Spore-based probiotics are genuinely a new category of their own, and they have multiple applications in helping people solve their digestive and gut issues.
But what gives spore-based probiotics their name?
Spore-based bacteria are better thought of as spore-forming bacteria. Spores are dormant life forms that have the ability to germinate or seed bacteria.[1]
When the environmental conditions become harsh, the bacteria, in basic terms, turns itself into a spore tolerant to temperature extremes, acidity, ultraviolet radiation and the absence of water and nutrients.
Once the conditions become more favourable, the spores germinate into cells that thrive and reproduce.[2]
These species of bacteria, the Bacillus species, which we’ll focus on in this article, are often found in soil. You may have heard initially of them as soil-based probiotics, which is where I first started using them clinically.
The spores that the bacteria produce are “shelf-stable” and, somewhat more importantly, have a higher survival rate through the stomach and small intestine because of their resistance to heat and harsh environments.[3]
One study found that Bacillus species showed significantly better resistance to the acid in the stomach than certain Lactobacillus strains.[4]
This resistance to the stomach and small intestine solves a long-standing problem with taking probiotics orally.
Getting probiotics past the stomach and the small intestine has been a long-standing issue.
Imagine the two main characters in the Lord of the Rings films and their tumultuous journey to deliver the ring of power to the volcano.
They are continually challenged in different ways and must sometimes fight to survive on their journey.
Well, it’s easy to forget that your probiotics are alive too and to get to the large intestine and the colon, they have a similarly tumultuous journey. They encounter the acid in your stomach and bile salts in the small intestine, not to mention a variety of enzymes looking to break them down at every turn.[5]
A study from 2001 highlighted this. The study measured two Lactobacillus species, L.fermentum, L.plantarum, and Lactococcus fermentum and their transit in the digestive system. The results showed that only seven per cent of the oral doses survived the journey from the stomach to the small intestine.[6]
The administration of probiotics and the technology around this has improved dramatically now.
However, sometimes the unique ability of the spores to germinate and seed probiotic growth in the gut can make the difference in getting the balance back to the microbiome.
I started using spore-based probiotics around ten years ago. I must say the formula I used then (which is unfortunately no longer being produced) was highly influential, whereas other probiotics weren’t.
In this article, we will break down what separates them from other categories of probiotics and where the evidence shows they can benefit.
Let’s start with spore-based probiotics and leaky gut syndrome.
If you want to learn more about leaky gut or intestinal permeability, you can read about it in this article.
Over the last decade, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS),[7] inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative colitis,[8] chronic liver disease such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD),[9] not to mention obesity,[10] cardiovascular disease,[11] and depression[12] have all been associated to leaky gut.
That’s quite a list of diseases associated with leaky gut.
Before you jump out of your seat, the association seems to be where the science ends. There still do not seem to be trials connecting the correction of leaky gut and the resolution of the illnesses above.[13]
However, this doesn’t mean taking action won’t render results.
And clinically, I can say that managing elements of a leaky gut, such as attending to bacteria overgrowing in the gut and their effects, will help most of the above conditions.
Spore-based probiotics seem to play a role in decreasing toxic byproducts from bacteria that causes a leaky gut.
To better understand this, I must briefly define “dietary endotoxemia.” An easy way to think of dietary endotoxemia is the diet’s role in forming a leaky gut. Some papers refer to it as diet-induced metabolic endotoxemia. It occurs when certain dietary choices cause toxins from bacteria in the gut to squeeze through cracks in the gut lining and enter the bloodstream, causing inflammation.[14]
Dietary endotoxemia is a condition that affects one-third of people in western society. It could be one of the biggest drivers of systemic inflammation behind the development of various chronic diseases.[15]
It’s believed to be driven by highly processed, high fat and high calorie-based diets often seen in western cultures. After consuming these foods, it’s possible to see evidence of this process occurring through various markers in the blood.
Researchers studied how spore-based probiotics could influence dietary endotoxemia.
The study was a small one using only seventy-five subjects over thirty days. A well-known spore-based probiotic called Megaspore Biotic was used, and found the probiotic formula blunted the toxins from the bacteria, triglycerides and some other key inflammatory markers that characterise this condition.[16]
Not bad for thirty days!
I think there needs to be a few caveats before we get too excited. While it was the first human study to replicate the variety of positive animal ones, the company that made the formula still sponsored it. As we know from the pharmaceutical landscape, company-sponsored trials must be assessed with a little scepticism.
Unfortunately, the researchers could not run specific markers to see if reducing these dietary endotoxemia markers affected the leaky gut picture in the participants, something that would have been super interesting.
You might be asking, well, why did you even include it?
The one thing it shows is the potential of spore-based probiotics to treat a problematic condition quickly.
Imagine down the road being able to treat the often disastrous consequences of the highly processed western diet with probiotics.
This potential could have a significant ripple effect on how we can treat people with metabolic issues across the board and is extremely exciting.
But what about spore-based probiotics in specific digestive conditions such as IBS, constipation and diarrhoea?
One of the main Bacillus strains in most spore-based formulas is Bacillus coagulans. It is also one of the better-studied spore-based probiotics.
Presently, B.coagulans has positive studies in acute and antibiotic-related diarrhoea, constipation, colitis and IBS.[17]
For example, a randomised, placebo-controlled trial used B.coagulans to examine how it might affect those with IBS-D or diarrhoea-dominant irritable bowel syndrome over eight weeks.
The Bacillus coagulans group saw their daily bowel motions decrease significantly compared to the placebo group.[18]
Another study replicated the result with B.coagulans, where researchers looked at how it might help people with IBS.
In this trial, researchers used a questionnaire to assess B.coagulan’s effect on symptoms such as bloating, cramping, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, headache and anxiety.
Researchers used doses of six billion CFUs (colony-forming units) over eighty days and found benefits across all the above symptoms. These results show real promise for this new category of probiotics in improving the general quality of life for people trying to solve their IBS and gut issues.[19]
Both of these studies were small-scale based on the number of people involved. However, positively, these were studies in humans which always have a better chance of replicated in more significant numbers.
Bacillus clausii, yet another spore-based probiotic, may also help with digestive symptoms by reducing the growth of less desirable forms of bacteria.
Yep, among all the other potential benefits to the gut, B.clausii has been found to inhibit the growth ofSalmonella, E.coli, Shigella, and Listeria species in dairy products.[20]
This anti-microbial activity is cause for the excitement around spore-based probiotics’ ability to reshape the microbiome for the benefit of those with conditions like IBS.
What about some of the animal studies and the future of spore-based probiotics?
Another spore-based probiotic, Bacillus licheniformis, could reach the brain and influence our stress response and improve our mood.[21]
Researchers focused on B.licheniformis in one study and how it might affect different brain chemicals in rats. The results showed that B.licheniformis influenced vital neurotransmitters in the brain, such as serotonin, GABA, norepinephrine and cortisol. It also found that it calmed hyperactivity in the stress axis that can worsen anxiety, thus suggesting that this spore-based probiotic may once again show promise in bringing the gut and the brain together to improve mental health.[22]
I know, I know, it’s only a rat study.
However, this study shows the potential that spore-based probiotics carry outside of the benefits to the digestive system.
Spore-based probiotics really are a stand-alone category of their own.
I’ve very much admired Dr Michael Ruscio’s breakdown of the role that different categories of probiotics can play in helping people.
His theory highlights that using probiotics to help is nuanced, especially in a subjective and personalised condition such as IBS.
A one-probiotic formula for everyone isn’t necessarily how it plays out clinically.
This level of nuance is what I hope you have been able to see in this article. There’s evidence for “normal” probiotic species such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium to help with almost everything we’ve looked at in this article.
However, in a clinical setting, they don’t always help in the way they should.
Luckily, it seems that spore-based probiotics, such as the Bacillus species we’ve briefly looked at, provide a new gateway to help where others can’t.
Hope this helps xx
References
[1] Hong HA, Duc le H, Cutting SM. The use of bacterial spore formers as probiotics. FEMS Microbiol Rev. 2005;29(4):813-835. doi:10.1016/j.femsre.2004.12.001
[2] Ghelardi E, Abreu Y Abreu AT, Marzet CB, Álvarez Calatayud G, Perez M 3rd, Moschione Castro AP. Current Progress and Future Perspectives on the Use of Bacillus clausii. Microorganisms. 2022;10(6):1246. Published 2022 Jun 17. doi:10.3390/microorganisms10061246
[3] Cutting SM, Ricca E. Bacterial spore-formers: friends and foes. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2014;358(2):107-109. doi:10.1111/1574-6968.12572
[4] Majeed M, Majeed S, Arumugam S, Ali F, Beede K. Comparative evaluation for thermostability and gastrointestinal survival of probiotic Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2021;85(4):962-971. doi:10.1093/bbb/zbaa116
[5] Yao M, Xie J, Du H, McClements DJ, Xiao H, Li L. Progress in microencapsulation of probiotics: A review. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2020;19(2):857-874. doi:10.1111/1541-4337.12532
[6] Vesa T, Pochart P, Marteau P. Pharmacokinetics of Lactobacillus plantarum NCIMB 8826, Lactobacillus fermentum KLD, and Lactococcus lactis MG 1363 in the human gastrointestinal tract. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2000;14(6):823-828. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2036.2000.00763.x
[7] Park JH, Park DI, Kim HJ, et al. The Relationship between Small-Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth and Intestinal Permeability in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Gut Liver. 2009;3(3):174-179. doi:10.5009/gnl.2009.3.3.174
[8] Chang J, Leong RW, Wasinger VC, Ip M, Yang M, Phan TG. Impaired Intestinal Permeability Contributes to Ongoing Bowel Symptoms in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Mucosal Healing. Gastroenterology. 2017;153(3):723-731.e1. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2017.05.056
[9] Boursier J, Mueller O, Barret M, et al. The severity of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with gut dysbiosis and shift in the metabolic function of the gut microbiota. Hepatology. 2016;63(3):764-775. doi:10.1002/hep.28356
[10] Rastelli M, Knauf C, Cani PD. Gut Microbes and Health: A Focus on the Mechanisms Linking Microbes, Obesity, and Related Disorders. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2018;26(5):792-800. doi:10.1002/oby.22175
[11] Bäckhed F, Ding H, Wang T, et al. The gut microbiota as an environmental factor that regulates fat storage. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004;101(44):15718-15723. doi:10.1073/pnas.0407076101
More references!
[12] Iordache MM, Tocia C, Aschie M, et al. Intestinal Permeability and Depression in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. J Clin Med. 2022;11(17):5121. Published 2022 Aug 30. doi:10.3390/jcm11175121
[13] Camilleri M. Leaky gut: mechanisms, measurement and clinical implications in humans. Gut. 2019;68(8):1516-1526. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2019-318427
[14] Mohammad S, Thiemermann C. Role of Metabolic Endotoxemia in Systemic Inflammation and Potential Interventions. Front Immunol. 2021;11:594150. Published 2021 Jan 11. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2020.594150
[15] Sanz Y, Santacruz A, Gauffin P. Gut microbiota in obesity and metabolic disorders. Proc Nutr Soc. 2010;69(3):434-441. doi:10.1017/S0029665110001813
[16] McFarlin BK, Henning AL, Bowman EM, Gary MA, Carbajal KM. Oral spore-based probiotic supplementation was associated with reduced incidence of post-prandial dietary endotoxin, triglycerides, and disease risk biomarkers. World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol. 2017;8(3):117-126. doi:10.4291/wjgp.v8.i3.117
[17] Mu Y, Cong Y. Bacillus coagulans and its applications in medicine. Benef Microbes. 2019;10(6):679-688. doi:10.3920/BM2019.0016
[18] Dolin BJ. Effects of a proprietary Bacillus coagulans preparation on symptoms of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome. Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol. 2009;31(10):655-659. doi:10.1358/mf.2009.31.10.1441078
[19] Gupta AK, Maity C. Efficacy and safety of Bacillus coagulans LBSC in irritable bowel syndrome: A prospective, interventional, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study [CONSORT Compliant]. Medicine (Baltimore). 2021;100(3):e23641. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000023641
[20] Rochín-Medina JJ, Ramírez-Medina HK, Rangel-Peraza JG, Pineda-Hidalgo KV, Iribe-Arellano P. Use of whey as a culture medium for Bacillus clausii for the production of protein hydrolysates with antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. Food Sci Technol Int. 2018;24(1):35-42. doi:10.1177/1082013217724705
[21] Feng S, Meng C, Hao Z, Liu H. Bacillus licheniformis Reshapes the Gut Microbiota to Alleviate the Subhealth. Nutrients. 2022;14(8):1642. Published 2022 Apr 14. doi:10.3390/nu14081642
[22] Feng S, Meng C, Hao Z, Liu H. Bacillus licheniformis Reshapes the Gut Microbiota to Alleviate the Subhealth. Nutrients. 2022;14(8):1642. Published 2022 Apr 14. doi:10.3390/nu14081642
