I was compensated by BC30 through Kitchen PLAY for this article.
Today we're going to talk about gut health and its importance in leading a healthy and active lifestyle. And I'm going to introduce you to an easy and effective way to support your gut health daily, without having to change up your routine.
Too often we don't pay that much attention to our health until our bodies force us to. That is, we don't appreciate being healthy until we're not.
This is why it can be easy to forget the simple steps we can take every day to support our immune system and keep us on the right track.
But what if I told you there was an easy way to incorporate gut-healthy cultures into your diet every day without having a take a pill, or add another step into your already busy morning routine...
Enter BC30™. A fantastic aid in your journey to gut health. And the best part is that incorporating BC30 cultures into your daily life is as simple as enjoying a healthy snack or drink.
More on that later, first let's talk about the importance of gut health & why you should be thinking about incorporating cultures into your routine.
Let's Talk About Gut Health
The subject of gut health has recently become a hot topic and with good reason. Studies have shown that gut health can impact everything from mental and emotional health to digestion, and even our immune systems. It is so important in our overall well-being that it has been dubbed our second brain.
Our second brain is also known as the Enteric Nervous System (ENS) – enteric meaning ‘to do with intestines’ – which is an extensive network of brain-like neurons and neurotransmitters wrapped in and around our gut. This second brain is made up of 50-100 million nerve cells – that’s more nerve cells than in your spinal cord!
Our gut and brain are connected and they speak to each other. They not only communicate through our nervous system but also hormones and our immune system. The two influence the other and are so intertwined that poor digestion can also lead to a change in your mood.
What is a Gut Microbiome And Why is It Important?
Your body is full of trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi, both good and bad. They are collectively known as the microbiome or as gut flora.
The microorganisms living in our digestive system seem to be directly affecting our health. At any time, our gut stores both “good” and “bad” bacteria. As the name suggests, good bacteria has a positive effect on our health. Bad bacteria can also exist and cause limited harm in our body, but only if a balance between the two exists. If our body has an imbalance between good and bad bacteria that is when problems can start to arise.
For example, did you know that 70% of our immune system is found in our gut? The foods we eat affect the diversity and composition of the bacteria in the gut, which in turn affect immune cells.
Different types of bacteria, good or bad, can promote different things. Some bacteria can fight inflammation, while others can promote it.
It is important to maintain a healthy bacteria balance and there are a number of things that you can do specifically to make sure that you are fully supporting your gut.
So how can you Support your Gut Health?
First and foremost, proper nutrition is one of the most important steps in promoting a healthy gut. What you eat doesn’t only feed you, but it also feeds all the bacteria that live in your Enteric Nervous System (ENS).
Remember that a healthy gut has a diverse community of microbes that prefer different types of food, so don’t limit yourself. Focus on eating more fruits, nuts, and legumes — basically more whole and fresh foods (like this carrot juice recipe).
You can also incorporate more fermented foods into your diet like kefir, sauerkraut, and/or yoghurt. As these foods naturally contain cultures.
Along with adding more natural and fresh food to your diet, it is also recommended to limit consumption of highly processed foods, artificial sweeteners, sugar, and alcohol. A diet that is high in processed food or added sugar can eliminate the good bacteria in your gut and create an imbalance. It can also help increase sugar cravings that not only lead to more damage but can lead to inflammation in the body.
Along with diet, you should also focus on reducing stress, exercising regularly, and of course, getting enough sleep during the night.
Last but certainly not least, you should also add good bacteria into your body with cultures. But not all cultures are created equal. It is important to incorporate the right cultures into your active lifestyle in order to reap the maximum benefits. That's where BC30 comes in.
What Are Cultures?
Cultures are living microbes which may provide a health benefit, and are referred to as “probiotics” in many countries. They can also be referred to as ‘good’ and ‘friendly’ bacteria.
When you take cultures, you are introducing these friendly bacteria into your digestive tract. The cultures can interact with your resident microbes, which may help promote beneficial microbial activities and may limit the overgrowth of the bad bacteria.
There are different types of good bacteria including lactobacillus, bifidobacteria, saccharomyces, streptococcus, enterococcus, escherichia, and bacillus. These strains are specific types of bacteria, in the same way, that a chihuahua is a specific type of dog.
Different manufacturers use different strains. But understanding the type of strain is essential in determining the right cultures to use.
Understanding the Different Strains of Bacteria
Strains play a big role in survivability, both in manufacturing processes and in making it to the gut intact. It is important that bacteria are alive when they reach your gut, otherwise, you won't reap the benefits.
It is important to know the genus, species, and strain of the bacteria that is present in your cultures. A strain designation identifies the specific strain in the product. And again, this is key, as strain specificity is important because different strains with the same species can have different health benefits.
Strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, for example, are supplied in their living, vegetative states. That is, they are living organisms that require very specific environments (like refrigeration) to remain viable. Often found in fermented dairy products, these strains typically cannot be used in products that are shelf-stable, frozen, or heated.
The issue with these strains is that there are questions on whether the live cultures make it to the gut due to the extreme acid and alkaline conditions found in a regular human’s stomach and small bowel.
On the other hand, strains of Bacillus (like BC30), are hardy, spore-forming bacteria that act as vegetative bacteria when conditions are optimal for their growth but can also form dormant spores when conditions are detrimental to their viability. This spore can be equated to a plant seed - it is dormant and won’t grow until the right temperature, moisture and food source are present.
So, what is BC30?
As you’ve probably realized, gut health is a complex issue. And choosing the right cultures to add to your diet can be an arduous task, but it doesn’t have to be.
Unlike strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, BC30 contains a high-quality culture ingredient that is spore-forming. This means that it has a protective shell, allowing it to survive its journey through your body.
This natural protection allows it to sleep through the transit to your gut, where it wakes up and gets to work to promote beneficial bacteria to help support your digestive health and immune health.
What are the health benefits of BC30?
Cultures like BC30 can help regulate bacterial populations, which can help your system run more smoothly. When you consume foods or beverages containing BC30 cultures, you’re adding more good bacteria to help support a healthy gut.
But that’s not all, BC30 has long-term safety data and over 25 peer-reviewed published papers on its health benefits. Results have shown that BC30 cultures can provide digestive health and immune health support.
No other strain has the same attributes as this strain, and therefore the safety and efficacy data from this strain does not apply to others—even within the same genus and species.
Where can I find BC30?
Instead of having to remember to take a pill or two after dinner or in the mornings, the great thing about BC30 is that it can be found in already made functional foods and beverages.
It is now extremely easy and convenient to add the health benefits of BC30 to your daily routine. All you need to do is simply choose foods that contain BC30. These foods are already widely available and make it easier than ever to fuel your entire day with the health benefits of good bacteria.
Just look for the BC30 (formerly GanedenBC30) symbol or “Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086” in the nutrition label on the fortified foods and beverages on your grocery shelves and online when shopping.
My journey with Cultures and BC30
In the past, whenever I've felt out of whack in my gut, I'd go out and buy an expensive bottle of cultures and pop them in the fridge.
The problem is, I'd often forget to take them and inevitably they'd expire before they'd get used up.
Now that I've discovered BC30, it's so easy to incorporate cultures into our family's daily lives. We can simply eat a bowl of oatmeal that's already had BC30 added, or sprinkle some fortified flaxseed meal onto our yoghurt & granola in the mornings. It's as easy as that!
Add BC30 live cultures to your schedule, morning, noon, or night and see the difference that quality cultures can make in optimizing not only your gut health but your overall health and wellness. It's the perfect addition to helping you achieve a healthy and active lifestyle!
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Jenny marston
Great article, I will be looking for BC30 in my oats and chai seeds right now
Sarah
A great read. Thank you. I shall be looking out for BC30 in my food.