The Science of Synbiotics and The Human Microbiome

Your health and wellbeing not only relies on your own cells but also the trillions of microbes, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses that live on and, inside our bodies: known as the Microbiome.

We are incredible and diverse ecosystems  and our own body cells and the microbiome must work in harmony together to protect us from pathogens, and to support and guide our immune system, and help us digest our food to produce energy.

This vibrant and dynamic relationship  started at birth and has been evolving every day since. 

How do synbiotics work?

Synbiotics are a mixture of live microorganisms and substrates selectively utilized by host microorganisms, that confer a health benefit on the host.

What is a Synbiotic

Microbiome Composition – The Foundation for Health & Wellness

Your health and wellbeing not only relies on your own cells but also the trillions of microbes, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses that live on and, inside our bodies: known as the Microbiome.

Microbiome

The assemblage of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa etc) that inhabit the human body, their genomes (genetic profile) and metabolites (chemicals microorganisms produce and parts of their cell walls that dislodge), as well as the environment (affected by your food, drink, thoughts, activity, social, air, home etc) in which they live. Also referred to as the “Microbiota.”

Microorganisms

Organisms that are part of the microbiome and can be isolated from all areas in constant contact with the external environment (e.g., the skin, upper respiratory tract, or urogenital tract). However, they are most abundant in the gastrointestinal tract.

Establishment and benefit of the Microbiome

Our body provides a nutrient-rich environment for the microorganisms that form our microbiome. In return we receive numerous benefits. These benefits include, but not limited to:

stimulation of the immune system (70-80% of our immune cells are in our gut)

improved digestion and absorption of food

protection and reduced growth of harmful pathogenic microbes

a stable emotional state

supply of fatty acids, amino acids, essential vitamins, and nutrients

maintenance of the integrity of our intestinal barrier, vital for immunity.

Our initial microbiota is provided from our mother’s microbiome at birth. A mature microbiome is developed over the first 3 to 4 years of life and continues to be modified or influenced by what we eat, our physical activity and  social interactions, and the physical environments we inhabit. Your microbiome reflects you.

Dysbiosis – an unhealthy microbiome leads to poor health

Dysbiosis is an unhealthy imbalance of the intestinal microbiome. Poor dietary and lifestyle choices, stress, and toxic physical environments all adversely affect the microbiome and lead to issues such as:

Decrease in total number of beneficial microorganisms

Decrease in diversity of the beneficial microorganisms

Increase in pathogenic and parasitic microorganisms

Reduction in immune, digestion, organ, reproductive and brain function

impaired ability to digest and assimilate food

maintenance of the integrity of our intestinal barrier, vital for immunity

Dysbiosis can lead to the development of allergies, autoimmune diseases (e.g., inflammatory bowel disease, type 1 diabetes, among others), cancer, psychiatric disorders, and multiple other health issues.

A healthy Microbiome positively impacts your whole body – not just your gut health

The healthy interaction of your microbiome and gastrointestinal tract benefits your whole body through the systemic distribution of an incredible variety of vital substances and cells produced in the intestine. This systemic interaction  is called the gut-organ axis: Three examples are the gut-brain, gut-skin, gut-lung axis.

To remain healthy, it is imperative that you support a healthy diverse microbiome. Changes in diet, lifestyle, environment, and stress reduction can all positively modify your microbiome and overall health.

Microbiome research now clearly shows that there are three powerful microbiome enhancing tools we can use to positively change our microbiome.

Bio-az specialises in the biotechnology and innovative manufacturing of microbiome synbiotic enhancing ingredients.

Prebiotics

Probiotics

Postbiotics

The synergistic relationship of prebiotics and probiotics is vital for health.

How does synbiotics work?

Weeds: Bio-az synbiotics challenge indigenous pathogens and non-beneficial microbes in the microbiome.

Seeds: Bio-az synbiotics improve the survival of probiotics in transit in the upper GIT and the implantation of probiotics and indigenous beneficial microbes in the microbiome.

Feeds: Bio-az synbiotics nourish the gut microbiome with the nutrients and metabolites necessary for a healthy microbiota.

Synbiotics

Synbiotics are the synergistic combination of probiotics with supportive prebiotics and postbiotics as formulations that have a definitive positive affect your health.

Synbiotics are the synergistic combination of probiotics with supportive prebiotics and postbiotics as formulations that have a definitive positive affect your health.

Synbiotics are so-called because of their “synergistic” effects: the probiotic and prebiotic/postbiotic components work together to positively affect the microbiome.

Synbiotics can be a highly effective way of supporting overall health. Not only do the prebiotics they contain feed the probiotic bacteria in the supplement, they also feed the populations of indigenous natural friendly bacteria that inhabit our gut.

There are vast differences in the bacterial composition of the gut microbiome from one person to another, with each person having their own unique gut microbiome pattern constantly fluctuating over a lifetime. Encouraging the growth of our own unique friendly bacteria population is appealing as increased diversity of the bacteria in our gut is associated with better health.

Combining a variety of different Prebiotics to selectively stimulate growth of our own supportive microorganisms as well as the Probiotic in the Synbiotic, in addition, Postbiotics can modulate our own physiology and biochemistry, as well as our gut ecology, to preferentially support health functions. This is a new and rapidly emerging area of nutritional supplement innovation.

Prebiotics

Prebiotics are nutritive substrates selectively used by the microorganisms in your microbiome as food to produce the building blocks that deliver beneficial effects to your health.

Prebiotics are nutritive substrates selectively used by the microorganisms in your microbiome as food to produce the building blocks that deliver beneficial effects to your health.

Prebiotics are plant derived, long chain complex carbohydrates that our bodies cannot digest, but our friendly microbiome love. Prebiotics are essentially the food or nutrition for our microbiome.

Just like we prefer different foods, each microorganism prefers different prebiotics. For example, Bifidobacterium thrive in lactose carbohydrate environment while Lactobacilli like both dairy and non-dairy carbohydrate environment.

The longest chain carbohydrates (greater than 13 carbon atoms per chain) are often referred to as fibre. We have all heard that fibre is good for our health and now you know why.

Fibre and other shorter chain carbohydrates (called oligosaccharides or resistant starches) preferentially feed the microbiome by preferentially stimulating the growth and activity of select bacteria that are great for our health and wellbeing.

There are many substances that fit the definition of prebiotic. Here are the most-well researched prebiotics  discovered to date:

  • Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) found in Jerusalem artichoke, asparagus, chicory root, inulin, garlic, and onions.
  • Galactooligosaccharides (GOS) found in beans, legumes, and dairy.
  • Acacia fibre from Acacia gum tree;
  • Glucomannan from Konjac root;
  • Lactulose found in dairy;
  • Partially hydrolysed guar gum found in guar bean;
  • Polydextrose; and
  • Xylooligosaccharides found in oats.

Prebiotics have also been shown to help with calcium absorption, protection of the gut wall, reduced allergies, enhanced immunity, healthier sugar metabolism and improvement in many other illnesses and diseases.

Bio-az's  focus is on the highest quality prebiotics with a diversity of carbohydrate chain length and format that  are important for optimal health impact.

Probioitcs

Probiotics are living microorganisms that, when introduced at adequate amounts, form part of your microbiome, and positively affect your health.

Probiotics are living microorganisms that, when introduced at adequate amounts, form part of your microbiome, and positively affect your health.

Probiotics are living organisms that have positive effects on our health and wellbeing and are naturally found in the soil, on fruits and vegetables, and in fermented foods and drinks we have been consuming for thousands of years (such as yoghurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, natto).

A frequent misunderstanding is that all probiotics are the same. The type of health benefits provided to us by probiotics depends on the genus, species, and strain of the microorganism. 

Gaining a variety of the specific strains we know are beneficial for our wellbeing, is the key to a healthy microbiome.

Many probiotic products mention CFU (Colony Forming Units) or the number of viable bacteria in the product (sometimes named as “live cultures”), this is only one piece of information necessary for understanding the efficacy of a probiotic product.

Delivering live Probiotics to the right area in your gut is vital

Different strains of microorganism have varying abilities to survive modern manufacturing processes, packaging, transport and storage environments, the harsh environment of your stomach acids and bile, and still arrive alive and functional in your gastrointestinal tract, to deliver you the promised health benefits.

Spore-forming probiotics can survive these conditions far better than vegetative probiotic strains.

Vegetative Cells

  • Very fragile
  • Vulnerable to stomach acids and bile
    salts
  • Susceptible to most harsh manufacturing
    processes
  • Poor shelf-life
  • Generally, require refrigeration

Spore-forming Cells

  • Naturally protective outer layer makes
    them highly stable
  • Can survive most manufacturing
    processes
  • Survive stomach acids
  • Long shelf life (>2 years)
  • No refrigeration

Postbiotics

Postbiotics are the metabolic secretions of microorganisms and the remnants of deceased microorganisms in the microbiome that positively affect your health.

Postbiotics are the metabolic secretions of microorganisms and the remnants of deceased microorganisms in the microbiome that positively affect your health.

Postbiotics include short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), microbial fractions, functional proteins, organic acids, and extracellular polysaccharides (EPS). There are numerous studies showing positive interaction between postbiotics and human health including immunomodulatory, anti-infection, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer properties.

Postbiotics play a vital role in the maturation of the immune system, affect intestinal barrier tightness and the intestinal ecosystem, and indirectly shape the structure of the microbiota. For example , Lactobacillus strains have been found to inhibit harmful pathogens. Postbiotic butyrate’s have also been found to enhance our gut barrier by forming a strong fence and in turn strengthen our immune system.