Why Gut Health Is The Best Thing You Can Gift To A Loved One
Introduction
It’s the most romantic time of the year! (Yes, imagine us singing this to you). And we bet you’re stuck for gift ideas for the ones you love? Of course you are!
You’re not the type to go along with the crowd and buy fancy flowers, expensive chocolates, or a bottle of bubbly. No, you want something extra special. We know you, so that’s why we’ve got the best Valentine’s gift ever - we think so anyway!
Whether it’s for your valentine, galentine, palentine, or a self-care treat for yourself, Innate’s Daily Synbiotic is the perfect gift for your lover, friend, yourself, and their (your) gut.
Here’s why…
What is Innate Co.,’s Daily Synbiotic?
Let’s recap the basics, what actually is Innate Co.,’s Daily Synbiotic?
Well, we call it microscopic magic because that’s exactly what it is. Packed inside each tiny vegan-friendly capsule are:
- 9 carefully selected and scientifically backed, health promoting bacterial strains
- 1 sugar free prebiotic - the nutritious food the 9 cultures need to stay alive and thrive
- 100% of your required daily vitamin D intake
A synbiotic is a mix of live cultures, you may have heard them being called probiotics, and prebiotics which have been shown to have numerous health benefits [1]. The health benefits of taking a daily synbiotic go way beyond the gut, but they’re not a fix all approach.
Why are we telling you this? Because we believe that honesty really is the best policy. Taking a daily synbiotic will not leave your gut completely fixed or make you leap out of bed with joy each day, but in combination with a healthy lifestyle, we know you’ll feel the difference.
Live cultures are active microorganisms which are specially selected because they may have health benefits. They rarely colonise the gut but they can promote health by interacting with other microbes and human cells as they travel through the gastrointestinal tract (GI). All the while, the prebiotic helps to keep them nourished enabling them to thrive, multiply, and carry out their health missions. They’re like bacterial special agents!
What are the 6 benefits of taking the Daily Synbiotic?
Choosing a synbiotic isn’t easy and it’s a chore to read through lots of scientific jargon, but there are a few things to look out for:- natural ingredients
- no additives or added bulking agents
- are the ingredients scientifically backed?
At Innate Co., we believe in all of these and that’s why we’ve come up with, in our opinion, the best daily synbiotic on the market.
Thanks to the scientifically researched live cultures we have included in our Daily Synbiotic, there are 6 benefits to taking our product. It can help to:
- improve digestion
- boost immunity
- improve your mood
- increase nutrient absorption
- boost metabolism
- promote healthy, glowing skin
Let’s zoom in on these health benefits.
Better Digestion
The gut microbiome is a special ecosystem residing in your gastrointestinal tract. It’s biggest responsibility is to help you break down non-digestible substances, like dietary fibre because you’re body is just not equipped to do it.
Your gut microbes break down or ferment the fibre you eat and transform it into, well, magic. Or scientifically speaking, useful metabolites that the body is able to use, like short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) [2]. These metabolites include:
- Acetate
- Butyrate
- Propionate
These SCFAs can have a direct impact on the gut lining, and it’s this which has got scientists excited. That’s because the role these metabolites have in maintaining homeostasis, or balance, within the gut, means they are of therapeutic interest for chronic diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease [3].
Think of the gut lining as the security service between your digestive tract and the rest of your body. You don’t want the contents of your colon - things like undigested food particles, toxins and pathogens - entering your bloodstream and travelling around your body. And that’s where beneficial microbes come in, their production of microbial metabolites can help keep this barrier strong, so that only the good stuff like nutrients enter the bloodstream.
Small holes can appear in the gut lining just because of factors like a poor diet, also known as a leaky gut. Our Daily Synbiotic contains bacterial species like Bifidobacterium Breve which has been shown to strengthen the intestinal barrier against pathogens [4] and even protect the body from inflammation [5].
Boosted Immunity
The human gut and the immune system are important friends. They work in harmony together to promote health. In short, the immune system is the body’s defence system against pathogens, or harmful invaders that have a mission to make you ill.
But what’s that got to do with the gut?
A recent study has identified how the body’s immune system is linked to a balanced gut microbiome. They analysed a specific protein called P-glycoprotein (P-gp) which allows the gut to “talk to” the immune system through the intestinal wall.
This protein has been of some interest because it is able to pump chemotherapeutic drugs, the type used to treat cancer, out of cells, making it less effective. But this very action could be beneficial in the gut because it is able to pump out toxins and high levels of it are associated with a healthy colon. And there are two classes of molecules which may contribute to the production of P-gp, although scientists are not 100% sure how, they are SCFAs and secondary bile acids [6].
The live cultures included in our Daily Synbiotic which may influence digestive and immune health are:
- Bifidobacterium breve
- Bifidobacterium infantis
- Bifidobacterium lactis
- Bifidobacterium longum
- Lactobacillus acidophilus
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG
Better Mood
You may have heard the gut being described as your second brain, and that’s because it’s incredibly powerful, especially for your health. But your gut also communicates with your brain, participating in the regulation of a stable internal environment. This unique bi-directional communication pathway is called the gut-brain axis, and we think it’s super cool!
You can read more about the gut brain axis in our 3 part series, but right now, we’re going to focus on the link between the gut-brain axis and mental health. Unsurprisingly, we’re back to the importance of SCFAs again.
Remember how small holes can appear in the gut lining making it more permeable to toxins and pathogens, and these holes can be caused by a weakened barrier due to a lower abundance of health-promoting bacteria and SCFAs?
Well, if this happens, bacteria enter the bloodstream and release endotoxins which promote a pro-inflammatory response from the immune system and the release of cytokines. Cytokines are not good for your mood because they disrupt the production of mood boosting hormones like serotonin. A reduction in serotonin can result in low mood, depression symptoms, and fatigue.
That’s why a healthy, balanced gut microbiome is key because not only does it keep your intestinal barrier strong but also increases the production of SCFAs like butyrate. Our Daily Synbiotic contains Lactobacillus acidophilus, a species known to increase the production of butyrate and acetate in the gut [7].
Whatsmore, research shows that a 3-week probiotic treatment containing Bifidobacteria species can reduce anxiety and depression symptoms with patients reporting better overall mood [8].
Don’t forget we’ve included 4 Bifidobacteria species in our special formula!
Increased Nutrient Absorption
If you thought your digestive system did everything related to digestion, then we’ve got news for you. Yes, the beneficial gut bacteria that call your colon home, actually do a lot of the work for you.
That’s right, gut bacteria supply essential nutrients to the body, help to break down and digest cellulose, and synthesise vitamin K [9]. We’ve already touched upon the specific role gut microbes have on breaking down undigested dietary fibre into SCFAs and how these are extensively important, but let’s look at some of their other digestive functions.
There are certain vitamins that the body needs but is unable to make itself. These are called essential vitamins, and so they must be acquired through the diet or through biosynthesis by human gut microbes.
A well balanced gut ecosystem, rich in Bifidobacteria, Lactobacilli and E-coli species can help to produce many water soluble vitamins, including:
- Vitamin B9 (folic acid)
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
- Vitamin B7 (biotin)
- Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)
- Vitamin B3 (nicotinic acid)
- Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
- Vitamin B1 (thiamin) [10]
- wound healing
- bone health
- heart health [11]
Boosted Metabolism
There are two large groups of phyla that make up the human gut microbiome, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. The relationship between these two can be expressed as the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and is associated with numerous health conditions.
For example, some research has shown that an increased abundance of Firmicutes and a decreased abundance of Bacteroidetes has been associated with obesity. Research shows that Bifidobacteria species as well as Akkermansia muciniphila may promote a slimmer waistline [12].
Our Daily Synbiotic contains several Bifidobacteria species which can help to boost your metabolism. But Akkermansia muciniphila also helps to break down the mucins in your gut lining, turning them into SCFAs which helps Firmicutes to make butyrate - a process known as cross-feeding.
[FACT BOX]
Cross feeding - when specific bacteria produce short chain fatty acids that keep other microbes nourished.
Our Daily Synbiotic can help to boost your metabolism but eating a healthy diet rich in colourful fruit, veg, and wholegrains is just as important. These foods are high in fibre which your gut bugs love to snack on, plus they’re packed with polyphenols - potent antioxidants found in plants, so you can keep your gut environment diverse.
Healthy, Glowing Skin
You don’t need to spend your hard-earned cash on fancy skincare products to have healthy, glowing skin. You just need 3 things:
- A healthy, balanced diet
- Plenty of drinking water
- Innate Co’s., Daily Synbiotic
Simple!
Just like the brain, your skin also has a unique relationship with your gut, called the gut-skin axis. There’s growing evidence to suggest that an imbalanced gut microbiome can have an impact in some people with certain skin conditions [13].
But some live cultures have been shown to have a positive impact in preventing and even treating conditions, like:
- Acne
- Eczema
- UV-induced skin damage [14]
Our Daily Synbiotic formula contains the following live culture strains which have been scientifically shown to have a beneficial impact on skin health:
- Bifidobacterium infantis
- Lactobacillus acidophilus
- Lactobacillus salivarius
Summary
Who needs an excuse to treat themselves or their loved ones anyway, especially when you can give the gift of health (and love) in a tiny capsule?
Our Daily Synbiotic contains 9 live culture strains which may help to:- Improve digestion
- Boost immunity
- Improve your mood
- Increase nutrient absorption
- Boost metabolism
- Promote healthy, glowing skin
Good health starts from within and the human gut microbiome plays a pivotal role, slight changes to the balance can tip you from good health onto a spiralling cascade of negative symptoms and eventually chronic disease.
You can help to keep the balance in your gut happy for as little as £1* per day by taking our Daily Synbiotic. Remember though taking probiotics or synbiotics is not a cure all or a guarantee of good health. You also need to ensure you’re eating a well-balanced healthy diet, drinking plenty of water, getting lots of exercise, and reducing your stress levels to build a strong gut microbiome.
If you invest in your gut health, you’ll reap the rewards as you get older!
*based on a 12 month subscription.
Sources
[1] Role of the Microbiome in Intestinal Barrier Function and Immune Defense - ScienceDirect
[2] Valdes, A, M et al. Role of the gut microbiota in nutrition and health. BMJ 361. doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k2179 (2018)
[3] Deleu, S et al. Short chain fatty acids and its producing organisms: An overlooked therapy for IBD? The Lancet 66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103293 (2021)
[4] Sánchez, B et al. The effects of Bifidobacterium breve on immune mediators and proteome of HT29 cells monolayers. Biomed Research International. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/479140 (2015)
[5] Natividad, J,M, M et al. Differential induction of antimicrobial REGIII by the intestinal microbiota and Bifidobacterium breve NCC2950. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 79. doi: 10.1128/AEM.02470-13
[6] Foley, S, E et al. Gut microbiota regulation of P-glycoprotein in the intestinal epithelium in maintenance of homeostasis. Microbiome 9. (2021)
[7] Sivieri, K et al. Lactobacillus acidophilus CRL 1014 improved “gut health” in the SHIME reactor. BMC Gastroenterology 13. doi: 10.1186/1471-230X-13-100. (2013)
[8] Clapp, M et al. Gut microbiota’s effect on mental health: The gut-brain axis. Clin Pract 7. doi: 10.4081/cp.2017.987 (2017)
[9] Zhang, Y, J et al. Impacts of gut bacteria on human health and diseases. Int J Mol Sci 16. doi: 10.3390/ijms16047493 (2015)
[10] Knight, J et al. Gastrointestinal tract 6: the effects of gut microbiota on human health. Nursing Times [online] 115. (2019)
[11] Lai, Y et al. Role of vitamin K in intestinal health. Front. Immunol. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.791565 (2022)
[12] Voting, A and Blaut, M. The intestinal microbiota in metabolic disease. Nutrients 8. doi: 10.3390/nu8040202 (2016)
[13] De Pessemier, B et al. Gut-skin axis: current knowledge of the interrelationship between microbial dysbiosis and skin conditions. Microorganisms 9. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms9020353 (2021)
[14] Rahmati Roudsari, M et al. Health effects of probiotics on the skin. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 55. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2012.680078 (2015)
