Lactobacillus Reuteri Supplement - Probiotic to Support Heart Health

Lactobacillus reuteri is a probiotic supplement designed to strengthen internal balance.

With 2.5 billion CFUs per capsule of lactic bacteria and an ultra-innovative delivery method (DRcaps®), it is one of SuperSmart’s ‘must-have’ probiotics, along with the highly-regarded Probio Forte.

What exactly is a probiotic?

The human gastrointestinal tract contains billions and billions of bacteria – the microbiota - which play a key role between the genome and the environment. Science continues to demonstrate the central role played by this microbiota, which can weigh up to two kilos, in maintaining our overall health ... far beyond what we might have imagined.

Unfortunately, it has to withstand significant stress throughout our lifetime, especially in this modern age. Anything that upsets our gut flora, be it an infection, a temporary dip in immunity, or medication such as antibiotics, can upset other physiological functions (digestion, immune system, mood, circulation.

Probiotic supplements have two main objectives: to help maintain our gut flora through thick and thin, and to help replenish it in order to ensure optimal internal equilibrium. They reduce overactivation of the immune system, increase intestinal barrier function and help restrict pathogenic bacteria (through competition).

What are Lactobacillus reuteri’s mechanisms of action?

Besides the classic properties of probiotics, two mechanisms of action have so far been identified in relation to cardiovascular health (1-2).

Reduction of cholesterol absorption in the gut. L. reuteri produces an enzyme called BSH (bile salt hydrolase) which reduces dietary cholesterol absorption in the gut, leading to its elimination via stools. Like all fats, cholesterol needs conjugated bile acids in order to be absorbed. Taking L. reuteri thus increases excretion of cholesterol via stools by breaking the chemical bond of conjugated bile acids.

Regulation of cholesterol metabolism. A second mechanism, the subject of new studies, may also help to reduce cholesterol and the risk of cardiovascular problems. As well as being reservoirs for excess cholesterol, bile acids are also powerful signalling molecules which regulate cholesterol metabolism through the action of farnesoid X receptor (FXR). When, in the presence of L. reuteri, conjugated bile acids break, signalling is modulated which accelerates the breakdown and excretion of cholesterol, and prevents it being reabsorbed in the gut.

Who is most likely to benefit from taking Lactobacillus reuteri?

Lactobacillus reuteri is a probiotic of potential benefit to everyone, but may be of particular interest to these groups of people:

• smokers and ex-smokers;
• those with a large waist circumference;
• those suffering from chronic stress (whether caused by professional, relationship, or financial concerns, etc.).
• those with hypercholesterolaemia, hypertension or diabetes;
• those whose diet is less than healthy;
• those exposed to air pollution or road traffic.

What makes SuperSmart’s Lactobacillus reuteri so exceptional?

The Lactobacillus reuteri probiotic strains need to be live in order to exert their beneficial effects. To be precise, they need to be live at the moment they enter the intestinal tract. This means surviving the emptying motions of the stomach, acid secretions, aggressive enzymes, the violence of the pyloric sphincter, contact with bile … Not to mention the manufacturing process, encapsulation and storage!

In this respect, it’s safe to say SuperSmart has pulled out all the stops, with the use of:

• Freeze-drying (rather than spray-drying). It’s expensive but it improves the probiotics’ stability.
• Anti-humidity DRcaps®. Numerous studies have shown that humidity significantly accelerates damage to probiotics, causing browning or the Maillard reaction, which massively reduces their viability.
• Gastro-resistant DRcaps®. Conventional capsules dissolve in the stomach due to its acidity. It is in this inhospitable environment that billions of dehydrated probiotics are released. They are instantly rehydrated, thus leaving their dormant state, but they have to survive the stomach’s acidity if they are to arrive in a live condition in the gut, a milder environment with all the conditions they need for growth. In theory, most probiotics from the Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Streptococcus genera are able to survive the stomach, especially if the supplement is taken in the morning on an empty stomach, and if it has been stored properly, but in practice, a significant number will not make it through. That’s why we have opted for capsules that only disintegrate after they have passed through the stomach (between 50 and 70 minutes after ingestion in the case of DR Caps, 45 minutes after for conventional capsules). This means the probiotics have less contact time with the acid elements of the stomach.
• Storage in a refrigerated, dry place throughout the period between its manufacture and dispatch, with the least possible exposure of the probiotics to ambient temperatures during the stages of dispatch and delivery.
• Packaging the capsules in hermetically-sealed, resealable containers to minimise contact with air.

DR Caps™ are certified 100% vegetarian and contain no synthetic coatings.

How should you take Lactobacillus reuteri?

The recommended daily dose for our Lactobacilli reuteri supplement is two capsules, which provides an exceptional 5 billion microorganisms a day.

It’s advisable to supplement for at least two months to obtain initial results, though many scientists have confirmed the benefits of year-long supplementation. Probiotics should ideally be taken 20 to 30 minutes before breakfast or lunch.

To preserve the integrity of the probiotics, it’s advisable to keep our supplement refrigerated.

Note: a probiotic is not intended to colonise the gut mucosa for very long. Some strains are able to develop there for a few hours, others for a few weeks (it all depends on how long the strain keeps working), but in general, the effects of probiotics cease quite soon after supplementation stops. However, this period of activity is for the most part sufficient to exert significant benefits

We recommend adopting the following measures throughout your supplementation with Lactobacillus reuteri:

• Maintain a healthy weight, making sure you reduce abdominal fat which surrounds the viscera which is worse for the heart than fat stored elsewhere.
• Eat healthily. Diet has a significant influence on blood lipids and therefore on the risk of cardiovascular problems.
• Get sufficient restorative sleep. Poor sleep is a factor in cardiovascular risk and in gaining body fat.
• If you have a moderate or high risk of cardiovascular problems, take specific supplements, such as phytosterols,marine-source omega-3 supplements, white willow bark (nature’s aspirin) or the excellent formulation Triple Protect.

If you suffer from digestive problems, you may also be interested in our digestive enzymes supplement.

Recent findings on Lactobacillus reuteri

Positive effects for health, particularly gastrointestinal and oral health (2010). A study (3) revealed the lack of L. reuteri in the human microbiota now compared with in the 1960s. According to the authors, this contrast highlights how the diet has deteriorated over the last decades. The study emphasises the efficacy of this bacteria for lowering the risk of allergies and gastrointestinal problems.

Release of reuterin, an antibacterial compound, by Lactobacillus reuteri (2017). A study (4) demonstrated the benefits of L. reuteri in reducing infections caused by the pathogenic bacteria Clostridium difficile, the leading cause of antibiotic-related diarrhoea across the world. Lactobacillus reuteri appears to release an antibacterial compound called reuterin which only attacks pathogenic bacteria such as those from the Clostridium genus.

Daily supplementation with Lactobacillus helped to reduce cholesterol ester saturated fatty acids (2012). The scientists responsible for this discovery hypothesised that this probiotic strain lowered cholesterol levels via various mechanisms of action, mentioned earlier (5).

1. Sañudo Otero AI, Criado García R, Rodríguez Nogales A, Garach Domech A, Olivares Martín M, Gálvez Peralta JJ, De La Escalera Hueso S, Duarte Pérez JM, Zarzuelo Zurita A, Bañuelos Hortigüela O. Probiotic strains having cholesterol absorbing capacity, methods and uses thereof. Google Patents; 2016.
2. Tenorio-Jiménez C, Martínez-Ramírez MJ, Tercero-Lozano M, et al. Evaluation of the effect of Lactobacillus reuteri V3401 on biomarkers of inflammation, cardiovascular risk and liver steatosis in obese adults with metabolic syndrome: a randomized clinical trial (PROSIR). BMC Complement Altern Med. 2018;18(1):306. Published 2018 Nov 20. doi:10.1186/s12906-018-2371-x
3. Expertanswer (Expertsvar in Swedish). "Lactobacillus reuteri good for health, Swedish study finds." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 November 2010.
4. Jennifer K. Spinler, Jennifer Auchtung, Aaron Brown, Prapaporn Boonma, Numan Oezguen, Caná L. Ross, Ruth Ann Luna, Jessica Runge, James Versalovic, Alex Peniche, Sara M. Dann, Robert A. Britton, Anthony Haag, Tor C. Savidge. Next-generation probiotics targeting Clostridium difficile through precursor-directed antimicrobial biosynthesis. Infection and Immunity, 2017; IAI.00303-17 DOI: 10.1128/IAI.00303-17
5. American Heart Association. "Daily doses of a new probiotic reduces 'bad' and total cholesterol." ScienceDaily, 5 November 2012. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121105114620.htm>.