Most people, use the wrong probiotics and end up making their digestive issues worse.
But if you give me 3 minutes i can save you time, money and actually show you how to use them 👇
As always, nothing in here should be used as a substitute for medical medical.
Now probiotic supplements have been very popular for quite some time and can be extremely helpful tools in recovering from digestive issues.
Yet there are a lot of misconceptions about them, so here are some things that will help you understand better and use them more effectively.
First and foremost, before we talk about anything else, keep in mind the following:
Supplements are not FDA-regulated as drugs, so always go for third-party tested products.
Then, in order for probiotics to work, they need to obviously survive the stomach acid in order to reach the gut so always see if the specific brand you want to use mentions something such as "enteric-coated capsules" in the label.
Now, probiotics are classified based on the following 3 things.
1. The genus 2. The species 3. The strain
So when you see the term "Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730", lactobacillus is the genus, reuteri is the species and ATCC 55730 is the strain.
The potency of probiotics is measured in CFUs, aka Colony-Forming Units.
You might also see the term AFUs being used that stands for Active Fluorescent Unit.
The main 3 genus of probiotics you will encounter in supplements are the following:
1. Lactobacillus genus
These species produce lactic acid and primarily colonize the small intestine.
The main species include:
-Lactobacillus acidophilus with strains such as NCFM, LA-14, CL1285, DDS-1 and UALa-01
These strains should be avoided with people who struggle with pathogen overgrowths and especially for people who have SIBO (why plenty of people who have SIBO can start having fruit without many issues after they start addressing it, but as soon as they eat yogurt for example, all hell breaks loose (especially if they go for some brands such as activia)) BUT they can have certain benefits in case you are not struggling with an overgrowth with the main one being helping antibiotic-associated diarrhea and supporting the immune system.
-Lactobacillus rhamnosus with strains such as GG (LGG), HRVD113-US, SD-GG-BE, LRH020
Now this one, is a great species that has all the benefits that probiotics are supposed to have but can also help with IBS way more than other probiotic genus, help us excrete mycotoxins better and has even shown to reduce atopic dermatitis.
*If you want to try one, the first one is the GG (LGG) strain.
- Lactobacillus plantarum with strains such as PS128, SD-LP1-IT, UALp-05, PPLP-217, SD-LPLDL-UK, TWK10.
This one is weird. It works great for histamine intolerance and supporting the brain but only if you have addressed the main things first.
By this i mean that if your histamine intolerance springs from gut dysbiosis and certain nutrient deficiencies for example, then adding plantarum won't do much by itself and you will feel that you've wasted your money.
But if you have addressed these, experienced improvements and are looking for an extra 20% improvement in symptoms, it can be a great addition.
(This is true for all supplement of course but not to this extent).
It's also an underrated tool for improving nutrient absorption.
-Lactobacillus casei with strains such as DN-114 001, HRVD300-US, UALc-03, Lbc80r, SD-CECT9104-SP
Now this has actually been shown to improve IBD, BUT, only if it's not paired with an overgrowth since strains such as DN-114 001 ferment sugars very efficiently.
It's also shown to reduce respiratory infections but not as effective as Lactobacillus paracasei (it's mainly advertised for allergic rhinitis symptoms after all).
-Lactobacillus reuteri with strains such as ATCC 55730, PBS072, RD830-FR, SD-LRE2-IT
This one is quite popular and for good reasons.
But MOST products have a ridiculous amount (we are talking about more than 50 billion CFUs) and even though it can reduce methane production in methane-dominant SIBO, improving constipation by producing antimicrobial compounds such as reuterin, these high doses can overwhelm the small intestine, increasing bacterial load.
This simple and underrated reasons is why so many people with SIBO praise this genus while others hate it.
Now of course it has plenty of benefits such as promoting mucus production, balancing lipids, reducing ulcer and even supporting androgens.
-Lactobacillus crispatus with strains such as SD-LCR01-IT
The main benefit for this is helping prevent bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections by maintaining vaginal pH.
-Lactobacillus fermentum with strains such as SD-LF8-IT
This will have some benefits for a niche issue but overall it's not worth it especially if you have any bacterial overgrwoth.
-Lactobacillus salivarius with strains such as SD-LS1-IT
This is quite interesting for reducing plaque and bacteria related to gum disease.
-Lactobacillus bulgaricus
Don't like it. It can help lactose intolerance but it's even that effective for it and it make pathogen overgrowths way worse.
2. Bifidobacterium genus
These produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate and primarily colonize the large intestine.
The main species include:
-Bifidobacterium lactis with strains such as HN019, Bi-07, Bi-04, BB-12, SD-BS5-IT, HRVD524-US, SD150-BE, SD-CECT8145-SP, SD-MB2409-IT
This can have benefits such as supporting the immune system, improving lactose intolerance and reducing constipation while being relatively safe for people who have moderate pathogen overgrowths (why it's some times promoted for patients with SIBO), but colostrum does all these and better.
So it's worth it in the case someone can't really afford colostrum in my opinion.
-Bifidobacterium longum with strains such as 1714, SD-BB536-JP, HRVD90b-US, SD-CECT7347-SP, ssp. longum, ssp. infantis
Now i like this one way more.
It's also safe for people with SIBO (not so much for candida though) and has been shown to modulate the gut brain axis, support both IBD and IBS, improve eczema, lactose intolerance (especially in infants) and even support the immune system.
-Bifidobacterium breve with strains such as SD-BR3-IT, HRVD521-US
The benefits and studies on these are too general (at least for my taste) but it's interesting for elderly people where it's shown to have the most benefits (avoid it if you have any severe overgrowth though).
-Bifidobacterium bifidum
This is the go to for people who have candida albicans overgrowths and don't react well to S. boulardii.
It's also shown to help people with IBS and support the immune system.
-Bifidobacterium infantis with strains such as SD-M63-JP, ISTILOS B. infantis
This is very interesting for infants who struggle with colic/ulcers and eczema (why it's often added in infant probiotic formulas).
-Bifidobacterium animalis with strains such as ssp. lactis BL050, BB-12
This is also primarily used for improving the digestion of children especially when it comes to constipation.
3. Saccharomyces genus (Yeast-Based Probiotic)
This is a yeast based probiotic that's very resistant to antibiotics which is why it's the go to probiotic during antibiotic treatments.
The classic one is S. boulardii with a wide range of benefits such as improving diarrhea that's caused by almost anything ranging from antibiotics all the way to traveler's diarrhea and also assists H. Pylori and candida eradication.
Now of course there are other genus such as:
-Bacillus genus (avoid if you have a very serious case of mold toxicity or MCAS and haven't addressed it yet).
These are spore-forming probiotics and include species such as:
-Bacillus coagulans with strains such as BC30, IS-2, MTCC 5856
This was at one time advertised as a miracle for muscle growth and metabolic health (i think Thorne still sells it) but in reality, the main benefits are in improving immunity especially in older people.
-Bacillus subtilis
This on the other hand, has shown some ability to inhibit pathogens, support the immune system and has a greater ability to survive the digestive tract compared to coagulans.
-Streptococcus thermophilus
This is rarely used in good supplements thankfully. I personally don't like it since ferments lactoce and sugars overall very effectively making it a bad idea for people with SIBO and candida overgrowths.
Plus, it's main benefit is mildly improving lactose intolerance.
P.S: If you have a pathogen overgrowth so bad that you can not use any probiotic and have tried everything, the common route (again, nothing here is medical advice) is using the antibiotics while also using prokinetics and THEN reintroducing the right probiotic/s once symptoms improve.
The common constipation that's a result of antibiotics has worse effects that most people realize since bacterial/yeast stasis can even harm the liver.
That was it for this short thread.
If you are wondering about colostrum, it's not a probiotic so that's why it wasn't mentioned here.
But since it can be a valuable tool, we have discussed it in the past and will do so again in the near future.
Do you want to know the real "secret" for getting healthier?
It's called optimizing your circadian rhythm.
Your CR controls the health of:
-Your hormones
-Your hair (not a joke)
-Your tendons (also not a joke)
-Your skin
-Your gut
-Your liver
-Your brain
-Your heart
and in general, everything.
So a dysregulated circadian rhythm leads to every biological process becoming dysregulated.
If you still don't believe that this is crucial to understand, shift work ALONE is a class 2A carcinogen (tap in the pics).
Let me repeat that because it's wild.
You can eat the perfect diet and workout all you want but if you work a night shift, you are exposed to a class 2A carcinogen.
Now let's proceed into discussing what the circadian rhythm is and how to optimize it.
So, circadian rhythms are 24-hour cycles that are part of the body’s internal clock, one example is the sleep-wake cycle, which are influenced and controlled by:
1. The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) / the central master clock (a bilateral structure located in the hypothalamus directly above the optic chiasm)
and
2. Peripheral clocks in organs such as the pancreas, liver, heart and even muscle tissues
Now, a misunderstanding might happen due to the examples that we just used, which is that circadian rhythms are only affected by environmental cues.
This is false.
They play indeed a GREAT part but the body makes and keeps its own circadian rhythms for lack of a better term.
Also: Not all biological clocks are circadian.
Now the main time cue for our central clock is light and for our peripheral clocks, food intake will also be a time cue.
This is why exposure to artificial blue light creates a mess sleep-wise since you are signaling to your master clock that you’re in the middle of the desert which results in it sending signals that generate alertness which will thus keep you awake at night.
This is also why the simple act of eating breakfast, helps people improve their transit time and insulin resistance.
Toxins are indeed one of the primary drivers behind a lot of people's health issues but most of the detox advice is false.
Here's what you need know presented as a 10-step plan.
Thread🧵
*Standard disclaimer that nothing in this thread should be used as a substitute for medical advice*
One of the worst (but very common) mistakes someone can do when entering his health journey is to underestimate the impact that toxins have on our health.
While topics such as nutrition are becoming more and more mainstream, topics such as detoxing are still considered almost conspiratorial and for valid reasons a lot of the time to be honest.
But certain toxins such as heavy metals for example have a bigger (and faster) negative impact on our health than dietary toxins and if you’ve struggled with them you know that this is true.
So it is an undeniable reality that we’re exposed to more toxins than we’ve ever been through our food, personal care products, household items, clothing and even the air we breathe, something which is hiding behind a lot of health issues such as:
-Premature gray hair
-Histamine intolerance
-Gut issues
-Fatigue
-Brain fog
-MCAS
-Increased susceptibility to pathogens/gut issues
-Alzheimer’s
-Parkinson’s
-Liver issues
-Respiratory Issues
-Cardiovascular issues
-Reproductive issues
-Kidney issues
-Skin issues
-Hormonal issues
-High blood pressure
-ED
and more.
And of course it is not hard to understand why this is the case.
For example: 1. Certain yeasts and fungi for example are known to "feed" on mercury as a protective measure (they absorb the mercury until it can be released in an organic form) and besides this, mercury antagonizes selenium which is crucial for hypochlorite.
2. Certain heavy metals such as cadmium can displace zinc which is crucial for our immune system, reproductive health, hormonal health and can also reduce PPARs and CYP4A11 and negatively affect our PNS and CNS.
3. Lead can negatively affect the bones since it's very similar to calcium and this is also how it partly negatively affects acetylcholine and the hypothalamus.
4. Other heavy metals have a high affinity for sulfhydryl groups and can inactivate COMT.
5. All heavy metals will increase the formation of ROS and almost all of them induce apoptosis in the neural cells.
6. Mercury can lead to anxiety since it inhibits glutamate re-uptake and lead can also lead to issues such as a anxiety.
7. Aluminum can lead to fatigue since it decreases the concertation of magnesium in various parts of our bodies and even the spinal cord
8. Heavy metals discussed here alter mitochondrial membrane permeability
9. Arsenic is known to harm oxidative phosphorylation, various mitochondrial enzymes, decrease things such as IL-10 while increasing IL-6-8-12 and TNF-a, it inhibits DNA repair by inhibiting PARP-1 and even cause skin issues by decreasing the expression of keratinocytes.
10. Heavy metals (let's take arsenic as an example) also harm our (males') reproductive system by impairing NF-kB and thus negatively affecting spermatogenesis.
11. All of toxins mentioned here will negatively affect the citric acid cycle.
12. Arsenic is well known to initiate the upturn of intracellular calcium and cause changes in synaptic transmission in general.
13. Other toxins such as thallium and the edema they produce in the cerebral hemispheres are known to negatively affect the brain for over 40 years now.
14. Mercury negatively affects the way oxygen is transported due to the effects that it has on hemoglobin.
15. The negative effects that xenobiotics like BPA have on the liver is a common reason for high levels of SHBG .
16. Atrazine is a known endocrine disruptor found in herbicides that turned male frogs into female frogs.
17. Acetamide is known to cause tumors in various animals for over 25 years.
Here's a guide for improving:
-Acne
-Psoriasis
-Eczema
-Rosacea
-Vitiligo
-Seborrheic dermatitis
that will finally make you understand the driving factors each one and the biggest levers you can pull to improve them.
Thread🧵
*Standard disclaimer that nothing in this thread should be used as a substitute for medical advice*
Now it’s quite common to think that the skin is this very simple and almost purely aesthetic part of the body when in reality it is quite fascinating and complex.
So let’s begin this thread with a basic anatomical model of the skin's layers, since i believe it will help you understand the issue you are facing better and more easily.
We have: 1. The epidermis (the outermost layer of the skin).
The epidermis is an avascular (lacking blood vessels) epithelium that serves as a protective barrier and varies in thickness depending on the part of the body (it’s thicker in your palms for example, compared to the eyelids).
The main epidermal cell types are:
-Keratinocytes (the majority), whose main roles are to produce keratin and undergo keratinization to replenish the upper layers (keratinization is a process where keratinocytes “mature”, then fill with keratin, lose organelles and die in order to form the stratum corneum).
Keratinocytes in the epidermis also convert 7-dehydrocholesterol to vitamin D3 upon UV exposure
-Melanocytes (5–10%) whose main role is to synthesize melanin in melanosomes to protect against UV damage.
-Langerhans cells (2–4%) that are antigen-presenting cells for immune defense.
-Merkel cells (<1%) that are sensory cells for touch detection.
It is also composed of the following sublayers:
-Stratum corneum.
This is made out of 15–30 layers of flattened, dead, anucleate keratinocytes (corneocytes) filled with keratin, embedded in a lipid matrix (ceramides, cholesterol) that acts as a waterproof barrier against mechanical abrasion, pathogens and so on.
-Stratum lucidum.
This is only found in parts such as your palm and soles, it’s made out of 2–3 layers of tightly packed keratinocytes with no nuclei or organelles, containing keratin precursor such as elidin that enhances barrier function in thick skin.
-Stratum granulosum.
This is made out of 3–5 layers of flattened keratinocytes with keratohyalin granules and lamellar bodies that are lipid-secreting organelles whose function is to initiate keratinization and release lipids to form the waterproof barrier.
-Stratum spinosum.
This is made out of 8–10 layers of polyhedral keratinocytes connected by desmosomes, giving a "spiny" appearance under a microscope that contains pre-keratin filaments and provides structural strength and flexibility.
-Stratum basale.
This one is a single layer of cuboidal/columnar cells anchored to the basement membrane via hemidesmosomes, whose function is a stem cell layer for keratinocyte regeneration.
Here's the most effective guide for improving the health of your brain🧠
It includes:
•A detailed anatomical breakdown of the brain and how it works
•How neuroplasticity works and how to optimize it
•The best tools you can use for brain health
•The key habits to implement for a healthy brain
•Neglected yet crucial factors for brain health (such as the massive impact that the gut and hormones have on the brain for example)
•A breakdown of neurotransmitter function
•The key nutrients for brain health
•How genetics can influence the brain
and more
Thread🧵
*Standard disclaimer that nothing in this thread should be used as a substitute for medical advice*
First and foremost, why are all these things worth knowing?
Because this 3-pound organ is more complex than any supercomputer and the command center of your entire body, fine-tuning everything from your thoughts and emotions to your movements and digestion every single moment.
Now in order to improve the function of the brain, we first need to understand its main parts and how they work together.
The brain has three primary regions: the brainstem, cerebrum and cerebellum.
Each one of these has unique structures and roles, so let’s analyze them.
1. The brainstem
Located at the base of the brain, the brainstem connects to the spinal cord and acts as the control center for essential functions like breathing, heart rate, and sleep-wake cycles.
It’s divided into three parts:
-Midbrain: This region houses the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area (VTA), critical for producing dopamine—a neurotransmitter that drives motivation and reward.
Dysfunction here can contribute to addiction or depression, as low dopamine levels impair active behaviors and increase avoidance tendencies.
-Pons: A relay station for cranial nerves, the pons influences facial movements, hearing, and balance.
It’s also linked to sleep regulation and damage from things such as traumatic brain injuries can cause issues like sleep paralysis.
-Medulla Oblongata: This controls vital functions like respiration and heart rate.
It contains pyramidal tracts, which facilitate voluntary movement by connecting the brain to the spinal cord.
The brainstem also includes the reticular activating system (RAS), which regulates sleep-wake cycles and the fight-or-flight response. Dysregulation of the RAS, often due to stress or injury, can contribute to conditions like PTSD or disrupted circadian rhythms.
Even though red light therapy can revolutionize treating conditions such as:
-Chronic fatigue
-Hair loss
-Hormonal issues
-CVD
-Vision loss
-Tinnitus
-Skin issues
and more.
There are A LOT of misconceptions surrounding it.
So here's a breakdown on red light therapy if you want to maximize its benefits, minimize the downsides and save yourself money (backed up by plenty of studies of course).
Thread🧵
*Standard disclaimer that nothing in this thread should be used as a substitute for medical advice*
Red Light Therapy (RLT) is a subpart of phototherapy.
Phototherapy basically is the use of light for therapeutic purposes and is based on the interaction of light with biological tissues.
Phototherapy relies on the ability of specific molecules (such as chromophores) to absorb photons and activate biological processes (photobiomodulation (PBM), mitochondrial stimulation, cellular regeneration etc).
To understand how light activates biological processes, we must first understand what light is.
Quantum mechanics describes light as a form of electromagnetic radiation that carries energy.
This energy is transported in "packets" called photons or quanta.
A quantum is the smallest unit of electromagnetic energy.
Furthermore, quantum mechanics tells us that light has a dual nature (Wave & Particle) and behaves:
1. As a wave: in phenomena such as diffraction, interference, and polarization. 2. As a particle (photon): in phenomena such as:
-Photoelectric effect
-Photon absorption by chromophores
-Photon emission (fluorescence, laser)
Most people try to improve their gut health the wrong way.
So if you are struggling with gut issues such as bloating, constipation, IBS,SIBO, SIFO and candida, here's the ultimate plan for improving them.
Master thread🧵
*Standard disclaimer that nothing in this thread should be used as a substitute for medical advice and that plenty of people will not have to apply all of these in order to experience improvements*
When it comes to our health, everything starts from and depends on the gut.
From low testosterone, histamine intolerance, depression, chronic fatigue, ED and skin problems, all the way to hair loss, optimizing ones gut health is a non-negotiable step in improving any health issue that he might want to.
Our gut is connected to every single one of the organs in the human body, so it's fair to say that everything is affected by a great part from it.
You know this to be true if you've ever struggled with a gut issue but in case you haven't and are skeptical about this claim, you can check out these 3 basic studies (one for the skin, one for the immune system and one for testosterone):