How to Select a Probiotic and the Future of the Microbiome with Raja Dhir

Mark Hyman

Jan 17, 2024

Episode description

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Raja Dhir is co-founder and co-CEO of Seed Health, a microbiome science company pioneering innovations in probiotics and living medicines to impact human and planetary health. With unique expertise in translating scientific research for product innovation, Raja guides the development of Seed Health’s platform to enable rapid, efficient advancement of microbial research from discovery to market. He also leads the company’s academic collaborations, working with institutions like MIT, Harvard University, Stanford University, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), and the National Institute of Health (NIH) to drive innovation across the fields of microbiology, genetics, immunology, and ecology. He co-chairs Seed’s Scientific Board –an interdisciplinary group of leading scientists, researchers, and clinicians–with Dr. Jacques Ravel.

Raja also oversees Seed's environmental endeavors under SeedLabs and directs LUCA Biologics, a venture targeting the vaginal microbiome for unmet needs in urogenital and reproductive health.

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In this episode we discuss (audio version / Apple Subscriber version):

The central role the gut plays in our overall health (4:50 / 3:04)
How the makeup of our gut microbiome comes to be (11:25 / 9:40)
Why fiber is critical to reaping the benefits of akkermansia (12:59 / 11:13)
The explosion of research on the gut microbiome (20:22 / 18:44)
Microbiome testing (29:09 / 25:15)
What are probiotics and should you take them? (33:41 / 29:47)

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Avoid low-fiber diets to prevent Akkermansia-related food allergies

In the presence of a low-fiber diet, the popular probiotic Akkermansia can actually exacerbate food allergies by degrading your mucin lining.

#allergy

#microbiome

Target probiotics to enhance mood, skin health, and metabolism

Probiotics can be targeted for specific indications beyond gut health, with different microbes working on different axes like improving mood, skin health, or metabolism.

#metabolism

#probiotics

Utilize capsule-in-capsule system for effective probiotic delivery

A capsule-in-capsule delivery system, like the one used by Seed, is essential for probiotics to survive stomach acid and release in the correct part of the intestine for maximum benefit.

#probiotics

#testing

Leverage pomegranate polyphenols as superior prebiotics

Non-fermentable prebiotics like pomegranate polyphenols are highly effective because they are poorly absorbed, allowing the gut microbiome to metabolize them into powerful secondary metabolites like Urolithin A.

#polyphenols

#prebiotics

Repair gut barrier with probiotics after antibiotic use

A clinical trial showed that the DS-01 probiotic provided an almost complete rescue effect on the gut barrier permeability, or leaky gut, caused by a course of antibiotics.

#gut

#probiotics

Identify individuals who can skip probiotics

"Super healthy" individuals who eat no processed foods, have no environmental toxin exposure, and have not used antibiotics likely do not need to take probiotics.

#probiotics

Avoid commercial microbiome tests to prevent poor health choices

Commercial microbiome tests are not ready for primetime and can be dangerous by providing insights based on premature science that lead to poor health choices.

#microbiome

#testing

Rely on larger microbiome studies for consistent insights

Contradictory microbiome research often stems from small studies, as different samples of 500 people can yield different statistically significant results, whereas a sample of 3,500 people yields consistent findings.