Prebiotic Plus

Research Library

Prebiotic Plus

This scientific research is for informational use only. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. Care/of provides this information as a service. This information should not be read to recommend or endorse any specific products.

Prebiotics are sources of food for probiotics present in the digestive tract. Probiotics play a role in supporting both digestive and immune health. The prebiotic in the Care/of Prebiotic Plus formula, PreforPro, is derived from a bacteriophage blend, containing H01- Myoviridae, LL5- Siphoviridae, T4D- Myoviridae, and LL12- Myoviridae. Bacteriophages are small bundles of DNA or RNA wrapped in a protein shell that are commonly found in sources like seawater, soil, humans, and fermented foods. Bacteriophages support the growth of normal gut microbiota and are known to be safe as they already inhabit humans.

PreforPro has been clinically shown to support the effectiveness of probiotics, increasing the growth of beneficial species including Lactococcus, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Bacillus subtilis. By balancing bacterial flora, our prebiotic targets symptoms of occasional digestive upset, such as discomfort, indigestion, and bloating. These good gut bacteria also support the intestinal lining’s barrier, which helps maintain a healthy digestive, immune, and urinary tract system. In addition, PreforPro has demonstrated benefits with immune health and urinary tract health, both areas of the body that benefit from a balanced microbiome.

Helps with bloating; Supports immune health

In a double-blind (DB), placebo-controlled (PC) trial, 32 healthy adults consumed either one 15 mg capsule of PreforPro or placebo daily, for 28 days. At the end of the study, those taking PreforPro had significantly fewer problematic flora relative to the placebo, including one mapping to Clostridium perfringens, an undesirable flora. This microbe was reduced by as much as 75% by ingestion of PreforPro. Two other markers representing Eubacterium species, species known to be beneficial to metabolic health, were increased 4-5 fold after PreforPro consumption, compared to the placebo. Interleukin-4, a biomarker of inflammation, was also significantly reduced from baseline after PreforPro consumption.

Another DB, PC trial of similar size and duration demonstrated a positive change in a liver biomarker, aspartate aminotransferase, with prebiotic consumption. The results of both of these studies demonstrate the benefits PreforPro can have on balancing the microbiome in the digestive system, thereby supporting a reduction in occasional digestive symptoms and supporting a better balanced immune response.

References

  1. PHAGE Study: Effects of Supplemental Bacteriophage Intake on Inflammation and Gut Microbiota in Healthy Adults

    Febvre HP, Rao S, Gindin M, Goodwin NDM, Finer E, Vivanco JS, Lu S, Manter DK, Wallace TC, Weir TL., Nutrients, 11(3):666., 2019

  2. Bacteriophage for Gastrointestinal Health (PHAGE) Study: Evaluating the Safety and Tolerability of Supplemental Bacteriophage Consumption.

    Melinda Gindin, Hallie P. Febvre, Sangeeta Rao, Taylor C. Wallace & Tiffany L. Weir., Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 38(1):68-75. , 2019

Boosts probiotics

In a 4-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 66 healthy adult participants consumed either placebo, Bifidobacterium lactis BL04, or Bifidobacterium lactis BL04 + PreforPro. Gastrointestinal health questionnaire scores exhibited a significant positive effect in gastrointestinal symptoms with the B. lactis BL04 + PreforPro group, including stool consistency. There was a trending improvement in colon comfort as well. The PreforPro + B. lactis group exhibited the greatest percentage (24%) of subjects with overall improvements to their GI health. Lachnobacterium and Lactobacillus species increased with both B. lactis groups. A larger increase in Lactobacillus was observed in the B. lactis BL04 + PreforPro group compared to BL04 alone. Other increases in beneficial microbial taxa were observed in the PreforPro group, as well as decreases in non-beneficial species including Citrobacter and Desulfovibrio.

References

  1. PHAGE-2 Study: Supplemental Bacteriophages Extend Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BL04 Benefits on Gut Health and Microbiota in Healthy Adults.

    Grubb DS, Wrigley SD, Freedman KE, Wei Y, Vazquez AR, Trotter RE, Wallace TC, Johnson SA, Weir TL., Nutrients; 12(8):2474. , 2020

Supports urinary tract health

In the 28-day double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial with 32 subjects, gut microbiota levels were analyzed. After prebiotic consumption, E. coli levels were significantly reduced. The same was not observed with the placebo group. On average, the number of E.coli reads were reduced ~ 40% with the prebiotic bacteriophage blend vs ~ 14% with placebo. Since E. coli located in the bowel and stool act as a reservoir for urinary tract imbalances, a reduction of this species in the gut has been shown to have a beneficial effect on urinary tract health, in general.

References

  1. PHAGE Study: Effects of Supplemental Bacteriophage Intake on Inflammation and Gut Microbiota in Healthy Adults.

    Febvre HP, Rao S, Gindin M, Goodwin NDM, Finer E, Vivanco JS, Lu S, Manter DK, Wallace TC, Weir TL., Nutrients; 11(3):666, 2019