A Proprietary Multistrain Probiotic Supplement Increased Health-Promoting Gut Bacteria in Healthy Adults

Single-strain and multistrain probiotics can be beneficial for specific clinical applications.^1,2 Potential advantages of multistrain probiotic supplements are a broader spectrum of health benefits (compared to intake of a single probiotic strain) and synergistic effects of the individual probiotic strains.²

Clinical trial results on a new, high colony-forming units (CFU) count combination of 8 strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium probiotics were recently published in Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal.³ The study evaluated the short-term impact of consumption of one capsule per day using standard blood panels and a health questionnaire as well as stool tests. This novel combination included the following probiotic strains:

Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM®

Lactobacillus paracasei Lpc-37

Lactobacillus plantarum Lp-115

Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG

Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis Bi-07®

Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis HN019

Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis Bl-04

The main finding of the research was that the probiotic combination was well-tolerated by the study participants. More interestingly, after analyzing the stool samples of the study volunteers, the researchers found that taking the probiotic combination for 10 days was associated with increases in beneficial gut bacteria.

The gut bacteria that increased after taking the probiotic were Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Akkermansia muciniphila, bacteria that are considered potential “keystone species” due to their potential roles in supporting the organization and diversity of the gut ecosystem.^4–6 F. prausnitzii and A. muciniphila have also been described as “bioindicators of health” because low levels of these species are associated with many conditions.^7,8

Low levels of F. prausnitzii have been demonstrated in patients with the following conditions:

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)⁹
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)—including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis^8,10
• Celiac disease in children¹¹
• Colorectal cancer¹²
• Type 2 diabetes¹³
• Hypertension¹⁴
• Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)¹⁵
• Bipolar disorder¹⁶
• Allergic disease in children¹⁷

Low levels of A. mucinphila have been described in patients with the following conditions:

• Obesity^18,19
• Type 2 diabetes^18,19
• Allergic disease in children¹⁷

Supporting intestinal levels of F. prausnitzii and/or A. mucinphila has been proposed as a novel option to prevent or treat many of the above conditions due to the key roles these microbes have in gut and systemic health.^4,8,20,21 

Why is this clinically relevant?

• This study demonstrated that intake of the 8-strain probiotic combination by healthy individuals was associated with increases in F. prausnitzii and A. muciniphila, potential keystone species that are associated with health
• Despite great interest in administering F. prausnitzii and A. muciniphila as probiotics, there are technical issues limiting their availability as probiotics²²
• Supporting F. prausnitzii and/or A. muciniphila levels in the gut has been proposed as novel options for preventing and treating highly prevalent inflammatory and metabolic conditions

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Citations

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3. Ryan JJ et al. Short-term tolerability, safety, and gut microbial composition responses to a multi-strain probiotic supplement: an open-label study in healthy adults. Integr Med. 2020;20(1).
4. Miquel S, et al. Anti-nociceptive effect of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in non-inflammatory IBS-like models. Sci Rep. 2016;6:1-8.
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