A Double Randomized Clinical Trial on Using Spore Probiotics (Megaspore) for Leaky Gut, Inflammation, and Metabolism
Spore probiotics boast tremendous benefits for gut and metabolic health.
Spores are different than other probiotics such as Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria.
The spore strains used in Megasporebiotic live in the soil.
We maintain spore diversity by interacting with dirt in our environment.
Since most of us in the Western world do not live with dirt floors, nor are many of us eating dirt-covered food off the ground – as a result, many of us are deficient in these keystone microbes.
But what evidence exists that these soil-dwelling Bacillus spores truly do confer a benefit to the host?
A landmark paper published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology looked at the effects of spore probiotics, specifically the combination found in Megasporebiotic, in the functional improvement of leaky gut and metabolic markers.
Researchers at the University of North Texas screened 75 men and women for evidence of leaky gut, or “metabolic endotoxemia” as it is referred to by academics.
See How to Stop Your Gut from Leaking Toxins into Your Blood for a more targeted discussion on metabolic endotoxemia
The gut should work like a tightly controlled filter, only allowing properly digested material in, and keeping toxins and pathogens away.
When “leaky”, the gut starts to allow these toxins, pathogens, and poorly digested proteins into the bloodstream.
When you eat an inflammatory meal – say a fast food breakfast, or a bowl of ice cream – the state of leakiness of the gut will drastically increase over the hours following the meal or binge snack.
During this time bacterial toxins, allergenic food proteins and more, are freely able to pass into the bloodstream – where they must be dealt with by the immune system.
If you experience chronic digestive issues, mental fog, body aches, joint pain, skin rashes, poor blood sugar regulation, adult acne, or more – these are some signs of your body trying to detoxify these toxins.
The researchers in this study measured levels of endotoxins from the gut that had leaked (wrongly absorbed) in the blood. These same toxins are triggers of inflammatory changes seen in many metabolic and autoimmune disease.
Once the researchers identified individuals with high baseline endotoxins to a challenge meal – they separated them into blinded, randomized, controlled treatment groups.
One group received a rice flour placebo pill, and the other group received Megasporebiotic for a study duration of 30 days.
Results of the Megaspore Leaky Gut Study
After taking Megasporebiotic or the placebo for 30 days, the researchers initiated another challenge meal and measured follow-up blood markers.
The Megasporebiotic group demonstrated a dramatic 42% decrease in endotoxin levels, while the group receiving the placebo saw a significant 36% increase in endotoxins levels over the 30 days in response to triggering meals.
The findings of the clinical trial reveal that Megaspore supplementation led to an astonishing 78% net improvement in endotoxin levels for the treatment group when compared to placebo after 30 days of supplementation.
The benefits of supplementation did not stop there…
- The Megaspore group also saw a significant 24% decrease in triglyceride levels – suggesting that metabolic efficiency had improved over the 30 days of treatment.
- Recipients of the spore probiotics also saw reduced levels of inflammatory interleukins
- The treatment group also reported better levels of ghrelin – a hormone involved in hunger and satiety.
Spore Probiotics and the Greater Microbiome
The microbiome is a living protective layer of the gut that contains trillions of microbes.
A healthy microbiome is known to extract energy out of food more efficiently – an unhealthy microbiome extracts too much energy and the excess can cause inflammation or be turned into fat tissue.
A healthy microbiome will also help process food material more completely – turning phytochemicals like polyphenols into smaller components that work with the body to regulate the immune system, mucosal barrier, and serve as fuel for other microbes. I use PhytoFlora which contains the same polyphenol extract as Megamucosa in capsule form
In this way, the system is self-sustaining – as long as the healthy bacteria levels stay diverse and populated. Since spore exposure is largely unavailable in modern diets and lifestyles – supplementation is the next best choice.
In 30 days, participants receiving megasporebiotic saw significant improvements in markers of leaky gut – as well as in inflammation and metabolic efficiency. As the study used young college kids as participants, the results may have been more dramatic for older populations.
It’s just one of the many reasons why Megasporebiotic is our most popular probiotic – and why Megaspore is the hub of our probiotic strategy – and we spoke off that hub with Bifidobacteria, Saccharomyces, and Lactobacilli probiotics.
The makers of Megasporebiotic, Microbiome Labs, have suggested a Total Gut Restoration program in using Megasporebiotic along with other products to help heal the gut.
The company continues to offer more support options for healing the gut leaking, gut mucosa, and reestablishing & maintaining microbial diversity./
Related Pages:
- Taking Probiotics – All articles on supporting the diversity of friendly gut microbes.
- Megasporebiotic Resource Page – Everything you want to know about bacillus spore probiotics…
- The Megasporebiotic Triglyceride Study – Megaspore has been clinically shown to support triglyceride levels at 6 and 12 weeks (expanding on the 24% seen in 30 days with the Leaky Gut study above!).
- The Megasporebiotic and MegaPrebiotic Microbiome Diversity Study – Synbiotic effects of taking spore probiotics and precision oligosaccharide prebiotics.
- Megasporebiotic is also now available in a bulk 180 capsule bottle (3-month supply)
