Skip to content.
Gut Health

Your Probiotic is Missing a Key Ingredient

Your Probiotic is Missing a Key Ingredient

 If​ ​you’re​ ​eating​ ​probiotic-boosted​ ​yogurt​ ​or​ ​taking​ ​a​ ​daily​ ​probiotic,​ ​but​ ​you’re​ ​still​ ​tired,​ ​bloated, and​ ​experiencing​ ​the​ ​spectrum​ ​of​ ​digestive​ ​issues,​ ​don’t​ ​be​ ​disheartened.​ ​It’s​ ​not​ ​you,​ ​it’s​ ​that your​ ​probiotic​ ​is​ ​missing​ ​a​ ​key​ ​ingredient:​ ​good​ ​fungi.​ ​Good​ ​bacteria​ ​—​ ​what​ ​a​ ​traditional probiotic​ ​contains​ ​—​ ​is​ ​essential,​ ​but​ ​it​ ​can’t​ ​right​ ​your​ ​digestive​ ​health​ ​on​ ​its​ ​own;​ ​it’s​ ​only​ ​half of​ ​the​ ​equation.

Mahmoud​ ​Ghannoum,​ ​Ph.D.,​ ​the​ ​scientist​ ​who​ ​coined​ ​the​ ​term​ ​mycobiome,​ ​has​ ​spent​ ​his​ ​40 year​ ​career​ ​researching​ ​how​ ​fungi​ ​affects​ ​the​ ​body​ ​—​ ​​ ​including​ ​the​ ​digestive​ ​system.​ ​“Up​ ​until now,​ ​good​ ​bacteria​ ​has​ ​been​ ​the​ ​focus,”​ ​he​ ​says.​ ​“The​ ​critical​ ​role​ ​fungi​ ​play​ ​in​ ​our​ ​health​ ​and wellness​ ​has​ ​largely​ ​been​ ​ignored.”​ Largely​ ​due​ ​to​ ​his​ ​research,​ ​that’s​ ​starting​ ​to​ ​change.​ ​“We have​ ​to​ ​study​ ​fungi,​ ​because​ ​when​ ​you​ ​disrupt​ ​this​ ​balance​ ​you​ ​are​ ​causing​ ​other​ ​problems,”​ ​he says.

In​ ​terms​ ​of​ ​digestive​ ​health,​ ​a​ ​deficit​ ​of​ ​good​ ​fungi​ ​can​ ​cause​ ​issues​ ​like​ ​bloating,​ ​cramping, gas,​ ​and​ ​other​ ​gastrointestinal​ ​issues.​ ​When​ ​fungi​ ​in​ ​the​ ​gut​ ​are​ ​off​ ​balance,​ ​says​ ​Dr. Ghannoum,​ ​“It​ ​can​ ​actually​ ​slow​ ​down​ ​the​ ​time​ ​it​ ​takes​ ​for​ ​food​ ​to​ ​move​ ​through​ ​your​ ​system, which​ ​disturbs​ ​your​ ​gut’s​ ​ability​ ​to​ ​absorb​ ​and​ ​process​ ​nutrients.”​ ​Meanwhile,​ ​the​ ​presence​ ​of good​ ​fungi​ ​improves​ ​nutrient​ ​absorption​ ​—​ ​which​ ​allows​ ​you​ ​to​ ​actually​ ​derive​ ​the​ ​full​ ​benefit you​ ​assume​ ​you’re​ ​getting​ ​from​ ​the​ ​foods​ ​you​ ​eat.

BIOHM gut quiz

In​ ​the​ ​case​ ​of​ ​good​ ​fungi,​ ​it’s​ ​not​ ​possible​ ​to​ ​have​ ​too​ ​much​ ​of​ ​a​ ​good​ ​thing.​ ​Your​ ​body​ ​is constantly,​ ​naturally​ ​recalibrating​ ​—​ ​and​ ​more​ ​good​ ​fungi​ ​can​ ​only​ ​help​ ​improve​ ​system function.​ ​In​ ​part,​ ​because​ ​there’s​ ​another​ ​factor​ ​here:​ ​digestive​ ​plaque.

The​ ​product​ ​of​ ​bad​ ​bacteria​ ​and​ ​bad​ ​fungi,​ ​digestive​ ​plaque​ ​lines​ ​your​ ​gut​ ​and​ ​functions​ ​as​ ​a protective​ ​barrier​ ​for​ ​those​ ​bad​ ​microbes.​ ​And​ ​it’s​ ​something​ ​that​ ​no​ ​amount​ ​of​ ​good​ ​bacteria can​ ​eliminate​ ​on​ ​its​ ​own,​ ​but​ ​rather​ ​requires​ ​good​ ​fungi​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​good​ ​bacteria,​ ​plus​ ​an enzyme​ ​capable​ ​of​ ​breaking​ ​down​ ​plaque.​ ​

Finding​ ​no​ ​probiotics​ ​on​ ​the​ ​market​ ​that​ ​could address​​ those​​ issues,​​ Dr.​​Ghannoum​​ created B​​IOHM​,​​ a ​​suite​​ of​​ probiotics​​ specifically engineered​ ​to​ ​address​ ​the​ ​gut’s​ ​total​ ​microbiome​ ​of​ ​bacteria​ ​and​ ​fungi.​ ​Based​ ​on​ ​a​ ​decade​ ​of his​​ research ​​studying​​ the​​ DNA ​​of ​​the ​​microbiome, ​​he ​​also​​ created​​ a suite of microbiome tests, including the​ B​​IOHM​​ Gut​​ Test​​ Kit​​​— the​ ​most​ ​comprehensive​ ​gut​ ​analysis​ ​that’s​ ​ever​ ​been​ ​available​ ​to​ ​consumers.

So what can you do to optimize your total microbiome?

In addition to supplements like BIOHM, it's critical to eat​ ​prebiotic​ ​and​ ​probiotic​ ​foods​ ​that​ ​facilitate​ ​the​ ​growth​ ​of​ ​good​ ​microbes​ ​(e.g.​ ​fermented foods,​ ​garlic,​ ​avocados,​ ​peas,​ ​whole​ ​grain​ ​breads​ ​and​ ​unpasteurized​ ​soft​ ​cheeses)​ ​and​ ​finding ways​ ​to​ ​manage​ ​stress​ ​can​ ​help​ ​balance​ ​the​ ​fungi​ ​in​ ​your​ ​gut,​ ​says​ ​Dr.​ ​Ghannoum.​ ​

So​ ​grab that​ ​green​ ​smoothie,​ ​opt​ ​for​ ​the​ ​grilled​ ​salmon,​ ​and​ ​feel​ ​even​ ​better​ ​about​ ​that​ ​avocado​ ​toast. But​ ​if​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​you’re​ ​actually​ ​absorbing​ ​the​ ​nutrients​ ​from​ ​healthy​ ​food​ ​choices, don’t​ ​forget​ ​about​ ​the​ ​fungi​ ​in​ ​your​ ​gut.

Related Articles

  • Role of the Gut-Brain Axis and Your Health

    The gut plays an essential role in maintaining your good health by influencing the behavior of several body systems. The gut is vital for the daily regulation of key functions...

  • How Does the Mediterranean Diet Affect Your Gut Microbiome?

    The Mediterranean diet is based around the traditional foods eaten by Mediterranean peoples, like the Italians and Greeks, in the 1960s.  This diet places a priority on consuming mostly plant-based...

  • All You Need to Know About Beneficial Fungi for a Healthy Gut

    For decades, the role beneficial fungi has been underestimated and largely unrecognized for the critical role it plays in keeping our gut healthy. Like the thousands of microorganisms living in...