Boost Your Immune System’s IQ—with Probiotics

Healthy immune function is a result of precision. When your immune system is fine-tuned, you’ll rarely get sick. If you do, you’ll bounce back swiftly, your injuries will heal quickly, and you’ll dodge dozens of health conditions—especially those involving chronic inflammation.  

In fact, when your immune system is well-trained and optimized, you probably won’t even think about it—because you’ll be too busy enjoying a life filled with energy and vitality. And that’s the whole point. 

But in today’s age, achieving optimal immunity is increasingly challenging. Our immune systems face constant threats that can derail proper function, and lead to immune dysregulation—with disastrous consequences for health.  

In order for your immune system to function optimally, it needs proper support—specifically, training and education. And most of this training comes from an unexpected source: The beneficial microbes in your GI tract.  

The truth is, more than 70% of your immune system is in your gut, and your friendly flora play a primary role in immune cell development and training.ⁱ  

By educating and fine-tuning your immune system to respond appropriately, friendly microbes in your gut protect you against pathogens and other invaders, and prevent chronic illness from taking hold.  

Probiotics optimize and fine-tune your immune system in 5 distinct ways. 

1. Immune Regulation  

Probiotics help your immune system determine when and how to react. Like good teachers, they help your immune system learn how to make the right choices.ⁱⁱ  

Probiotics teach your immune system to differentiate between friends and enemies, between unhealthy invaders and your body’s own healthy tissues. Without this type of regulation and training, your immune system may attack your own cells or the friendly microbes that you need to stay healthy; or let the bad guys take over.  

Probiotics also work to balance immune responses.ⁱⁱⁱ By balancing and regulating immune activity, probiotics work to prevent: 

• An underactive immune system that leaves you defenseless against infections  
• An overactive immune system that creates out-of-control inflammation and attacks healthy parts of your body. This is what happens with allergies, and more severely in autoimmune conditions. 

When your immune system faces off with an infectious microbe like a virus,  probiotics direct it to ramp up the production of antibodies, while initiating and directing T-cells and B-cells, your strongest infection-fighting immune cells.  

2.  Antiviral Properties 

Probiotic bacteria have no tolerance for viral invaders. They react with every tool in their arsenal to help wipe out viruses as soon as they’re detected. 

Research shows probiotics offer critical antiviral actions, including:^iv 

• Manufacturing virus-destroying compounds: 

Surfactin—deactivates viruses^v 

Bacteriocins—kill viruses directly^vi 

Acetic acid—breaks down protective outer layer of viruses (aka viral envelope)^vii 

Hydrogen peroxide—neutralizes viruses^viii 

Lactic acid—limits viral replication^ix 

• Altering virus-cell interactions including binding viruses so they can’t attach to cells^x 
• Ramping up interferons, proteins that direct immune cells to fight viruses^xi 
• Activating immune cells to inhibit viral replication^xii 

3. Blocking Pathogenic Bacteria 

Probiotics don’t just work against viruses. They also crowd out the bad bacteria in your gut.  

That’s why you need to replenish your supply of good bacteria and friendly microbes on a daily basis, with probiotic rich foods and formulas. A healthy population of the right probiotics work to prevent pathogens from colonizing by: 

• Creating an unwelcome environment for pathogenic microbes 
• Preventing pathogens from growing and multiplying 
• Producing pathogen-killing compounds  

4. Controlling Inflammation  

Nearly every condition is driven by inflammation.^xiii From infections to autoimmune diseases, to cancer and much more, inflammation plays a primary role. That can be especially problematic when inflammation overwhelms your lungs, making it feel impossible to breathe, as what happens in some cases of a deadly cytokine storm.  

Extensive research shows that probiotics work to control inflammation in a few different ways: 

• Regulating pathogens. Probiotics keep unhealthy microbe populations down, which is important because pathogens create inflammatory compounds and also unleash inflammatory immune responses —a double whammy. Controlling pathogens helps control inflammation. 
• Quieting pro-inflammatory signals. Your immune system sends out pro-inflammatory messengers called cytokines as part of its cascading reaction to a threat. In today’s age however, it’s easy for inflammatory cytokines to cause more harm than good, and can end in a cytokine storm. Probiotics tell cytokines to back down, which helps reduce excessive inflammation and over-active immune responses.^xiv 
• Creating anti-inflammatory compounds. Probiotics are an essential source of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), compounds that reduce inflammation and offer other important benefits. SCFAs block excessive inflammatory cytokines and calm inflammation.^xv 

In terms of supporting and defending your respiratory system and keeping airways clear, probiotics really shine.^xvi Clinical data shows probiotics reduce lung inflammation and promote free breathing… even in severe respiratory diseases like asthma and COPD.^xvii 

5. Targeting Specific Infections 

Certain probiotic strains show benefits against targeted pathogens and different types of infections.  If you need to bolster your defenses against any of these infections, it’s important to make sure you’re taking the right probiotic strains that have been clinically researched in these areas, such as: 

Colds and flu^xviii,xix,xx 

• Lactobacillus acidophilus 
• Lactobacillus rhamnosus 

• Bifidobacterium lactis 
• Streptococcus thermophiles 
• Bifidobacterium longum 

Pneumonia^xxi,xxii 

• Lactobacillus rhamnosus 
• Streptococcus thermophiles 
• Bifidobacterium longum 

Diarrhea^xxiii 

• Bifidobacterium lactis 
• Lactobacillus acidophilus 
• Lactobacillus rhamnosus 
• Streptococcus thermophiles 
• Lactobacillus casei 

Rotavirus^xxiv,xxv 

• Lactobacillus acidophilus 
• Bifidobacterium longum 
• Lactobacillus salivarius 

But in order for these probiotics to be effective, you have to use the right formula, with active strains in a bioavailable format. 

The Best Probiotic Formula for Immunity and Gut Health 

In my practice, I’ve found that most probiotics formulas don’t work for gut health. That’s why my team and I formulated a live fermented probiotic elixir unlike any other product available—and the results speak for themselves. Patients with long-standing digestive issues, who never found relief with regular probiotic pills, are reporting unparalleled success with this formula after just a few days.  

This first-in-class certified organic formula contains targeted live strains of clinically studied probiotics, along with prebiotic nutrient Modified Citrus Pectin, that nourishes probiotics and supplies the raw materials to create SCFAs. This formula also includes 19 potent digestive herbs such as chamomile, ginger, and fennel, that are activated by the power of fermentation. These herbs provide powerful digestive and additional immune support benefits, and create a potent, synergistic GI health formula that continues to show impressive results in the clinical setting.  

As we continue to discover additional benefits and health-promoting actions offered by probiotics, these beneficial microbes are proving to be more than friendly. They’re powerful teachers, allies and defenders that work tirelessly to optimize your health in countless ways.