Are Soil-based Probiotics safe?

Probiotics have become a key part of the supplement which is becoming popular in recent years. It helps to maintain gut health and digestion of the food as published as a result of new research about health.

Have you ever taken a probiotic supplement? If yes, do you know if they are traditional or soil-based? Traditional probiotics are commonly known as probiotics whereas soil-based ones have been promoted in recent years.

There are more than 100 varieties of probiotics or organisms. Soil-based probiotics are also often referred to as SBOs or soil-based organisms. With such a sheer number of variables in probiotics available, let us differentiate them with their unique benefits and advantages to know more about them.

In this article, I’ll explain what soil-based probiotics are and their need and disadvantages to learn more about them along with their safety features.

Table of Contents

What is a Probiotic?

Probiotics are good bacteria that help to maintain your gut health and contain live bacteria, yeast, and other organisms. They all live together and work for the benefit of good digestion and health. Probiotic is a term that is vividly thrown around a lot in recent years. Probiotics are available in Yogurt and many other forms, while Yogurt can help build good bacteria in different ways.

Probiotics can contain both helpful and harmful bacteria which should be known before taking any supplement of their own. Studies are still conducted on probiotic supplements which mainly lead to knowing the individual body before taking the supplement. Since the needs of every person’s body and health concern differs and changes.

What are Soil-Based Probiotics?

Soil-based probiotics are probiotics that are made from microbial strains that occur naturally in the soil. Soil-based probiotics do the same job for the plants that grow as the bacteria in your gut do for you like producing vitamins and fighting bad bacteria and fungus. With the dilemma of whether consuming soil-based probiotics is good for your Microbiome, it also has various other benefits as mentioned by expert research.

Sine, Soil-based probiotics are hard and stay in your gut for a long time which is good for killing bad bacteria yet bad as they could multiply and overcrowd the gut. Which in turn eliminates the good bacteria in the gut. Microbiomes should be balanced with good and bad bacteria and be diverted to a healthy gut.

Most of the strains are researched and many are yet to be known. The strains from Soil-based probiotics are different from traditional ones which will be discussed below in the types.

What are the Types of Soil-Based Probiotics?

Probiotics can be classified into genus, species, and strains. It is necessary to know the difference. In this hierarchy, the genus is higher in order of species and to strain. Though they can be in the order they have different effects. Let me walk you through some of the types,

Bacillus is a genus of bacteria that has many species such as Coagulans, subtilis, clausii, indicus, and Licheniformis. Since most store-bought probiotics don’t show what strain they contain, it is better to know how to identify one on your own.

Bacillus Coagulans– Produced from lactic acid, this helps to support gut health.

Bacillus Licheniformis– Found on bird feathers and considered to spread pathogens that don’t have proof of study in defining the subject. They are also found in fermented foods.

Bacillus Subtilis– Found in the gastrointestinal tract of humans. Subtilis mainly helps in immune function.

Bacillus Indicus– Indicus doesn’t have much study to prove it is effective. Research is still going on in finding its benefits.

Bacillus Clausii– Benefits of allergies and bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine.

Enterococcus Faecium- They naturally live in our gut which helps to break down food. Proven to increase weight gain in kids. Though there are some proven results in human trials it still lacks clarity on the benefits of this.

Clostridium Butyricum- This is the only promising soil-based probiotic and they are widely known in Asia. Since the study is very small the study result becomes rather insignificant. Some of these strains may not be actively found in America.

What are the Benefits of Soil-Based Probiotics?

Soil-based probiotics have both merits and demerits of their own. Probiotics with soil-based organisms can be helpful for the same things that traditional probiotics are helpful for. Let us discuss some of the benefits of soil-based probiotics from a study,

Enhancing specific illness– Taking probiotics for a specific illness with a specific Organism is popularly effective. This doesn’t mean that it will fully recover you from illness, rather one can try to check that it may help you.

Balance Immune system– It specifically helps to balance autoimmune diseases in many cases. Just like in traditional supplements, everyone should be aware that it is specifically mentioned as a soil-based supplement.

Improve digestion– With some special diet and a probiotic supplement, a study shows that it improves digestion.

Diversify Microbiome– Microbiome diversity will be developed with soil-based probiotics.

Reduce the side effects of antibiotics– It is tested and proven that Soil-based probiotics significantly reduce the side effects of antibiotics.

Where do Soil-Based Probiotics come from?

Soil-based probiotics come from soil that has evolved in contact with humans. The History of probiotics started early when the food chain was interrupted. From time to time dirt is consumed which strengthens our immune system to certain limits.

While soil-based probiotics have been around for a while, the dilemma stays. Some experts say they are the best while others state they can be dangerous to gut microbes. Sometimes the supplements that you take to improve your health may turn against you.

They can become the wrong bacteria if the right soil-based probiotics are not taken. The claim to be good or bad depends upon the strain sold in the market. Since many stores bring strains that are not tested or approved, they can be dangerous to health. The alternate-mentioned strain will cause a major problem in reverting the disease and make the pathogen worse for the body.

Yes, soil-based probiotics are safe. Probiotics should be consumed only after knowing the species and strains in them. Since specific species should be consumed for a specific problem, alternator usage can lead to problems. In a study with B variant soil-based probiotics, records show that there is an overall health growth for diarrhea, bloating, and stool consistency. Probiotics should be avoided if you have any problem with the immune system.

If you’re healthy and well, then you can try the well-researched strains. When you make your decision about which one to buy, just consider the specific strain of bacteria. There is no specific strain that is good or bad in specific. If the strain isn’t listed on the label, then rather don’t buy it.

What is SIBO?

SIBO- Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth.

SIBO occurs when the bacteria in your gut (small intestine) get out of balance and overgrow. This may lead to gastrointestinal symptoms which may affect the digestion in your stomach and cause-related issues. SIBO is often silent and can’t be properly identified with the symptoms.

Diets high in sugar, and nerve damage can increase SIBO. This can lead to a leaky gut. After this, the virus and bacteria may start to flow into your bloodstream. Thus, leading to inflammation of the immune system. Probiotics can be taken to effectively reduce SIBO.

Are Soil-Based Probiotics good for SIBO?

Yes, soil-based probiotics are good for SIBO. Bacillus clausii variant with all strains is proven to have benefits in improving the health of SIBO Patients. Soil-based probiotics have a natural, seed-like structure that makes them harder than any other probiotics. Therefore, soil-based probiotics survive the journey through the stomach.

Even though soil-based probiotics don’t provide all the strains, they still provide all the benefits. These characteristics make them the best probiotic for SIBO. The essential nutrients from natural food are removed in this modern era in the name of bad health. But in fact, such types of food are good and give the best digestive health. To compensate for that, probiotics come in to fulfill the need.

If you are currently dealing with SIBO, a probiotic containing lactobacillus or bifidobacterium probiotic strains is not recommended. SIBO needs a probiotic that won’t overpopulate the intestine rather they go to the small intestine to support the health benefits of the body.

Since SIBO and autoimmunity are linked, soil-based probiotics can benefit those with autoimmune conditions as well. Studies show that autoimmune patients have a positive impact on using soil-based probiotics.

Are Soil-Based Probiotics better than Traditional Probiotics?

Soil-based probiotics and traditional probiotics have their pros and cons. I believe probiotic supplements made with soil-based organisms are better than the more traditional probiotics. But the soil-based probiotics are most trusted among users because of their two main benefits. Soil-based probiotics have a longer shelf life and when consumed they are likely to travel to the small intestine but the others don’t go to that extent.

Traditional probiotics need to be refrigerated to keep the healthy bacteria alive and the soil-based ones are much harder and steady than this one. The same is inside your body as they might die before healing the gut. Soil-based probiotics are strong enough to handle the acidic areas in your stomach, to withstand and kill the bad bacteria.

This helps them to travel in any area of your stomach to give a health benefit. The longer they stay, the longer they fight to protect the growth of friendly bacteria. They can also develop food for the friendly bacteria in the intestine. Thus increasing the population of healthy bacteria. Traditional probiotics consist of lactic acid bacteria, such as Lactobacillus, Bifidobacteria, and Lactococcus. These bacteria are usually found in decomposing plants, soil, and milk-based products.

Conclusion

The Bottom line is that direct consumption of probiotics was disconnected from human health years ago. So, it is hard to determine if they will be accepted by our gut in a raw state. Choosing the right alternate supplement for the right need will help to reduce any problem related to probiotics. Various soil-based probiotic strains are tested yet some are not, so it is better to get recommended by a trained person who knows about your probiotics.

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