Why Should I Care About Gut Health?

Here are a few great reasons to care about gut health:

# 1. 80% of your immune health starts in the gut

# 2. Gut health affects nutrient absorption

# 3. Depression and anxiety have been linked to poor gut health

# 4. Weight gain can be a result of poor gut health

# 5. Some microbiologists, doctors, and nutritionists suggest a healthy gut is the key to long term weight loss

 

How are Wai drinking mixes different than other drink mixes?

# 1. Wai drink mixes are 9 grams per serving compared to the standard 3 gram drink mix

# 2. Wai drink mixes contain no artificial ingredients, no acids, and no artificial colors

# 3. Wai drink mixes contain 3 grams of prebiotic fiber per serving

# 4. Wai drink mixes contain 3 grams of prebiotic tagatose per serving

# 5. Wai drink mixes’ prebiotics promote the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the intestines

# 6. Wai drink mixes contain 5 billion CFU of two powerful probiotic strains with superior survivability compared to other leading probiotics

# 7. Wai drink mix probiotics promote healthy digestion, support colon health, and support a healthy immune system

# 8. Wai drink mix probiotics support metabolic restoration 

What is metabolic restoration?

Wai drink mixes contain Bacillus subtilis HU58. Bacillus subtilis HU58 has been shown to digest dietary starches into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Dozens of clinical trials and published studies have shown that SCFAs control the entire metabolic process. SCFAs regulate the balance between fatty acid synthesis (making of fat), fatty acid oxidation (burning of fat), and lipolysis (breaking down and absorption of fat) in the body. Burning of fat is activated by SCFAs, while production of stored fat and lipolysis are inhibited. The net result is a reduction of the concentrations of free fatty acids in plasma and a decrease in body weight. The studies published on SCFAs show a direct effect in the increased SCFA formation in the gut by good bacteria and their stimulation of fat burn, increased fat loss, and reduction in fat accumulation. This is the most direct evidence there is for changing someone's metabolism. These changes are conducted at the genome level where SCFAs can actually turn on fat burning genes and turn off fat storage genes. This is the true goal for permanent weight loss, the reprograming of gene expression that controls how one’s body responds to food. With this approach, we are changing the epigenetics (modification of gene expression) of metabolism. We are influencing gene expression to favor a lean body. This approach is a much more powerful and permanent approach than the standard weight loss program of calculating calories in vs. calories out. 

 

How do we reprogram our metabolism?

From the microbial side, there are two important things to pay attention to. The first one is the ratio of bacteroidetes to firmicutes in your gut. Lean people all over the world and among many different cultures studied tended to have a slightly higher ratio of bacteroidetes vs. firmicutes. Having higher firmicutes is directly associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and inflammation. There are a few simple things one can do to help alter the ratio of these two phylum of bacteria to reach the desired balance that will help keep you lean and healthy.

 

1)      Bacteroidetes love fiber. Consuming foods and snacks that are high in fiber and low or absent in sugar will support the growth of the good bacteroidetes bacteria. Silver Fern™ Brand offers a number of delicious food options that have no sugar or are low in sugar and yet contain high fiber and high proteins. Yes, you can eat pancakes and stay lean as long as those pancakes are high in fiber, high in protein and have little or no sugar or artificial sweeteners.

2)      Firmicutes love sugar and simple carbohydrates. In fact, if you have an overgrowth of firmicutes you likely get sugar and carbohydrate cravings. These bacteria are so powerful that they can send neurotransmitters to your brain to make you crave sugar. They do this to get the host (you) to feed them the nutrients they want. Simple carbohydrates and sugars feed firmicutes and thus lead to weight gain and metabolic syndrome. You can have chocolate without causing an unfavorable shift in your gut bacteria as long as that chocolate doesn’t have sugar, processed carbohydrates (like starches), or artificial sweeteners.

3)      Try to consume all your calories for the day in an 8-10 hour window. Having a 12+ hour period of fasting in our day allows for beneficial bacterial growth and support the growth of bacteroidetes.

The second important microbial technique is to get the right probiotics into your system with your meals. This ensures that the healthy fibers and protein you are consuming are being converted to fat busting compounds instead of gas. It’s not enough to just eat a high fiber diet as many of the “bad” or unfavorable bacteria can also consume the fiber and turn that fiber into gas. Many people have experienced this. They eat a bunch of “healthy” high fiber foods and all they get is gas and bloat. This is because unfavorable bacteria in the gut convert the fiber into hydrogen and methane gas instead of the critical fat busting compounds known as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). If you consume sugar free, high fiber foods and snacks with the right probiotic bacteria the fiber will be converted to SCFAs instead of gas. This is a critical step in getting the metabolic benefits from healthy fiber. Without this crucial conversion, your body will continue to absorb high amounts of calories, suppress the burning of fat, increase fat storage, produce gas, and increase insulin resistance.

Dozens of clinical trials and published studies have shown that SCFAs control the entire metabolic process. SCFAs regulate the balance between fatty acid synthesis (making of fat), fatty acid oxidation (burning of fat), and lipolysis (breaking down and absorption of fat) in the body. Burning of fat is activated by SCFAs, while production of stored fat and lipolysis are inhibited. The net result is a reduction of the concentrations of free fatty acids in plasma and a decrease in body weight. The studies published on SCFAs show a direct effect in the increased SCFA formation in the gut by good bacteria and their stimulation of fat burning, increased fat loss, and reduction in fat accumulation. This is the most direct evidence there is for changing someone's metabolism. These changes are conducted at the genome level where SCFAs can actually turn on fat burning genes and turn off fat storage genes. This is the true goal for permanent weight loss, the reprograming of gene expression that controls how one’s body responds to food. With this approach, we are changing the epigenetics (modification of gene expression) of metabolism. We are influencing gene expression to favor a lean body. This approach is a much more powerful and permanent approach than the standard weight loss program of calculating calories in vs. calories out. 

Let’s take a deeper look at how SCFAs actually make genetic expression changes in the body to affect metabolic health. The three main SCFAs are butyrate, propionate and acetate. These are ONLY produced by good bacteria, such as those found in Wai drink mixes, and are not extracted from foods or produced by the human body itself. Butyrate has been shown in published trials to be able to prevent diet-induced insulin resistance. This is achieved by promoting the expression of genes that increase energy expenditure thus burning off more blood sugar and fat as well as increasing mitochondria function (the powerhouse of each cell). Acetate, for example, has been shown to decrease the expression of several genes in the liver that produce fatty acids for storage. This inhibition may inhibit fat storage and thus acetate has the potential to improve obesity and obesity-linked type 2 diabetes. Butyrate and propionate have been shown in published studies to induce gut hormones that cause improved satiety and reduced food intake. Overeating is a fundamental issue in dysfunctional metabolic health. The sensitivity to satiety hormones tend to decrease over time with continued overeating. Improving satiety is a key component to reprogramming the metabolism. Acetic acid has been shown to increase the expression of genes that support fat burning in the liver and also genes that suppress body fat accumulation. This type of gene reprogramming is done by upregulating genes for PPAR-alpha and fat burning related proteins by alpha2 AMPK mediation. This is one example of the specific gene modifications these amazing nutrients make in our metabolic system, thus reprogramming our bodies to become fat burning machines.

 

Can Wai drink mixes reduce gas and bloating?

Yes, Wai drink mixes can reduce gas and bloating. People often find that eating “healthy” high fiber diets only result in gas and bloat. This happens because unfavorable bacteria in the gut convert the fiber into hydrogen and methane gas instead of the critical fat busting compounds known as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). If a person consumes high fiber foods and snacks (that have little or no sugar) with the right probiotic bacteria the fiber will be converted to SCFAs instead of gas. This is a critical step in getting the metabolic benefits from healthy fiber. Without this crucial conversion your body will continue to absorb high amounts of calories, suppress the burning of fat, increase fat storage, produce gas, and increase insulin resistance. Studies suggest that the strains and fiber in the Wai drink mixes increased the production of SCFAs by 40% and decreased the production of gas by 50%. This is exactly the type of modulation a person wants to see when consuming fiber rich foods with a probiotic. No other probiotic strains have shown this type of metabolic response to fiber thus far. 

 

Do the probiotics in Wai drink mixes strengthen one’s immune system?

Yes. Bacillus subtilis HU58 is an extremely potent immune stimulator. It has the function of germinating in the small intestines which offers the effect of broad-spectrum immune stimulation. Bacillus coagulans is a powerful probiotic strain that is therapeutically prescribed to patients in Israel, France, and Germany needing acute immune support.  Research and clinical practice has shown strong evidence for Bacillus coagulan’s ability to fight off invading viruses and pathogens.

What is tagatose?

Tagatose is a low glycemic and low calorie natural sweetener. The raw material used to create tagatose is lactose from milk. The dairy protein allergens are removed from tagatose as a result of fermentation and various thermal processes. The result of this process is that tagatose is lactose free. Learn more about Tagatose with this PDF.