Probiotics

by Dr. William Davis, author of Wheat Belly.

Bacillus Coagulans GBI-30,6086

B. coagulans is a spore-forming microbe that is typically taken in spore form, which then germinates in the GI tract 4-6 hours after ingestion. It is a vigorous producer of several bacteriocins. Most of the claims made about the benefits of spore-forming probiotics are due to the effects of this species. No toxic effects have been observed with ingestion of this microbe, even with doses as high as 95 billion CFUs.

Most commercial probiotics do not contain B. coagulans. This is important because substantial benefits have been documented with only a few strains, but mostly the GBI-30,6086 and the 5856 strains.

Adding Bacillus coagulans (unspecified strain) after conventional antibiotic therapy for SIBO led to marked increase in H2-breath negativity, 93.3% with B. coagulans vs. 66.7% without: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4311312/

B. coagulans GBI-30, 6086 2 billion CFUs per day for 4 weeks increased populations of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Clostridium lituseburense, and Bacillus spp. In vitro addition of prebiotic fibers resulted in greater production of acetate, proprionate, and beta-hydroxybutyrate. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1075996414001231?via%3Dihub

B. coagulans GBI-30, 6086 2 billion CFUs per day for 4 weeks was associated with reduced gastrointestinal distress and gas vs. placebo in people with unexplained postprandial intestinal gas. https://bmcgastroenterol.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/1471-230X-9-85

B. coagulans GBI-30, 6086 1 billion CFUs per day for 4 weeks increased populations of Faecalobacterium prausnitzii and increased the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/145/7/1446/4589930

Another strain of B. coagulans, the MTCC 5856 strain, has also been shown to reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and associated symptoms of depression. Notably, supplementation with this strain, 2 billion CFUs per day, continued to provide progressive benefits up to 90 days of supplementation when the study ended: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6034030/

The bacteriocin profile of the GBI-30, 6086 strain has not been characterized, but other strains have demonstrated antibacterial effects against E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6025323/