Biome Bliss: An Interesting New Prebiotic Supplement

A week ago or so, I got an email from a company that makes a really interesting prebiotic product.  They offered to let me try it out on myself, and after looking through their website, I readily agreed.  (I took my first dose this morning.)  I also asked them for any literature they may have on the product and was sent 4 papers, including two small clinical studies.  There were certainly enough items of interest in these to share with you, even though I have not had time to test the product first.  After all, you know that I am always looking for “things we can do now” to improve our health!

The product is called Biome Bliss, and in the research papers, it is referred to it as a GIMM (gastrointestinal microbiome modulator).  It has 3 components:  the prebiotic fiber, inulin (isolated from agave); the prebiotic fiber, beta-glucan (isolated from oats); and polyphenols (anthocyanins, isolated from blueberries).  If you remember, I have written about polyphenols multiple times before, as they are not only powerful antioxidants but also have prebiotic properties.  In fact, I myself have been using grapeseed extract and Triphala  for many months now.  Polyphenols from blueberries also have profound effect on glucose/insulin metabolism.  These 3 ingredients were specifically chosen to work in harmony, encouraging the growth of specific gut bacteria that help modulate glucose levels (I have also written several times about this subject), improve short-chain fatty acid production (which you all know are highly anti-inflammatory), reduce feelings of hunger, improve bowel regularity and other health benefits, including improved GI health:  “B-glucans and inulin-type fructans are prebiotics that are not only preferentially fermented by specific types of bacteria, but also promote proliferation of the bacterial species such as Bifidobacteria.  These bacteria are associated with a beneficial impact on the host through their potential involvement in diabetes-related inflammation and the development of obesity.”[i]  B-glucan from oats also “…protects the intestine’s mucosal lining and supports the immune system.”[ii]  By the way, I should mention that the product is fine for those on low- or controlled-carbohydrate diets as the sugars have been mostly removed.

One of their studies was double-blind and placebo controlled, which involved 28  (randomized to 2 groups) overweight/obese individuals with high fasting blood glucose levels.  One group was put on the GIMM, the other a placebo, which they consumed twice daily for 4 weeks.  The experimental group did notice an increase in flatulence (which is not surprising as fiber should really be increased slowly to give the GI bacteria time to adjust), but reported no meaningful adverse effects.  The study found that, after eating, glucose levels rose less in the experimental group than in those taking the placebo and also, those taking the prebiotic showed a reduced desire to eat.  There was an increase in their blood levels of the hormone PYY (release of this hormone is stimulated by SCFAs), which makes you feel full, and a decrease in another hormone, ghrelin, which makes you feel hungry.  They did find an increase in the levels of fecal SCFAs, but this did not reach statistical significance.  However, they also saw a decrease in fecal pH, which indicates improved gut fermentation of the prebiotic fibers.

The 2^nd study, which was done on overweight people with type 2 diabetes who were also taking the diabetes medication, metformin, found too that “…fasting glucose decreased more during the period when metofmin was combined with GIMM compared to metformin combined with placebo.”[iii]

The other two papers are general discussions of the importance of prebiotics to health, and there were several interesting items to share.[iv]

1. On my blog, I have talked endlessly about the concept of biome depletion – the loss of diversity in our belly buddies.  Not only is the loss of diversity now well-established to be associated with so many chronic illnesses, but it’s also important to note that, “A greater biodiversity renders a greater resilience of the ecosystem to recover from or adjust to perturbations.” So the more diversity you have, the more resilient you are.
2. Agricultural techniques – which are meant to increase our food supply, to satisfy our ever increasing human population – have led to terrible decreases in food diversity. And of course, “…the more diverse the diet, the more diverse the microbiome.” This paper points out that, “According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, 75 percent of the plant genetic diversity has been lost, as farmers worldwide have left their multiple local varieties for genetically uniform, high-yielding varieties.”  This decrease in diversity extends to food animals as well.  In fact, “75 percent of the world’s food is generated from only 12 plants and five animal species.”  Not to make a bad pun here but…holy cow.
3. Of course the antibiotics used in animals has adversely affected human microbiome diversity, as has pesticides use on plants.  I’ve written about this subject before.  It’s a huge public health issue.
4. Prolonged absence of certain foods in the diet – for example, low fiber – causes a non-reversible loss of microbiome richness.  (Remember that study I wrote about last November, which showed that microbiome diversity is lost through the generations, as people have emigrated to the USA and changed their diets?)

Over the years, I have worked with innumerable people, both adults and children, with a wide variety of inflammatory disorders as well as issues with weight, metabolic syndrome, and so forth.  There is a reason I write about prebiotics so often!  Research done in the last 15 years or so has shown that the addition of prebiotics to the diet is as important – if not MORE important – than the use of probiotics.  I am looking forward to giving this product a try and will report back to you all after a month or so of use.  I hope some of you will try it along with me so we can compare notes!  Email me and let me know!

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[i] Rebello, CJ, Burton, J, Heiman, M, Greenway, F.  Gastrointestinal microbiome modulator improves glucose tolerance in overweight and obese subjects: a randomized controlled pilot study.  Journal of Diabetes and Its Complications. 2015;29(8):1272-6.  doi: 10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2015.08.023

[ii] Cervantes, ER and Pfost, D. Prebiotics & Metabolic Regulation Benefits Beyond the Gut.  Naturopathic Doctor News and Review. 2019.  https://ndnr.com/gastrointestinal/prebiotics-metabolic-regulation-benefits-beyond-the-gut/

[iii] Burton, JH, Johnson, M, Johnson, J, Hsia, DS, Greenway, FL, Heiman, ML. Addition of a gastrointestinal microbiome modulator to metformin improves metformin tolerance and fasting glucose levels.  Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology. 2015; 9(4):808-14.   doi: 10.1177/1932296815577425

[iv] Heiman, ML and Greenway, FL. A healthy gastrointestinal microbiome is dependent on dietary diversity.  Molecular Metabolism. 2016; 5(5):317-320. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2016.02.005