The Microbiome - Inside your intestinal tract (your "gut"), you have trillions of microscopic organisms. These are useful, or ‘good’ microbes, like bacteria and fungi, form your GUT MICROBIOME. Your gut microbiome is essential to major bodily functions, like digesting food, absorbing nutrients, and even supporting your immune system. Everyone's gut microbiome is different, but they all perform similar functions. In the same way, anyone’s microbiome can become dysregulated, causing various side effects, like DYSBIOSIS. DYSBIOSIS is the term for when a person’s microbiome is in disarray. This means that there could be a significant decrease in the amount of bacteria in your gut, and potentially an increase of undesirable microbes. The human body does not like dysbiosis. When your gut senses something is wrong, it communicates that to your brain via the GUT-BRAIN AXIS.

Through the gut-brain axis, the gut can send distress signals to the brain. In dysbiosis, the brain activates the immune system to solve the problem. The immune response triggers inflammation, a the body’s way of fighting back and a necessary response. If inflammation lasts too long, however, it can weaken the gut lining, allowing food particles and microbes to leak out of the intestines and into your body, leading to widespread irritation. A weakened gut and excessive inflammation disrupts gut-brain communication and can throw off brain chemicals like neurotransmitters. When the gut-brain axis is unbalanced, stress levels rise, mood can worsen, and symptoms like fatigue or brain fog may appear.

That’s where probiotics come in. By returning specific ‘good’ bacterial strains to your gut microbiome, you can combat dysbiosis and all the downstream effects. STRESS DEFENSE– contains bacterial strains that have been clinically proven to be safe and effective for gut microbiome-regulated stress and mood support. (Check out our sources below.) These specially-selected strains are most effective in the intestines. They travel safely through the harsh environment of the stomach, protected by a DELAYED-RELEASE CAPSULE. Once safely inside the intestinal tract, the capsule is broken down, releasing the probiotics(along with some extra support in the form of inulin fiber and tryptophan). Over time, the probiotic strains colonize the gut to support both the repair of damage to intestinal lining and the reduction of inflammation.