Fermented foods contain a large amount of beneficial bacteria, and should be a part of a health person’s diet. However, there are often reasons why someone can’t consume them. They are high in histamine and histamine producing bacteria, which can certainly worsen symptoms. They can also contain strains that produce d-lactic acid, something many people with a dysbiosis need to avoid. Thus why a really good probiotic can be very helpful, but it needs to formulated with the right strains, in the right ratios. A supplement allows us to focus on the most beneficial strains that work in synergy, while containing none of the problematic issues.
The phage complex in Phage Complete may be the star of the show (hence the name), but the probiotics in the formula were also meticulously selected for their gut health benefits, how well they work with each other, and how well they work with the phages (that amplification effect). This article will discuss the DE111® bacillus subtilis strain contained in Phage Complete. It is a soil based strain that has been extensively researched; bacillus subtilis is also a normal part of an ancestral human diet when eating truly organically grown vegetables and wild fermented vegetables.
A new double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study (a “gold standard” study methodology) shows that Bacillus subtilis DE111® (included in Phage Complete) shows significant immune support benefits. After only four weeks of supplementing with DE111 study participants displayed immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects on several T cell subsets.
“CD25+ and CD25+FoxP3+ T regulatory cell counts were significantly increased in the DE111 group… DE111 intervention led to a significant increase in CD4+CD8+ double-positive T cells both within and between groups. In contrast, CD8+ cytotoxic T cells were reduced after DE111 intervention compared to the placebo group… our results indicate an expansion of regulatory immune cells from DE111-treated individuals in response to low-grade, pro-inflammatory stimulation. Therefore, DE111 may be useful in suppressing responses driven by obesity and diet-derived metabolic endotoxemia.” — DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052453
The results of the study indicated that DE111 can support a healthy and robust immune system by supporting a healthy immune response to threats (such as unwanted bacteria and viruses).
Another study showed that DE111 increases the number of “normal stools” compared to the placebo group, reducing both diarrhea and constipation.
“DE111 significantly improved gastrointestinal discomfort including constipation and diarrhea over the course of the study. Individuals in the DE111 group reported an increased frequency of normal type stools compared to those in the Placebo group. Therefore, a B. subtilis DE111 dose at 1 billion CFU/day may improve occasional constipation and diarrhea while helping to maintain gastrointestinal health.” — Journal of Probiotics and Health
DE111 has been studied in children (as young as 2 years old) and has shown significant benefits to their gut health. Personally I believe if your young child’s gut seems fine then you shouldn’t be routinely giving them probiotics, even Phage Complete, unless advised by their pediatrician. A good diet, appropriate for their age, is fine. If they’re old enough for pureed vegetables make sure they get those daily, they’re more important than fruit. But if their gut is out of whack, and they’ve seen their pediatrician, then Phage Complete might be the answer.
“Effect of Daily Bacillus subtilis DE111 Intake on Gastrointestinal Health and Respiratory Infections in Children Attending Day-care: A Randomised, Parallel, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study – This study aimed to evaluate safety and efficacy of the probiotic Bacillus subtilis DE111® in gastrointestinal health and respiratory infections in preschool children. In a randomised, parallel, double-blind placebo-controlled study 102 day-care attending children aged 2-6 years received B. subtilis DE111® (1 × 109 CFU) or placebo once a day for 8 weeks. Saliva samples were collected at baseline and completion of the intervention to measure sIgA levels. A significant reduction in duration of vomiting (2 days vs. 14 days, p=0.045), duration of hard stools (0 days vs 15 days, p=0.044), and duration of overall gastrointestinal discomfort (18 days vs. 48 days, p=0.0499) was seen… Overall, data suggests intake of the probiotic B. subtilis DE111® is safe for use in children and supports a healthy gastrointestinal tract with a reduced duration of vomiting, hard stools and overall gastrointestinal discomfort.” — Journal of Probiotics & Health
As outlined in a previous article, research has shown that DE111 can significantly reduce inflammation.
“our results show that B. subtilis-based probiotics do possess properties that may help attenuate and prevent inflammatory responses in the intestine while also strengthening the gut barrier; a key property that helps prevent potentially sustaining chronic inflammation.” — DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00564
In the following study it was shown that DE111 may improve risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) (PubMed ID#33161737), “Bacillus subtilis DE111 intake may improve blood lipids and endothelial function in healthy adults” published in Beneficial Microbes, was performed at a leading university specializing in probiotics research. The study was an IRB-approved, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled four-week trial. The research team found that B. subtilis DE111 supplementation of 1 billion CFU per day resulted in significant reduction in total cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol relative to baseline measures. The team also observed a strong trend toward reduction in LDL cholesterol, as well as improvement in endothelial function; reactive hyperemia index (RHI), an indicator of blood flow and heart health, increased by 9.14%. Notably, these effects were observed in a population of healthy individuals, and the results strongly suggest that B. subtilis supplementation may help support cardiovascular health.
DE111 has also received listings in Australia and New Zealand for the following health claims. Companies seeking to make a health claim for a food ingredient in Australia and New Zealand must perform a comprehensive and systematic review of evidence of a causal food-health relationship. Deerland (the company behind DE111) was able to conduct this assessment of the probiotic DE111 based on the wealth of peer-reviewed clinical publications on the strain.
“promotes growth of healthy gastrointestinal flora”
“supports growth of beneficial gut bacteria”
“supports and improves digestive health in children and adults”
“reduces total blood cholesterol or blood LDL cholesterol”
Bacillus Subtilis is also known for creating important enzymes and vitamins in the gut, including digestive enzymes (DOI 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01490). Here are some of the more important ones:
- Carbohydrate degrading enzymes: α-Amylase, β-Amylase, Arabinase, Cellulase, Chitinase, Chitosanase, Dextranase, Galactanase,
- Protein degrading: Proteases, Aminopeptidase, Esterase, metal proteases, Serine proteases
- Vitamin K2 (menaquinones) (doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-62737-x)
Bacillus subtilis is also histamine degrading, a huge plus for people with histamine intolerance. The following study (DOI #10.1016/j.jfda.2015.02.003) showed that it degraded (or removed) 74% of the histamine from the test medium (one of the highest levels tested).
The Bacillus subtilis species of bacteria has also been studied to help fight c.difficile (though per FDA regulations no claims of that are made for Phage Complete).
“In this work, we used spores of Bacillus subtilis, a bacterial species already widely associated with probiotic use, to suppress symptoms of C. difficile CDI. Our objective was to assess the capacity of this bacterium, as a probiotic, to protect against disease.” — doi.org/10.1111/1574-6968.12468
B.Subtilis has been a part of the human gut for millions of years. Our immune system utilizes it to help fight off unwanted bacteria, including salmonella and h.pylori (it should be pointed out that there are no FDA approved medical treatments for the use of B.subtilis as it is not an approved drug).
“inhibits the adhesion of Salmonella enteritidis, Listeria monocytogenes, and E. coli… Bacillus subtilis 3 can produce antibiotics including amicoumacin A and nonamicoumacin against H. pylori (Pinchuk et al., 2001). A B. subtilis recombinant strain exhibited antiviral activity against influenza virus, herpes virus, and equine encephalomyelitis virus in in vitro and experimental animal models, respectively (Chudnovskaya et al., 1995)” — PMC6811671
B. Subtilis has a long history of use in fermentation and in the food industry. It has undergone hundreds of studies and has always been found to be very safe.
“there is a considerable body of evidence, often accumulated over decades, relating to the safe use of B. licheniformis, B. subtilis and related strains for enzyme production and as food/feed additives.” — PMC6199538
Unlike many other soil based probiotics on the market, B. subtilis DE111 is not antibiotic resistant. This means should your doctor want to clear it from your gut (for what ever reason) he/she has many antibiotic tools at their disposal to do so.
“More than 30 studies have been performed to confirm the safety and efficacy of Bacillus subtilis DE111. A full genome sequencing confirmed the strain contained no plasmids, antibiotic resistant or deleterious genes. The genome sequence of DE111 has been uploaded to GenBank, the National Institutes of Health genetic sequence database.”
If you read this far you can see that Bacillus Subtilis is a very important probiotic strain in your struggle for a healthier gut! Yet it is just one of the 5 strains of beneficial bacteria in Phage Complete, each selected for their benefits to gut health and the immune system. Combined the benefits have been obvious to thousands of people. The phage complex in Phage Complete compliments each of these strains very well, thus why the thousands of success stories! This is what happens when you actually develop a probiotic based on science, and the financial bottom line.
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I have been taking DE111 for 3 years now. I have found that this strain of probiotic has eliminated all constipation, stomach ache, etc. It does metabolize food exceptionally and creates a relaxed feeling of good health.