What is LPS? (Lipopolysaccharide)
LPS is a natural compound found in the membrane of certain types of bacteria in the gut called gram negative bacteria. When these bacteria die, the LPS is released. This in itself is not an issue, but the problem occurs when the LPS gets from the digestive tract into the bloodstream via a ‘leaky gut’ or increased intestinal permeability. It then causes an inflammatory reaction as the immune system takes it very seriously and this is called endotoxemia.
Studies are now suggesting that the root cause of many inflammatory illnesses like diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Crohn’s, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Chronic Fatigue, Long Covid, Depression. Is driven by this increased inflammatory response in the blood caused by LPS and increased intestinal permeability.
So what can we do about it?
There is now a good amount of research around using a certain type of probiotic called ‘spore-based probiotics’. These bacteria have been shown to reduce LPS by 65% after 30 days of taking two capsules per day. This is really exciting news. These particular bacteria have the ability to heal the intestinal lining, eradicate problematic bacteria whilst at the same time, feed beneficial bacteria, so they have a regulatory effect on the gut microbiome. Is this a new frontier for gut health? Aswell as for all chronic inflammatory illnesses.
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