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.

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.