There’s a reason the phrase ‘gut check’ has been around for so long. Connected to our brain, skin, heart, and even bones, the gut plays a vital role in everything from daily maintenance to living healthier, longer lives.
And with great power, comes great probiotics.
However, there may be too many probiotics. In such a saturated market, we wanted to find out what truly makes a great probiotic.
In an effort to cut the crap, we sat down with Seed’s experts to learn more about their DS-01® Daily Synbiotic and how it’s setting a new standard in the industry. Here’s what they had to say about everything pre-, post-, and synbiotic:
Why is gut health so important to overall wellness?
While the human body is complex and interconnected, the gastrointestinal system sits at the core of it all, influencing everything from gut immunity and micronutrient synthesis to cardiovascular and dermatological health. Like a bustling metropolis, the body is home to distinct neighborhoods and communities, all connected by a network of highways, roads, and subways that enable communication across the entire system. These lines of transportation represent different axes in your body, including the gut-brain, gut-lung, gut-skin, gut-immune, gut-heart, gut-liver, and even the gut-bone axis.
What are synbiotics and are they more effective than taking a probiotic or prebiotic alone?
Scientifically speaking, probiotics are live microorganisms (often bacteria) that have been studied in specific amounts to carry out specific actions for the host. Probiotics are most commonly associated with gut and digestive health, however, specific strains have been studied to deliver benefits beyond digestion.
Prebiotics, by definition, are not microorganisms, but are rather compounds used by microbes to benefit the host. In the simplest terms, prebiotics are “food” that feed and encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria.
The term synbiotic refers to the combination of both probiotics and prebiotics – hence the name for our flagship innovation, DS-01®. DS-01® is a complementary synbiotic, which means the prebiotic is utilized by the microbes that already reside in your gut, giving you the convenience of a probiotic and prebiotic in one.
How long should you take them? Are there short-term and long-term benefits?
As everyone’s body is different, the benefits you may “feel” – ease of bloating, more regular bowel movements – are often just the most visceral ones. Many people feel results in as little as 24-48 hours due to localized benefits like digestive health support. Other longer-term benefits like cardiovascular health and gut immune function may take longer, or you may not notice anything at all. That’s completely normal. As long as you continue your daily intake, those beneficial microbes are doing their work inside you to program, sustain, and enhance your health.
What should you consider when looking for a probiotic?
It’s important to first understand not all products marketed as “probiotics” are actually probiotics. The FDA classifies probiotics as a “dietary supplement” (a regulated, yet very under-enforced, category), which means the industry can take advantage of gut mania by slapping a “probiotic” label on pretty much anything. When choosing a probiotic, there are a handful of key things to look for:
- Meets the scientific definition. One of the biggest misconceptions about probiotics is that they can be obtained from fermented foods and beverages like yogurt, kombucha, and kimchi. While it’s certainly possible for some to meet the scientific criteria for a “probiotic,” most fall short.
- Research-derived dosage. Don’t be fooled by products just because they have many strains or high CFU counts (with labels in the billions!). More bacteria doesn’t always mean more effective.
- Strain-level specificity. For any probiotic product, it’s essential to look at what strains (not just species) are present in the product. When it comes to probiotics, benefits are clinically assessed at the strain level.
- Scientific evidence behind the claimed benefits. It’s important to know that what you’re taking has been studied for both efficacy and safety in the intended population.
- The product should guarantee survivability and stability throughout manufacturing, distribution, and digestion.
Why is it important to have various strains of bacteria?
Probiotics are a science. Specific strains are studied for specific outcomes, and scientists assess the benefits of probiotic organisms at strain and dosage levels. For example, certain strains have been studied to impact antibiotic-associated diarrhea, whereas others have been studied to support bowel movement frequency and ease of pooping. Others have benefits for dermatological, cardiovascular, or respiratory health.
DS-01® is among the first to take a “microbe-systems approach” with strain-specific benefits beyond the gut—the 24 probiotic strains included in its formulation have been clinically assessed for their impact across digestive health, skin health, heart health, gut immune function, gut barrier integrity, and micronutrient synthesis.
How much scientific research and testing went into making DS-01®?
DS-01® was developed in collaboration with our Scientific Board, including Scientific Board Member Dr. Gregor Reid — a pioneer in microbial sciences with over 3 decades of research who chaired the United Nations – World Health Organization panel that first authored the global definition of the term “probiotics,” and served as President of the International Society of Prebiotics and Probiotics.
Formulated with 24 select probiotic strains, the strains in DS-01® have been clinically studied in 16 strain-specific, published human studies, as well as 13 in vitro/ex vivo mechanistic studies.
Will DS-01® survive through digestion (and make it to the colon)?
Bacteria are fragile – they are sensitive to light, temperature, and moisture. To ensure the delivery of live bacteria to the colon, we developed a 2-in-1 capsule delivery technology system we call ViaCap®, which nests an inner probiotic capsule inside an outer prebiotic capsule. This system provides exceptional stability and bacterial viability – results from our heat and humidity testing indicate remarkable heat and humidity tolerance, specifically in the presence of 10 days of continuous exposure to 100°F heat.
DS-01® was also evaluated in a Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME®)—the closest system developed to model human digestion and the gut. Our ViaCap® delivered an average of 100% of our probiotic starting dose, indicating viability through a simulated stomach, and through the end of the small intestine for complete delivery to the colon.
Why is clinical testing so important to Seed?
Probiotics (in the U.S.) are not required to undergo clinical testing. We believe in the value of clinical testing to assure the safety and efficacy of our probiotic products. We also engineer novel delivery technologies to ensure our probiotics’ viability, survivability, and efficacy. And perhaps most distinct is our human clinical research. We partner with leading academic research institutions and notable Primary Investigators to validate our rationally-designed probiotic formulations through double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials. Our clinical research allows us to not only identify new endpoints and benefits but also contribute advancements to the fields of microbiome and probiotic science.
Seed’s team of experts, scientists, and researchers developed DS-01® to be the most effective synbiotic on the market. Hearing from them regarding science, research, clinical testing, survivability, and results only solidifies our highest recommendation.
For anyone looking for a product that provides benefits far beyond the gut, DS-01® is the perfect solution.