Gut Health

Groundbreaking STUDY Addressing Leaky Gut with the Strains Used in Just Thrive Probiotic & Antioxidant

A peer-reviewed leaky gut study using the licensed spore bacillus strains in Just Thrive Probiotic & Antioxidant was published on Aug 15, 2017 in The World Journal of Gastrointestinal Pathophysiology. 

BELOW is a short summary of the findings and key points (scroll to bottom for link to study):

Why was this study conducted?

Leaky gut syndrome results from a chronic overgrowth of harmful bacteria in the gut. The natural byproduct of these pathogens is low-level irritants, an excess of which impacts the intestinal wall until it develops holes. 

These irritants are called LPS (lipopolysaccharide) endotoxins. (“Endo” means “inside,” so endotoxins are poisons produced from within the body, rather than coming from the outside.)

These irritating endotoxins, along with other inappropriate compounds, then leak from the gut into the bloodstream, stressing both the body’s immune and detox functions. 

Clinical leaky gut (metabolic endotoxemia), and the immune, detox and digestive disorder it creates, is becoming recognized as a significant contributing factor to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, cognitive decline and immune dysfunctions - in other words, most chronic disease. 

The goal of the study was to address leaky gut by introducing these proprietary strains. 

The hypothesis was that the spore-based probiotic would reduce harmful gut bacteria and their LPS endotoxins enough that the intestinal lining would be enabled to begin healing and sealing the holes and other damage located there.

How was this study conducted?

Phase One - Conducted at the University of North Texas on nearly 100 people, mostly college students, all initial applicants had to first successfully pass 12 tests to exclude for pre-existing or hidden medical conditions.

Phase Two – Two blood samples were drawn. The first was before eating and determined baseline statistics for LPS endotoxins, ghrelin, insulin, leptin and 11 different inflammatory markers. 

Then participants ate cheese pizza from a local restaurant and returned 5 hours later to give a second sample. 

The simple act of digesting food, regardless of the content, naturally puts stress on the intestinal wall and, when the gut is already irritated and swollen, can stimulate leakiness. Eating low-quality, processed food high in fat and toxic chemicals – like cheese pizza - is even more stressful to the gut wall. 

When endotoxins leak through, peak levels occur in the blood about 5 hours after eating.

Phase Three - Only individuals with measurable leaky gut endotoxins in their second blood sample were given a month’s supply of capsules. Because the study was double-blind, nobody knew who got the Just Thrive strains and who got the placebo. Instructions were