Home/Blog/Featured/Spore-Based Probiotics vs Normal Probiotics: What’s the Difference and Why Does it Matter?
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In the vast world that is gut health, there is an abundance of information on how to keep your gut in check. Most of the time you hear about probiotics and the millions of yogurt companies that want to be your dealer. With all the sugary goodness, loud color choices, and cute mascots it’s hard to know what to choose. You want healthy, you want tasty, and quite frankly the cuter the packaging the better it looks in your and your kids’ lunchboxes. But what if we told you that the probiotics you’re trying to supplement into your diet aren’t really getting into your system?Spore based probiotics vs normal probiotics

What if we told you that not all probiotics are created equally? Unfortunately, that’s exactly what we are telling you. 

Problems with Normal Probiotics

The most common forms of probiotics you’ll encounter are of the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families. 

These probiotics are fantastic at their jobs and they really do promote good gut health, but the likelihood of you getting the best quality and right amount of them is very unlikely. 

Research shows the numerous benefits these bacteria can provide your body.

However, they aren’t likely to reach where they need to go because your gastrointestinal (GI) tract is an inhospitable environment for them. Your gut microbiome lives in the colon — one of the last stops in your GI tract. Before reaching your gut microbiome the probiotics must survive through your stomach and small intestine which are both highly acidic areas that often kill the probiotics before they can ever reach the intended destination.

While certain species can still have a benefit to your body while they are dead, it may not happen for all bacteria and may not receive quite as strong benefits. 

Spore-based organism (SBO) probiotics or soil-based organism probiotics are now being studied as an alternative and potentially better option to our normal probiotic choices. 

The Basics of SBO Probiotics

The power of SBO probiotics has been known for ages. As hunters and gatherers, we were more exposed to the soil and the microbes living within it. Children play in the dirt and expose themselves to these microbes. 

The more obsessed our society has become with cleanliness, the less we have exposed ourselves to soil and therefore these powerful microbes that promote our health.

Although you may not want to play in the mud anymore, SBO probiotic supplements have been created to get the benefits without the dirt.

SBO probiotics are a special breed of bacteria that have evolved to survive the entire ride through your digestive tract. 

Stomach acids and bile are what typically kill probiotics before they can be useful to your body.

SBO probiotics are different because they contain an endospore. 

Endospores are a protective case that allows the bacteria to travel safely to your large intestines. Endospores are extremely helpful in allowing your body to get the most out of your probiotics. 

The spore allows the bacteria to remain dormant until it is needed. 

When the bacteria arrive in a hospitable environment (i.e. the gut microbiome), the spore will open up and allow the bacteria to decide what it needs to do and where.

What’s great about the SBO is that they can read the environment. Since they’ve been exposed to humans for centuries, they know what our microbiome should look like. They easily detect species that shouldn’t be there and are able to fight them off for us. They’re also supportive of the helpful species. 

SBO probiotics are also able to determine if the gut microbiome needs them at all. If they’re not needed they’ll either go back into dormancy and wait until they’re needed or pass through the rest of the GI tract.

Spore-Based Bacteria Species

When it comes to probiotics, we typically hear the names of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria. These aren’t the same bacteria that you get with the SBO type. 

What’s especially interesting about the SBO types of bacteria is that some within the same family can be good while others can be very bad. 

Below we have listed some of the more common SBO probiotics you may come across.

We will also mention particular bacteria of those families that you may have heard of as being pathogenic instead of helpful. 

Bacillus

Although Lactobacillus does have Bacillus in its name, these two species are not the same. 

Bacillus bacteria are spore-formers which means that they are hardier.

Where Lactobacillus is heat-sensitive, Bacillus is capable of withstanding the heat and getting where it needs to go to get the job done. 

The more commonly studied Bacillus groups as probiotics include:

One study on a combination of Bacillus strains was able to improve leaky gut syndrome by reducing endotoxins and triglycerides. 

For patients with IBS and SIBO, it was found that a Bacillus probiotic mixture was just as effective for patients as using rifaximin and the low-FODMAP diet. 

The commonly known pathogenic forms of this family include:

  • Bacillus cereus
  • Bacillus anthracis

Clostridium butyricum

This species has been found to help with many different health problems with little to no side effects. Some of the main ways this probiotic can be beneficial include:

Potential Dangers Associated with SBO Probiotics

As with normal probiotics, there are potential dangers associated with this particular form of probiotics. A problem that can potentially be seen with these probiotics is that spores can proliferate. While most of the bacteria types used as probiotics don’t normally proliferate in the human GI tract, the potential is there. SBO probiotic results can differ from person to person because of their ability to lie dormant. Some studies have found that in some people the bacteria may not be released at all while in others they can proliferate at a high rate.

Typically people with compromised immune systems, children, and the elderly, should avoid this type of probiotic to avoid the potential of over proliferation. In addition, some strains are being found to increase or cause antibiotic resistance. The antibiotic resistance potential comes from the evolution of the bacteria to be impenetrable. Since the spore isn’t affected by heat, acid, or other things that would normally fight them off, they’ve also become immune to antibiotics. While antibiotics can disrupt your microbiome they are also necessary for some situations.

You don’t want to need antibiotics and not have them be effective for you.

As with anything, we suggest that you proceed with caution and consult your doctor before adding any supplements or probiotics to your daily routine to make sure it is the best course of action for you and your body. 

How to get SBO Probiotics

Atrantil has recently released a new product on the market called AtrantilPro. The power of polyphenols and prebiotics has now been paired with a proven spore-biotic blend to improve gastrointestinal health. 

The sporebiotics used in AtrantilPro include:

  • Bacillus subtilis
  • Bacillus coagulans
  • Bacillus clausii

These three are generally regarded as safe for use. They’re also powerful helpers against common GI symptoms, such as bloating, abdominal discomfort, constipation, and diarrhea. When they’re paired with the stable and potent polyphenols in Atrantil, they are all enhanced in their ability to improve GI health.

Talk with your doctor to see if Atrantil or AtrantilPro would be better for you. Those who have compromised immune systems may want to stick with the safety of regular Atrantil. However, those who could use the extra boost may want to get a prescription for AtrantilPro to experience its extra benefits.

 Do you have experience with spore-based probiotics? If so, let us know your experiences in the comments below! 

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