A well-balanced gut microbiota is critical to supporting the health of not only the gastrointestinal tract, but also the brain, immune system, and genitourinary tract. A healthy gut microbiome also holds promise for supporting a well-balanced mood, refreshing sleep, optimal metabolism, and healthy blood sugar.1,2 With over two-thirds of Americans reporting signs of imbalanced gastrointestinal microbes,3,4 a comprehensive health strategy should target and optimize the human gut microbiome. Prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics are key tools used by integrative and functional practitioners to this end.
| Prebiotics |
Provide the fuel source for gut microbiota.* |
| Probiotics |
Living microbes that confer health benefits, usually taken as a dietary supplement. |
| Postbiotics |
Inanimate microbes and/or their byproducts that promote health.* |
In this blog post, we’ll focus on the benefits of prebiotics and how Prebiotic Mushroom Blend can serve as a powerful prebiotic supplement for overall health.*
What are Prebiotics?
Prebiotics are usually hard-to-digest carbohydrates that are selectively used by the microbiota as a fuel source. They are often short-chain or long-chain carbohydrates (polysaccharides or oligosaccharides). Prebiotics can be found in the diet as whole foods or as prebiotic supplements5 and are a primary method for encouraging beneficial microorganisms to colonize the human host.* Fructooligosaccharides (FOS), galactooligosaccharides (GOS), starch, xylooligosaccharides, inulin, and glucose-derived oligosaccharides are all prebiotics. While most prebiotics are dietary fiber, plant polyphenols also act as prebiotics. The functional mushrooms supplement, Prebiotic Mushroom Blend, is a top-rated prebiotic and has a high concentration of a type of prebiotic fiber known as beta-glucan (> 15%).
Functional Mushrooms as a Prebiotic Dietary Supplement
Prebiotic Mushroom Blend contains functional mushrooms, which are edible mushrooms that have additional health benefits beyond their nutritional value.* These include organic reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), maitake (Grifola frondosa), and oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus) mushrooms. Beta-glucan, the prebiotic fiber from these mushrooms, not only promotes the growth of friendly intestinal bacteria, it also supports digestion, activates immune cells, and maintains a healthy inflammatory response.*6,7
Prebiotic Mushroom Blend is one of the best prebiotic fiber supplements because it has an advantage over many other prebiotics. Normally, prebiotics are well tolerated overall, but higher doses of supplemental prebiotics may produce gastrointestinal side effects, such as bloating and gas.8 Neither the mushroom blend nor the ButyraGen® Tributyrin Complex found in the formula is likely to produce these gastrointestinal side effects.
Five Benefits of Prebiotics
Probiotics usually capture the lion’s share of the attention, but prebiotics promote many aspects of health, including digestion, immune support, and weight management.* In fact, prebiotics might even be more important than probiotics, since we wouldn’t have probiotics at all if not for prebiotics.
Here are some of the main ways that prebiotics are involved in health:
1. Helping Restore the Microbiota*
Although the human body doesn’t use prebiotics for its own nutrition,9 prebiotics and their effects on the microbiota benefit human health.* Prebiotics promote the growth and activity of beneficial gut microbiota, such as Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii.*10 As a result, these microbes produce a number of beneficial substances, including vitamins and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as butyrate.*11
Prebiotics can help ward off undesirable microbes in the gastrointestinal tract12 and reduce the prevalence and duration of occasional diarrhea from various causes.*13-16 They can strengthen intestinal barrier function and promote regularity.*
2. Supporting Colon Health*
SCFAs are beneficial byproducts mainly derived from gut microbiome fermentation of dietary fiber.* SCFAs support immunity, weight management, blood sugar, liver, cardiovascular, neurological, and colon health.*17-20 Acetate, propionate, and butyrate are three examples of SCFAs.
Butyrate benefits include acting as an energy source, promoting cell differentiation, and defending against oxidative stress.*23,24 It also is involved in colon health, through its role in epigenetic regulation and histone deacetylases.*23 Butyrate also enhances the strength of the gut lining, reducing the likelihood of increased intestinal permeability.*25,26
Colonic epithelial cells prefer to use butyrate as an energy substrate, even when competing energy sources such as glucose or glutamine are readily available. Butyrate plays a critical role in metabolic activity and growth of colonocytes.*27 SCFAs are transported to tissues and organs such as the liver, muscle, or other peripheral tissues, where they act as fuel, providing about 7%–8% of daily human energy requirements.*28
Fermentation and SCFA production help to inhibit the growth of unwanted organisms by lowering luminal and fecal pH.*27 Low pH reduces formation of undesirable compounds such as ammonia, amines, and phenolic compounds, and decreases the activity of undesirable bacterial enzymes.*27
Providing dietary or supplemental prebiotics to the microbiome provides the substrates to microbes so that they can generate beneficial byproducts such as SCFAs and butyrate.* Further, having a healthy, strong gut microbiome increases the levels of postbiotics and their beneficial health effects.*
3. Supporting Immune Health*
Prebiotic Mushroom Blend contains TriCelium™, a blend of USDA organic mushrooms that help to support the immune system: reishi, maitake, and oyster. These mushrooms for immunity have been used for centuries. Thanks to a high concentration of beta-glucans (> 15%), TriCelium™ provides particularly powerful immune defense27 and maintains a healthy inflammatory response.*6,7 Beta-glucan fiber supplements like Prebiotic Mushroom Blend use the whole mushroom, including the mycelium and fruiting bodies, for maximum effect to promote immune health and build a strong gut microbiome.*
4. Promoting Cognitive Function*
Butyrate keeps the gut lining strong and supports the gut-brain axis for a pleasant mood, sharp-thinking, and deep sleep.*21-23 Butyrate crosses the blood-brain barrier, which indicates it may positively influence the gut-brain axis.*23 Butyrate is a key mediator of host-gut-microbe crosstalk.*22 It has been studied for its ability to support neurological health and cognitive function.*22
5. Helping Maintain a Healthy Body Weight*
Functional mushrooms and butyrate are involved in maintaining a healthy weight and metabolism.* For example, oyster mushroom benefits for weight management were shown in a randomized controlled crossover study of a meal fortified with oyster mushroom powder rich in beta-glucans. The mushroom powder was associated with healthy glucose tolerance and insulin metabolism.*29 Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a hormone linked to satiety, was 17% higher in the group given oyster mushroom.*29 The group given oyster mushrooms also experienced a balanced appetite.*29
In another study lasting three months, scientists randomized 30 participants into two groups: one group ate a healthy diet without including edible mushrooms while another group ate a healthy diet combined with four portions of oyster mushrooms (250 g per week).30 The subjects given the mushrooms had healthier lipid and glucose metabolism and maintained healthy visceral fat compared to subjects not given the mushrooms.*
The mechanism by which functional mushrooms exert their weight management effects is associated with the alteration of the gut microbiota. Beneficial mushrooms are also known to raise the fecal butyrate level, which helps maintain a healthy weight even when eating a high-fat diet.* Raising butyrate levels promotes a healthy level of body fat, keeps fat cells at an appropriate size, and supports healthy lipid levels.*
Butyrate and reishi mushroom benefits include promoting a strong intestinal barrier, which supports a healthy inflammatory response.*31
Best Prebiotic Supplements
Prebiotic supplements are a critical component of a health regimen designed for building and rebuilding a healthy gut microbiome, encouraging cognitive health, supporting immunity, and maintaining a healthy body weight.*
DaVinci® Laboratories offers a number of prebiotic formulas to help support and build the gut microbiome including Prebiotic Mushroom Blend, Prebiotic Fiber, Cranberry, and Phyto Benefits™.*
Using Prebiotic Mushroom Blend together with these other prebiotic products is an excellent way to support both gut and systemic health.*
Learn more about beneficial biotics in our white paper: A 21st Century Approach to Gastrointestinal and Systemic Health: Prebiotics, Probiotics, and Postbiotics.
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