Not all probiotics are the same. Different bacteria will interact with the body in different ways. Most probiotics are ingested and target the gut microbiome. In order to be effective, these microbes not only need to be able to thrive in the small and/or large intestine but also to survive the acid and bile of the stomach. Probiotics targeting the oral cavity would have very different characteristics. The gut is an anaerobic environment, meaning it lacks oxygen. As such, it is a very inhospitable environment for obligate aerobes – organisms that require oxygen for their metabolic cycle. Effective gut probiotic microbes are anaerobic, either obligate (oxygen intolerant), aerotolerant (tolerate but do not use oxygen), or facultative (do not require oxygen, but capable of aerobic respiration if it is available).

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Anaerobically fermented foods and beverages are excellent sources of these microbes. These are generally rich in Lactic Acid Bacteria and/or Bifidobacterium. Such foods include kimchi, sauerkraut, and traditional yogurt. Beverages examples include kefir, tepache, and pulque. Fermentations (using the culinary, not microbiology definition) requiring a lot of oxygen will usually contain a preponderance of aerobic bacteria, such as Acetobacter or Komagataeibacter. These are not well suited to the gut environment. Apple cider vinegar and kombucha fall into this category.

 

FuncBot Probiotics are fermented anaerobically using the microbes naturally present on the ingredients. By selecting botanicals to inhibit unwanted microbes and controlling pH, temperature, and oxygen levels, FuncBot naturally selects for bacteria that are ideal probiotics. Furthermore, the FuncBot-controlled spontaneous fermentation process is conducive to a polyculture of beneficial bacteria, as opposed to the monocultures typical of commercial probiotics. This is important because everyone’s body and diet are different, so a specific strain that works in some people might not be well suited to others. But a probiotic product that contains a rich polyculture will be effective for a much greater percentage of the population. The microbes best suited to your gut will survive and thrive!