Stability and Richness Index

Stability and Richness Index

Microbes occupying the same ecosystem compete with each other, in part through a competitive repertoire of natural antimicrobials and genes that confer microbial resilience.5 This section explores the richness and stability of your gut microbiome by comparing the resilience of your gut microbiome to healthy populations. A low index suggests that you have low richness and resilience in your gut.

A stronger and more diverse gut microbiome will be more resilient against gut-damaging factors, but low resilience can indicate an increased risk for antibiotic-resistant infections.  Consult your doctor on appropriate antibiotic usage. Avoid overusing strong antibacterial household cleaners, consuming foods that contain antibiotics like low-quality meat and dairy, and drinking poorly purified water.6-8 

Probiotics containing Bacillus endospores, specifically B. subtilis, can help to support a healthy gut environment through competitive exclusion. Competitive exclusion is the process by which powerful protective bacteria, like Bacillus spores, can restore a favorable balance to the microbiome. Some strains of Bacillus subtilis, for example, can produce over 12 natural antimicrobials to support a more stable and resilient microbiome.9

References: 

1. Singh S, Verma N, Taneja N. The human gut resistome: Current concepts & future prospects. Indian J Med Res. 2019;150(4):345–358. 
2. Fahimipour AK. Antimicrobial Chemicals Associate with Microbial Function and Antibiotic Resistance Indoors. mSystems. 2018;3(6).
3. Forslund K, Sunagawa S, Kultima JR, et al. Country-specific antibiotic use practices impact the human gut resistome. Genome Res. 2013;23(7):1163–1169. 
4. Zhang H, Chang F, Shi P, et al. Antibiotic Resistome Alteration by Different Disinfection Strategies in a Full-Scale Drinking Water Treatment Plant Deciphered by Metagenomic Assembly. Environ Sci Technol. 2019;53(4):2141–2150.
5. Stein, T. Bacillus subtilis antibiotics: structures, syntheses and specific functions. Molecular Microbiology. 2005;56(4), 845–85.