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.

Dr Ghannoum, The Scientist Who Named The Mycobiome 

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.

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 theB​​IOHM​​ Gut​​ Report​​ Kit​​— the​ ​most​ ​comprehensive​ ​gut​ ​analysis​ ​that’s​ ​ever​ ​been​ ​available​ ​to​ ​consumers, and the BIOHM Candida Report, which allows people to get specific insights into the Candida species and levels present in their digestive systems. 

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.

   

    Dr. Mahmoud Ghannoum 

Dr. Ghannoum is widely considered the leading microbiome researcher in the world. He is also the scientist who named the mycobiome. He is the founder of BIOHM, the first company to engineer elegant products and tests that address the total microbiome of both bacteria and fungi, allowing consumers to maintain total digestive health.


During his career, he has published several books on fungus and over 400 peer-reviewed scientific papers. His work has been cited almost 18,000 times by other scientists. He has received over $25 million in funding for his research from the National Institutes of Health.

To learn more about Dr Ghannoum and BIOHM, click HERE