In this podcast episode, a fellow practitioner asked about a probiotic formula that contains soil organisms. She wanted to know if these spores were safe. Many well-meaning people in the alternative health space recommend these products without realizing the risks.
I discussed this with Natasha Trenev, the founder of Natren Probiotics with a 750-year family tradition of cultivating probiotics (supplied to royal families across Europe), and her probiotic standards were read out in the US Congressional Acts. Natasha explains that soil organisms like Bacillus coagulans produce toxic substances to eliminate competition that can damage human cells.
Here is the ingredients list of the product my friend asked about:
Now for those of you who have read my books: WHAT are the problems with this ingredient list?
The first thing you might notice is that it contains a soil bacterial organism – which you know is not safe for human consumption, especially those with compromised immune systems.
They have also blended the safe, recognized probiotic species along with the soil organism and 8 powerful medicinal mushrooms. And the entire mixture is at room temperature – all together in a capsule or powder sachet.
Instead of writing for pages about the problems involved – and most of them! – probiotic products, I hopped on Zoom with Natasha to clearly and quickly explain WHY these practices are not beneficial to humans.
The short answer is no. Mixing probiotics with other substances almost always destroys their effectiveness.
You can watch our video:
Or listen to the podcast:
Listen to your gut feeling
Why you should NOT mix probiotics with other ingredients
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What we covered in this episode
Here are the key points Natasha and I discussed:
- Why mix probiotics? mushroom extracts kills the beneficial bacteria.
- How different probiotic strains attack each other when placed in the same capsule.
- Why soil organisms such as Bacillus coagulans outperform conventional (food-cultured) probiotics.
- Why prebiotics like inulin or FOS can feed the wrong bacteria.
- The importance of including the Culture medium with probiotic bacteria.
- How a real formulation requires in-depth expertise and not random combinations.
We have already made a video about why soil bacterial organisms (such as Bacillus coagulans, Sporogenes, Lichenoformis – found in the feathers of ground birds, aquatic life and soil) are NOT probiotics. But we also provide some more information about WHY they are not safe for humans and some possible consequences of spore formation in the intestines (latent infection, etc.).
Probiotics and mushrooms do not belong together
The formula we reviewed combined eight mushroom extracts with three probiotics:
- Bacillus coagulans (a soil organism)
- Bifidobacterium bifidum
- Lactobacillus acidophilus
This looks impressive on the label. In reality, the beneficial probiotic species cannot survive. Mushrooms often contain compounds that kill lactobacilli. And when bifidobacteria and acidophilus are mixed with an aggressive soil organism, they die.
Consumers mostly swallow dead bacteria. Money wasted.
Probiotics compete with each other
Even if just mixing food-based probiotics, the problem still remains. When Acidophilus and Bifidobacteria are allowed to touch each other, their original directive: survival and dominance takes over.
They release substances to kill each other. One may dominate, but the rest die out. This means that when you swallow the capsule, you will no longer have the balanced formula you thought you purchased.
That’s why Natasha created the Healthy Trinity capsule. Each species is in its own oil bubble, so each species cannot touch each other or compete for dominance.
Prebiotics: feeding the wrong inhabitants of the intestine
Another common mistake is mixing probiotics with prebiotics like inulin or FOS. These are indigestible sugars. They feed bacteria in the intestines, but not selectively.
When your microbiome is out of balance, prebiotics can feed yeast or bad bacteria just as well as the good ones. In people with intestinal disorders, this often worsens symptoms.
The role of the culture medium
A true probiotic comes with its culture medium – the food on which it was grown. This medium contains natural antimicrobial agents, peptides, amino acids and vitamins. These compounds support both the beneficial bacteria and the human host.
By removing the culture medium or mixing bacteria with unrelated ingredients, these benefits are lost.
Final thoughts
Too many companies develop probiotic formulas without the necessary knowledge of microbiology or immunology. They throw ingredients together and assume more is better.
But probiotics are living organisms with their own survival instincts and agenda to thrive. If not treated with expertise, they will kill each other, die in the capsule, or cause unintentional damage.
If you want real benefits, probiotics should never be mixed with mushrooms, prebiotics, or even each other unless they are carefully separated.
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Jini Patel Thompson is an internationally recognized expert in natural healing for digestive diseases. She healed herself from widespread Crohn’s disease and has been medication and surgery free for over 25 years. Jini has appeared on numerous podcasts, TV and radio shows in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, giving people hope and vision on how to heal their colitis, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) using all-natural methods. Her books on natural healing of digestive diseases have been sold in over 80 countries worldwide. Jini is married and has three children, nine sheep, 11 horses, a cat and three dogs.
