The Hidden Problems With Probiotic Blends

In this podcast episode, a practitioner friend of mine asked about a probiotic formula containing soil organisms. She wanted to know if those spores were safe. Many well-meaning people in the alternative health space are recommending these products without realizing the risks.

I discussed this with Natasha Trenev, the founder of Natren probiotics with a 750-year family lineage in culturing probiotics (supplied to Royal families across Europe) and her Probiotic Standards were read into Congressional Record in the USA. Natasha explains that soil organisms like Bacillus coagulans produce toxic substances to eliminate competition, which can harm human cells.

Here’s the ingredient list of the product my friend was asking about:

Now, for those of you who’ve read my books… WHAT are the problems with this ingredient list?

Perhaps the first thing you recognize is that it contains a bacterial soil organism – which you know is not safe for human consumption, especially not for immune-compromised people.

They have also mixed the safe, recognized probiotic species together with the soil organism and 8 powerful medicinal mushrooms. And the entire blend is at room temperature – all together in one capsule, or one powder sachet.

Rather than spend pages writing about the problems with this – and most! – probiotic products, I hopped on a zoom with Natasha to explain clearly and quickly WHY these practices are not beneficial for 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

Why You Should NOT Mix Probiotics With Other Ingredients

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What We Covered in This Episode

Here are the main points Natasha and I discussed:

• Why mixing probiotics with mushroom extracts kills the beneficial bacteria.
• How different probiotic strains attack each other when placed in the same capsule.
• Why soil organisms like Bacillus coagulans outcompete traditional (food-cultured) probiotics.
• Why prebiotics such as inulin or FOS can feed the wrong bacteria.
• The importance of including the culturing medium with probiotic bacteria.
• How true formulation requires deep expertise, not random combinations.

We already did a video on why bacterial soil organisms (like Bacillus coagulans, Sporogenes, Lichenoformis – found in the feathers of ground-dwelling birds, aquatic species and the soil) are NOT probiotics. But we also give some more information on WHY they are not safe for humans, and some possible consequences of the spores forming in the gut (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

On the label, this looks impressive. 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 off.

Consumers are left swallowing mostly dead bacteria. Money wasted.

Probiotics Compete With Each Other

Even when only food-based probiotics are mixed, the problem remains. If acidophilus and bifidobacteria are allowed to touch, their primal directive takes over: survival and domination.

They release substances to kill one another. One may dominate, but the rest die off. This means that by the time you swallow the capsule, you no longer have the balanced formula you thought you purchased.

This is why Natasha created the Healthy Trinity capsule. Each species is placed in its own oil bubble, so each species cannot touch each other, or compete for dominance.

Prebiotics: Feeding the Wrong Gut Residents

Another common mistake is mixing probiotics with prebiotics like inulin or FOS. These are indigestible sugars. They feed bacteria in the gut, but not selectively.

If your microbiome is unbalanced, prebiotics can just as easily feed yeast or harmful bacteria as the good ones. For people with gut disease, this often makes symptoms worse.

The Role of the Culturing Medium

A true probiotic is delivered with its culturing medium — the food it was grown on. This medium contains natural antimicrobials, peptides, amino acids, and vitamins. These compounds support both the beneficial bacteria and the human host.

Removing the culturing medium or mixing bacteria with unrelated ingredients strips away these benefits.

Final Thoughts

Too many companies are creating probiotic formulas without the necessary knowledge of microbiology or immunology. They throw ingredients together, assuming that more is better.

But probiotics are living organisms with their own survival instincts and their own agenda to thrive. Unless handled with expertise, they will kill each other, die in the capsule, or cause unintended harm.

If you want real benefits, probiotics should never be mixed together with mushrooms, prebiotics, or even with each other unless they are carefully separated.

You May Also Be Interested In:

• How to Mix Probiotics with Absorb Plus Shakes
• Using Probiotics During & After Antibiotics
• I Want to Take Probiotics – Where Do I Start?

JINI

Jini Patel Thompson is an internationally recognized expert on natural healing for digestive diseases. She healed herself from widespread Crohn’s Disease and has remained drug and surgery-free for over 25 years. Jini has appeared on numerous podcast, TV, and radio shows throughout the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia, giving people hope and vision for how they can heal their Colitis, Crohn’s, Diverticulitis and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), using entirely natural methods. Her books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold worldwide in over 80 countries. Jini is married with 3 children, 9 sheep, 11 horses, 1 cat, and 3 dogs.