The rise of the COVID-19 pandemic ignited a common fear in the hearts of many; the idea that their health was out of their hands. This positioned people across the globe in a state of chronic stress and panic, which are red flags for strengthening the resiliency of your body’s systems. The importance of balanced gut flora and human microbes is often overlooked in regard to immune health. However, the lining of the GI tract is home to nearly 80% of your immune system — raising awareness about the connection between a balanced gut and COVID-19.
When you put this into perspective, cultivating a healthy gut plays an influential role in immune function and virus protection. Several studies have shown the healing power of strain-specific probiotic supplements on the COVID-19 virus. In fact, one of the clinical studies that displayed positive patient results used the same bacterial strains as the Lyvecap formulation.
The Science Behind COVID-19, Immune Cells and The Microbiome
The COVID-19 pandemic was caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The virus enters the body through receptors called ACE2, which are enzymes that directly connect to your small intestine, heart, kidneys, and lungs. While the virus evolves rapidly in the body, the primary place it remains constant is in the small intestine lining of your microbiome.
A Chinese study led by Dr. Yeoh found that the COVID-19 virus mutated the bacteria in the gut. Evidently, this reveals that the bacterial composition of the microbiome was significantly affected by the virus, even after patients tested negative. (1)
Commensal bacteria, particularly strains like bifidobacteria, are directly connected to the body’s immune function. According to the study, the presence of these bacterial strains decreased drastically after COVID-19 infection, primarily in patients with previously compromised gut flora.
The impact of COVID-19 on good bacteria in the gut can have a lasting impact for well up to 30 days after the virus has infected the body. This long COVID side effect can accompany symptoms of fatigue, brain fog, and breathlessness.
This correlation draws a major connection between COVID-19 and gut flora. A balanced gut can support a healthy immune system, lower inflammation and improve virus resistance. However, a virus like COVID-19 can also severely disrupt the nature of your microbiome. In this case, if a probiotic wasn’t previously used as a preventative measure, it would now be necessary to restore gut bacterial levels.
A Balanced Gut and COVID-19 | The Impact of the Gut-Lung Axis on Virus Resistance
The gut-lung axis is another important element regarding COVID-19 and the gut. Prevention and recovery of immune cells start at the intestinal level, but the health benefits can permeate throughout the entire body.
When you think of your gut and lungs, imagine them as a two-way telephone. The gut and lungs are home to their own microbiota, although the lung pathways have less diversity and bacterial density. Since these two systems share similar immune messengers and inflammatory responses, they each directly impact the other.
If you are experiencing lung disease complications or upper respiratory infections, these illnesses can influence gut bacteria. Similarly, if you’re experiencing gut disturbances, these symptoms can influence the lungs. COVID-19 has been shown to cause respiratory issues in many patients, and for immune-compromised individuals, this can be a major reason for infection escalating in the body. (2)
Gastroenterologist Dr. Ajiz Ahmed and colleagues at Stanford University completed a study revealing that COVID patients with GI issues were five times more likely to be admitted to the hospital for treatment. The gut-lung axis is immensely influential in how your body fights off infections.
Building healthy gut flora is like creating an army of soldiers on standby. Once you understand this internal conversation your body has within the gut-lung axis, the implications of supporting a healthy gut continue to grow.
If you experience dysbiosis or an imbalance in gut microbiota, it can directly impact the body’s inflammatory response. Inflammation in the gut and lungs allow the virus to spread across the body and may contribute to poorer patient outcomes. (3) When inflammation occurs, this negatively impacts the cellular structure of the gut’s lining. In turn, prohibiting the gut from performing as a protective barrier against disease and virus expansion.
How Bacteriotherapy Supports COVID-19 Treatment
Regarding the results of bacteriotherapy in treating COVID-19, a doctoral team at the Sapienza University of Rome tested a specific bacterial formulation on positive COVID-19 patients. The formulation contained: Streptococcus thermophilus DSM 32345, L.acidophilus DSM 32241, L. helveticus DSM 32242, L. paracasei DSM 32243, L. plantarum DSM 32244, L. brevis DSM 27961, B. lactis DSM 32246, B. lactis DSM 32247.
This is the same formulation of bacterial strains as our probiotic blend here at Lyvecap. When taking this probiotic supplement daily, participants undergoing bacteriotherapy experienced a decrease in extreme COVID-19 side effects. All patients who consistently took this probiotic survived without the need for ventilation or hospital admission.
The study revealed that patients receiving bacteriotherapy were eight times less likely to experience respiratory failure.(4) This further proves the gut-brain axis’s role in controlling the COVID-19 virus and mitigating negative side effects, including excess fatique and breathlessness. (5)
In many physiological and pathological states, individuals experience oxygen deficiency, a condition known as hypoxia. The amount of oxygen in the gut influences how much oxygen is available for other essential organs.
The Lyvecap probiotic downregulates proinflammatory nitric oxide (NO) production. This allows more oxygen to reach vital organs and tissues and can help support respiratory health. (6)
When nitric oxide increases, there is reduced oxygen available which can lead to oxygen deficiency and oxidative stress. The results from the recently reported data in Biomedicines further confirm the “oxygen-sparing effect” of Lyvecap.
A Balanced Gut and COVID-19: Disease Prevention Starts in the Gut
Taking care of your gut is not just a diet; it’s a lifestyle. Lyvecap was founded by doctors who understand the crucial role the gut plays in supporting overall performance, health, and the body’s ability to fend off disease. Many of us know that COVID-19 infections range in severity depending on the patient. A large contributing factor to patient outcomes is the well-being and composition of gut flora. (7)
A daily probiotic, such as Lyvecap, contains the necessary combination of strains, CFUs, and science to support your immune response. Taking a proprietary blend like Lyvecap STRONG can help support healthy gut flora balance and microbiome health. We hope this article helped you understand more about the connection between a balanced gut and COVID-19.
References
- Yeoh YK, Zuo T, Lui GC, Zhang F, Liu Q, Li AY, Chung AC, Cheung CP, Tso EY, Fung KS, Chan V, Ling L, Joynt G, Hui DS, Chow KM, Ng SSS, Li TC, Ng RW, Yip TC, Wong GL, Chan FK, Wong CK, Chan PK, Ng SC. Gut microbiota composition reflects disease severity and dysfunctional immune responses in patients with COVID-19. Gut. 2021 Apr;70(4):698-706. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2020-323020. Epub 2021 Jan 11. PMID: 33431578; PMCID: PMC7804842.
- de Oliveira GLV, Oliveira CNS, Pinzan CF, de Salis LVV, Cardoso CRB. Microbiota Modulation of the Gut-Lung Axis in COVID-19. Front Immunol. 2021 Feb 24;12:635471. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.635471. PMID: 33717181; PMCID: PMC7945592.
- Marazzato, Massimiliano, et al. “FR576 Oral Bacteriotherapy in Patients with Covid-19: A Retrospective Cohort Study.” Gastroenterology, vol. 160, no. 6, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/s0016-5085(21)01597-3.
- Ceccarelli G, Marazzato M, Celani L, Lombardi F, Piccirilli A, Mancone M, Trinchieri V, Pugliese F, Mastroianni CM, d’Ettorre G. Oxygen Sparing Effect of Bacteriotherapy in COVID-19. Nutrients. 2021 Aug 23;13(8):2898. doi: 10.3390/nu13082898. PMID: 34445055; PMCID: PMC8401839.
- Santinelli, Letizia, et al. “Oral Bacteriotherapy Reduces the Occurrence of Chronic Fatigue in COVID-19 Patients.” Frontiers in Nutrition, vol. 8, 2022, https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2021.756177.
- d’Ettorre G, Ceccarelli G, Marazzato M, Campagna G, Pinacchio C, Alessandri F, Ruberto F, Rossi G, Celani L, Scagnolari C, Mastropietro C, Trinchieri V, Recchia GE, Mauro V, Antonelli G, Pugliese F and Mastroianni CM (2020) Challenges in the Management of SARS-CoV2 Infection: The Role of Oral Bacteriotherapy as Complementary Therapeutic Strategy to Avoid the Progression of COVID-19. Front. Med. 7:389. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2020.00389
- D’Ettorre, Gabriella, et al. “Challenges in the Management of SARS-cov2 Infection: The Role of Oral Bacteriotherapy as Complementary Therapeutic Strategy to Avoid the Progression of Covid-19.” Frontiers in Medicine, vol. 7, 2020, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2020.00389.