Article Summary:
- Gut microbiome supplements enhance the vitality, richness, and diversity of intestinal microbiota.
- The plant-derived ingredients in gut microbiome supplements often display poor solubility, hindering the efficacy of the supplement’s formulation.
- Tesseract’s proprietary nutrient delivery nanotechnology enhances the bioavailability of the active ingredients of its gut microbiome supplements, ensuring optimal absorption for rapid physiological responses.
The gut microbiome is a complex and diverse ecosystem of trillions of microorganisms that play a role in maintaining gastrointestinal (GI) homeostasis and supporting numerous metabolic processes. Clinical studies indicate the close association of the health of our gut with our mood, emotions, sleep, and immune system. An imbalance in the gut’s microbial community can contribute to adverse cardiovascular conditions, insulin resistance, metabolic disorders, and dysregulated inflammatory responses.
Supplements designed to support the gut microbiome can help restore microbial balance and positively influence health functions. But what specific ingredients in these supplements exert therapeutic effects on the body? Below, we discuss several common ingredients found in gut health supplements and their role in promoting normal physiological functions.
What are the Ingredients in Gut Microbiome Supplement Formulations?
Gut microbiome supplements are categorized into probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics. Although food sources, such as yogurt, sauerkraut, and kimchi, can be rich sources of probiotics (good bacteria like Lactobacillus), prebiotics are the fibers and sugars the good bacteria feed on, but the body cannot digest. Postbiotics are bioactive compounds, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), released by healthy bacteria feeding on their prebiotic food sources.
The following table highlights common prebiotic and postbiotic ingredients in gut microbiome supplement formulations.
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Common Ingredients of Gut Microbiome Supplements |
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| Butyric Acid: This SCFA is fuel for colon cells (or colonocytes). Research1 shows that butyrate is absorbed into the portal vein and influences vital metabolic processes, including lipid metabolism, glucose homeostasis, and immune responses.* | |||
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Ginger: Ginger supplementation has been found2 to benefit the composition of gut microbiota, thereby addressing insulin resistance and limiting the build-up of excess fat in the liver.* |
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Cinnamon: Cinnamon essential oil helps3 maintain normal inflammatory responses in the GI tract and helps improve the richness and diversity of the intestinal microbiota.* |
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Citronella: Citronella essential oil has been found4 to benefit the gut microbiota–inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria, such as Bacillus sp., E. coli, and Listeria monocytogenes.* |
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Orange: Bioactive compounds, such as hesperidin and naringin, found primarily in citrus fruit peels enhance the homeostasis of the gut microbiota.* |
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Lavender: Lavender oil3 protects the gut microbiota against gastrointestinal insults.* |
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Bitter orange: Bitter orange contains bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids, that display antioxidant properties that can mitigate gastrointestinal injury caused by free radicals.* |
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Clove: Eugenol, a major compound derived from clove oil, has been found5 to mitigate disruptions to the gut microbiome caused by a high-fat diet (HFD).* |
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Oregano: Studies indicate6 that oregano essential oil exerts a beneficial effect on the gut’s mucosal barrier and enhances the intestinal microbiota of animal models.* Human studies7,8 have indicated that oregano oil can positively influence the gut microbiome by reducing harmful bacteria and supporting a healthy inflammatory response in the gut.* |
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Thyme oil: Prolonged intake of a HFD disturbs the composition of gut microbiota. Thyme essential oil can mitigate HFD-induced metabolic disruptions and enhance the gut environment.* |
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Marjoram oil: Animal studies9 suggest the potential beneficial activity of marjoram extract against harmful bacterial strains in the gut microbiota.* |
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Nigella seeds: Thymoquinone, the primary constituent of black seed oil derived from Nigella sativa, can correct imbalances in the intestinal flora and enhance the diversity of intestinal microbial composition.* |
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Turmeric oil: The curcumin in turmeric oil can downregulate adverse inflammatory reactions in the intestine by modulating several cell signaling pathways and beneficially influencing the diversity of gut microbiota.* |
Although the beneficial effects of the above ingredients are well-established, their limited natural bioavailability can hinder the efficacy of most gut microbiome supplement formulations. Fortunately, advanced nutrient delivery technologies, including nanotechnology, enhances the absorption of these ingredients to make them a therapeutic reality.
Including An Advanced Gut Microbiome Supplement in Your Diet
The advanced GI support supplements developed by Tesseract Medical Research utilize the therapeutic potential of plant-derived ingredients while ensuring their optimal absorption through proprietary nutrient delivery nanotechnology. The CyLoc® – DexKey® nutrient delivery system encases each active nutrient molecule in a dextrin fiber cage to protect its integrity during the transit through the stomach. The accompanying DexKey reactors enable targeted delivery of the active nutrients at the desired point in the intestinal tract, ensuring unprecedented absorption.
Tesseract’s innovative gut microbiome supplements, powered by the revolutionary CyLoc / DexKey nutrient delivery system, help maintain the diversity of your intestinal microbiota to promote your overall health and wellness.*
The power of Tesseract supplements lies in enhancing palatability, maximizing absorption and bioavailability, and micro-dosing multiple nutrients in a single, highly effective capsule. Shop products on our website and learn more about how they can support your gastrointestinal health.*
Citations
1Amiri P, et al. Role of butyrate, a gut microbiota derived metabolite . . . : A comprehensive narrative review. Frontiers in pharmacology vol. 12 837509. 2 Feb. 2022, doi:10.3389/fphar.2021.837509
2Wang X, et al. Gut microbiota variation with short-term intake of ginger juice on human health. Frontiers in microbiology vol. 11 576061. 23 Feb. 2021, doi:10.3389/fmicb.2020.576061
3Li A-L, et al. Effect of cinnamon essential oil on gut microbiota in the mouse model of dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis. Microbiology and immunology vol. 64,1 (2020): 23-32. doi:10.1111/1348-0421.12749
4Lazar V, et al. Modulation of gut microbiota by essential oils and inorganic nanoparticles: Impact in nutrition and health. Frontiers in nutrition vol. 9 920413. 8 Jul. 2022, doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.920413
5Li M, et al. Eugenol, a major component of clove oil, attenuates adiposity, and modulates gut microbiota in high-fat diet-fed mice. Molecular nutrition & food research vol. 66,20 (2022): e2200387. doi:10.1002/mnfr.202200387
6Jia L, et al. Oregano essential oils mediated intestinal microbiota and metabolites and improved growth performance and intestinal barrier function in sheep. Frontiers in immunology vol. 13 908015. 12 Jul. 2022, doi:10.3389/fimmu.2022.908015
7Leyva-López N, et al. Essential Oils of Oregano: Biological Activity beyond Their Antimicrobial Properties. Molecules. 2017;22(6):989. Published 2017 Jun 14. doi:10.3390/molecules22060989
8Ghitea TC, et al. The Antimicrobial Activity of Origanum vulgare L. Correlated with the Gastrointestinal Perturbation in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome. Molecules. 2021;26(2):283. doi:10.3390/molecules26020283
9Prihambodo TR, et al. Effects of dietary flavonoids on performance, blood constituents, carcass composition and small intestinal morphology of broilers: a meta-analysis. Animal bioscience vol. 34,3 (2021): 434-442. doi:10.5713/ajas.20.0379
