identify, target, and neutralize potential threats.

For Immune System Support: NEW advanced gut health probiotic DEFENSE

We were inspired to create the ultimate immune support probiotic. First, we wanted to make sure that it was multi-strain, as multi-strain formulas have been clinically proven to be significantly more effective than their single strain counterparts. We wanted to build a probiotic that mimics this natural diversity, setting the stage for the inter-species synergies to work their magic!

Next, we wanted to make sure this formula was balanced. Balance is a key principle to keep in mind when looking to support your gut! Like any ecosystem, balance allows for each unique species to co-exist. From a formulation perspective, this means creating a product that is not top loaded with one or two species. By creating a product that is optimized for both diversity and balance we can take full advantage of a thriving and diverse microbial ecosystem.

Finally, we wanted to create a product that was anchored by clinically researched strains that are specifically proven to promote a highly functioning immune system. advanced gut health probiotic DEFENSE is the first Genuine Health probiotic to include two of the most exciting immune-support probiotic strains on the market: Lactobacillus Plantarum HEAL9 and Lactobacillus Paracasei 8700:2. In combination (and at the exact dosages included in DEFENSE) these strains were able to significantly reduce the incidence of common colds by up to 54%. Not only that, if a participant did get sick, they were found to shave an average 2 days off the duration of illness.

Coupling this research with the powerful diversity and balance found across the entire advanced gut health probiotic lineup produces a product strongly suited for maximal immune support.

For Digestive Stress Support: NEW advanced gut health probiotic HIGH POTENCY

When our microbiome is out of sorts so is our immune system, often characterized by a lack of microbial diversity and an increase in harmful inflammation. This can often act as a distraction for our immune system, lowering its ability to handle incoming threats effectively.

Luckily, we are not without solutions! Largely through their action at the gut, probiotics have been shown to help reduce key markers of inflammation at the gut, as well as alleviate common symptoms of a distressed gut such as abdominal pain, gas, and bloating!

advanced gut health probiotic HIGH POTENCY is our highest CFU count probiotic to date! We wanted to create a probiotic with optimal restorative potential, directly formulated to help support the health of our microbiome during periods of heightened stress and disruption.

Building off a diverse and balanced base of 15 unique strains, we went on to probiotic species that have been specifically shown to support microbiome recovery. These included lactobacillus casei and lactobacillus gasseri to help restore healthy gut function and reduce gastrointestinal discomfort [3,4]. Next, we increased the amount of lactobacillus plantarum, which has been shown to help reduce symptoms gut discomfort, particularly during treatment with antibiotics [5,6].

Our immune system needs support more than ever, and it is through the microbiome that we have the best chance of doing so. We are excited to introduce two new powerful allies in advanced gut health probiotic DEFENSE & HIGH POTENCY, proving some much-needed stability during a time of change and disruption. Working to build up our immune system is a small but significant step we can take to regain some control over our health and wellbeing.

References:
1. Berggren et al. (2011) Randomised, double-blind and placebo-controlled study using new probiotic lactobacilli for strengthening the body immune defence against viral infections. Eur J Nutr. 50(3):203-210.
2. Busch et al. (2013) Randomized, double.blind and placebo controlled study using a combination of two probiotic lactobacilli to alleviate symptoms and frequency of common cold. Food and Nutrition Sciences 4:13-20.
3. Takada et al (2016). Probiotic Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota relieves stress-associated symptoms by modulating the gut-brain interaction in human and animal models. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 28(7): 1027-36.
4. Nishida et al (2019). Health benefits of Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 tablets in young adults exposede to chronic stress: a randomized, double blind placebo controlled trial. Nutrients. 11(8): 1859.
5. Mujagic et al (2017). The effects of Lactobacillus plantarum on small intestinal barrier function and muscosal gene transcription; a randomized, double blind placebo-controlled study. Scientific reports. 7(40128).
6. E. Lönnermark, V. Friman, G. Lappas, T. Sandberg, A. Berggren, I. AdlerberthIntake of Lactobacillus plantarum reduces certain gastrointestinal symptoms during treatment with antibiotics

About the Author: Michael Loreto, M.Sc.

Michael received both his Bachelor and Master’s of Science at the University of Guelph studying Human Health and Nutrition, with a specific focus on the health benefits of dietary fibre. He now works on product innovations as part of the New Product Development team at Genuine Health.