Gut Instinct: Why 400 Trillion Gut Bacteria Can’t Be Wrong

Written by Jamie, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Highlights

There are 30 to 400 trillion gut bacteria that call us home, and most of them are in the gut.
These trillions of bacteria, which make up the microbiome, do so much for our body that they’re considered an actual organ!
We need a balance of bacteria to extract nutrients from food, make vitamins, produce energy and support immunity.
Gut bacteria support cardiovascular health, power immunity, aid brain health and help us fend off obesity.
Soy contains bioactive peptides, such as lunasin, that support our health in many ways, including supporting healthy levels of hunger hormones, leptin and ghrelin.
Research shows that the protein, amino acids and bioactive peptides in gut-health-friendly Almased work together to help the body curb appetite, process sugar, burn fat and preserve muscle.

Don’t look now, but there are between 30 trillion and 400 trillion gut bacteria that call the human body home.

In fact, there are many more bacteria in the gut than there are cells in the body.

Most of them hang out in our gastrointestinal tract, specifically our gut. A vast majority of the bacteria that hitch a ride inside are simple, single-celled microorganisms. The trillions of these bacteria that live inside us are called microbiota.

Because we have such an important lifelong relationship with these symbiotic critters, all of them together make up an internal ecosystem that scientists call the gut microbiome.

As we go through life, our microbiome is either helped or hindered by such factors as aging, where we live, medication and antibiotic use, disease, the environment, diet and supplementation.

And while the old beliefs about “germs” were that they were all “bad,” even bacteria that were recently thought to be only harmful, such as H. pylori, can, for example, offer some benefit for appetite regulation.

The All-Natural Balance of the Bugs

In point of fact, we need a natural balance of bacteria, both good and bad ones, just like in the world around us. A sterile germ-free world would be a deadly one indeed.

If we feed our gut right, it does all of the good things we rely on it to do: break down foods; make vitamins; produce energy; and support our immunity.

People who don’t have a diverse and healthy population of resident “aliens” are more prone to obesity, anxiety and depression, in addition to immune system problems.

The Care and Feeding of Gut Bacteria 101

And these trillions of gut hitch-hikers do so much for our body, and control so many processes, that scientists now say that the human microbiome is actually another organ!

It’s no surprise, then, that this new organ — that has been unrecognized as such for about 6 million years — requires proper care and feeding.

For example, if we don’t give our gut bacteria the right amount of protein, fats and micronutrients, then our digestive tract can’t do its job of absorbing nutrients.

Gut bacteria — and a properly working microbiome — also play major roles in supporting cardiovascular health, immunity and brain health, plus reducing the likelihood that we will become obese.

Gut Health and the Power of Protein

Regular digestive wear and tear requires frequent repair. If we add inflammation, bowel challenges or other gastrointestinal issues to the mix, then we need additional protein and other nutrients to help the gut heal itself.

Eating more good protein helps us digest protein more easily, because more protein enzymes get released and set to work.

Soy, in fact, contains four major components that can improve the composition of the gut bacteria in a prebiotic way: fiber, oligosaccharides, isoflavones and protein.

Prebiotics are foods that feed good bacteria. When we consume good bacteria in a gut health supplement, those are called probiotics.

In addition to protein, fats, vitamins and minerals, we also need amino acids to feed the gut and even help heal and rejuvenate the gut lining.

Bioactive Peptides from Soy “Muscle In”

Fortunately, soy contains four major components that can improve the composition of the gut bacteria in a prebiotic way: fiber, oligosaccharides, isoflavones and protein.

Soy also contains bioactive peptides, including lunasin and soymorphin, which, according to research, boost brain health, support healthy cholesterol levels, encourage glucose health, tackle inflammation, aid immunity and curb appetite.

Specifically, bioactive peptides work to improve our satiety (our ability to feel full) by supporting healthy levels of the hunger hormones, leptin and ghrelin.

Enter: Gut-Friendly Almased

Protein and peptides work best when crafted in an all-natural formula, rather than just being extracted and consumed by themselves.

One such formula, briefly mentioned above, is Almased.

Supported by over 30 years of research, a 2016 study in 83 overweight adults found that this dietary supplement formula — which is rich in soy protein, bioactive peptides, amino acids and other nutrients — safely and effectively produced “significant weight loss,” a good part of which was due to reducing levels of the appetite-stimulating hormone, leptin.

This study showed that there were “significant improvements” in both body composition and metabolism with Almased.

Earlier research, from 2003, showed that Almased helped participants not only lose weight but also preserve muscle mass, in addition to improving how the body handles both glucose and fat.

In fact, in a landmark 2020 study with 19 healthy women — who received either Almased alone or a standard diet — when taking Almased the participants were able to significantly burn more fat by turning more nutrients into energy than they were able to with a regular diet, leading the researchers to say that Almased provides a "metabolic advantage" compared to a conventional diet.

In addition to including Almased and lean protein in our gut health diet, we will want to include foods with resistant starch — which acts kind of like soluble fiber — examples of which are: lentils, chickpeas and beans, firm bananas, rolled oats, cashews and certain whole-grain products.

Choosing a diet with a variety of fiber is a really good way to keep your digestive system happy.

So there you have it. Gluten-free, bioactive peptide-rich and fat-burning Almased can be a powerful part of your gut health diet!