June 21, 2019

Welcome to Ben Greenfield's Weekly Roundup and Cool New Discoveries!

Ben Greenfield's discoveries, from the latest news on the fronts of fitness, nutrition, health, wellness, biohacking and anti-aging research. I also recap my upcoming events and special announcements so you can keep up with giveaways, discounts and more!

New Discoveries Of The Week: Cool New Things I'm Trying, Books I'm Reading, And More!

– The New Probiotic I’ve Switched To (& Why Most Probiotics Are A Complete Waste Of Money)

The term “probiotics” has become a generic term commoditized by any product that is fermented or supplements containing generic species of bacteria. Scientifically, though, there is a strict definition mandating that oral consumption of specific strains of bacteria have a quantifiable and validated effect in the human host. Unfortunately, as you can read here in “A new kind of probiotic could change the $38 billion market by using real science,” most probiotics simply do not seed the gut. Period. They are a waste of money.

Most scientific studies suggest the pills do very little to help our stomachs and may not provide any measurable benefits to overall health. That may be at least partially a result of the fact that very few of the beneficial bacteria in the supplements make it to our guts or stick around long enough to have an effect. But an even bigger problem is that many probiotics don’t do much as they’re passing through your gut either. This is because they are generic strains with limited benefits.

Since meeting their chief scientist at a health conference and being incredibly impressed, I’ve been looking into “SEED,” which is a new microbiome science company with a deep bench of scientists and doctors developing microbial therapies that are backed by both human clinical data and quantifiable endpoints showing they actually do “seed” the stomach (hence the name). SEED’s first product is a consortium of 20+ strains of bacteria supported by multiple double-blind, randomized, human clinical trials looking at a variety of endpoints – including intestinal transit time, stool consistency, regularity, ease of elimination, bloating, and intestinal barrier integrity. There is a male and female formulation.

For example, the female formulation contains a specific strain that is the first to increase endogenous production of 5-MTHF (folate), which has a short half-life when taken in supplement form but can be absorbed through specialized receptors in the colon when produced by gut bacteria. The product also includes a patented prebiotic, isolated from the skin of the pomegranate plant (punicalagin), which is biotransformed by gut bacteria into Urolithin A – a powerful metabolite that stimulates mitophagy (the selective degradation of defective mitochondria). Overall, the product has been tested with a number of mechanistic and characterization assays including gut simulation models (SHIME), flow cytometry, whole genome sequencing, untargeted metabolomics, human cell line testing, short-chain fatty acid panels, and a novel screening platform (looking at the NRF2 pathway with intellectual property exclusively licensed from The Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School). The company’s chief scientist is Dr. Gregor Reid (the scientist who Chaired the United Nations – World Health Organization Expert Panel that authored the global definition of probiotics), and the combination of novel technology, mechanistic research, and statistically significant results in validated human biomarkers is both innovative and disruptive for probiotics, which are not required to demonstrate efficacy under the FDA.

In other words, this is the best new probiotic, period. Their website is pretty fun to explore, too, and you can listen to my full podcast interview with the founder here. Use code: BEN15 here for 15% off your first month of the Daily Synbiotic, and check out the video below to see my unboxing of their sexy new kit!

https://www.facebook.com/BGFitness/posts/10158222691309179?__tn__=K-R

– Results of My Complete Executive Health Screening by Next|Health in LA

This year at Next|Health in LA, I gave a talk on 12 different ways to optimize your body and brain, and I recently received the results of my executive health screening overseen by my friend and former podcast guest Dr. Darshan Shah, at Next|Health in LA. This “Health Nucleus” program is described as “the physical exam of the 21st century” and provides an unprecedented, data-driven quantitative health assessment designed to screen for risk factors and early signals of critical diseases. This text reveals more about your health than ever before.

Cutting-edge tech such as full body MRI, along with advanced whole genome sequencing (WGS) analyzes all of your DNA (unlike some tests that may only provide isolated information about a few traits or disease risks) to give you more complete insights into your current health, as well as your risks and opportunities for the future.

In the video below, you can see a quick preview of my results from Next|Health, and you can click here if you want to get this kind of testing done for yourself.

https://www.facebook.com/BGFitness/videos/2349687211972309/

Podcasts I Recorded This Week:

How To Beat Bloating & Customize Your Diet: An Overview Of Ben Greenfield’s Gut Results From Viome (& How To Know Which Foods Are Right For You).

This episode was brought to you by, Four Sigmatic, Kion, Clearlight Saunas (mention BEN G for a screamin' deal), and Organifi Green Juice.

How To Simulate A Full Sleep Cycle In 20 Minutes, The Best Stress Biohack That Exists, Vagus Nerve Stimulation & Much More!

This episode was brought to you by Organifi Green Juice, Pique “fasting” Tea, Gluten Guardian (code: GREENFIELD), and Kion.

Articles Published By Me & Kion This Week:

::: Four Sigmatic Summer Sale :::

If you've missed the mushroom craze…well, you're missing out. ‘Shrooms have tremendous health and cognition benefits, and the folks at Four Sigmatic are the masters of getting you your daily dose of ‘shrooms…affordably and conveniently. Mushrooms and adaptogens are some of the world’s most nutritious foods. Every single batch of their extracted mushroom products is tested in a third-party lab for heavy metals, allergens, bad bacteria, yeasts, molds, mycotoxins, pesticides, and irradiation before they get in your hands.

For a limited time, Four Sigmatic is offering up to 60% off their top products, plus offering you bonus gift cards along with certain order values. Here's the best part: get an additional 15% off sale items through my link.

::: Be The Author Of Your Best Life  :::

You’re already committed to hacking your health – but what if you could take a similarly leading-edge approach to your personal growth… your happiness and success… and your sense of purpose and satisfaction in life? Lifebook Online was made for boundary-pushers like us. Lifebook is a life design system that empowers you with a personalized game plan for extraordinary success in 12 key dimensions of your life.

The Lifebook process begins by triggering a crucial paradigm shift in your mind, all through one key question: “Is my idea of success really my own? Or is it a projection forced on me by society and the limiting beliefs I’ve been conditioned with?”

Then, by taking you through 12 key areas of your life, Lifebook founders Jon and Missy Butcher guide you in creating your very own Lifebook: a deeply personal game plan for your absolute best life. See my personal Lifebook here, check out my podcast with Lifebook founder Jon Butcher here, and sign up to begin your transformational Lifebook journey today at a huge discount here!