Dear Friends,
I hope you’re having a great week and soaking up the last weeks of summer!
Hardly a week goes by that we don’t hear or read something about probiotics for the gut microbiome in our intestines. However, also important is the oral microbiome in our mouth, which also needs probiotic support.
Our two favorite oral probiotics offer numerous benefits, such as minimizing dental plaque, keeping gums healthy, targeting bad breath at its root cause, and supporting upper respiratory health (ear, nose, and throat).
These oral probiotics were discovered by Professor John Tagg, a microbiologist at the University of Otago in New Zealand. Professor Tagg was curious why certain people aren’t as susceptible to oral health problems—such as cavities, bleeding gums, and upper respiratory illness—as most of the population.
He discovered that about 10% of humans naturally produce protective Streptococcus salivarius organisms in their mouth. To help the other 90% of us, Professor Tagg developed two of these strains for use as oral probiotics.
The first strain is called BLIS K12, which helps stimulate the immune system to support upper respiratory health and reduce bad breath in children and adults.
The second strain, BLIS M18, works more directly on dental health by reducing the overgrowth of bacteria that increase cavity risk and supporting reduced plaque formation, leading to healthier gums.
To ensure these probiotic strains colonize in the mouth and oral cavity, it’s best to take them as a lozenge that dissolves in the mouth rather than a capsule you swallow.
At NatureCity, we have a lozenge named TrueOC that contains both BLIS K12 and M18 strains, along with Aloe vera, which has been the subject of interesting oral health research recently.
TrueOC is like an orange-flavored mint that dissolves in less than a minute, releasing the good probiotic strains in your mouth where you want them. Before I tell you more about BLIS K12 and M18, I’d like to share my personal experience with these strains and TrueOC, which is why I’m so passionate about this product.
About 9 years ago, I was struggling with my dental health. Although I wasn’t getting new cavities, my gums would bleed more than they should during cleanings. This was frustrating because I knew the importance of oral health and thought I was doing everything right—flossing, brushing, and using mouthwash daily.
My hygienist suggested using a Water Pik before brushing to help clean the gum line. I bought one that day, and it was a big help – and I still use it today.
Then, I learned that the oral microbiome is similar to the gut microbiome, where a healthy balance of friendly and bad bacteria is crucial. I was surprised to discover that the mouthwash I was using might have been doing more harm than good by killing all bacteria, good and bad. All mouthwash does is temporarily mask breath odor – it doesn’t target the root cause.
Fortunately, I was introduced to the BLIS oral probiotics at the time. After studying the research, we decided to move forward with the first version of TrueOC, containing both the K12 and M18 strains.
I eliminated the mouthwash and added TrueOC to my routine, along with flossing, brushing, and the Water Pik. This has dramatically improved my tooth and gum health, and I no longer dread dental cleanings.
BLIS M18 helps protect teeth and gums in several ways. In addition to “boxing out” bad bacteria and protecting against its overgrowth (like other probiotics), M18 goes a step further and helps produce 3 naturally occurring peptides that can actively target and inhibit some of the bad stuff.
In addition, BLIS M18 has unique enzyme producing abilities that allow it to interfere with the dental plaque formation and neutralize acid that can harm teeth and gums (no other oral probiotic we’re aware of does this).
Research with BLIS M18 showed significant improvements in dental health measures such as plaque amount, gum inflammation, pocket depth, and bleeding after 30 days of use.
BLIS K12 targets the root cause of bad breath, which is volatile sulfur compounds. These compounds are released when certain bacteria break down proteins on the tongue – and bad breath results. BLIS K12 helps to inhibit these bacteria, thereby targeting the source of bad breath instead of just masking it like rinses, gum or sprays.
Research shows that BLIS K12 helps reduce these compounds after 14 days of use.
On top of this, in numerous studies K12 has been shown to help support ear, nose and throat health immune defenses by crowding out and inhibiting undesirable bacteria.
In this way, BLIS K12 helps to protect upper respiratory health – which is a gateway to overall health.
Interestingly, much of the research with BLIS K12 has been conducted on children since they’re more in need of ear, nose and throat support – but studies showing benefits to adults also have been conducted.
The combination of BLIS M18 and K12 in TrueOC provides numerous benefits for teeth, gums, ear, nose, and throat health, and reduces bad breath. TrueOC also features Aloe vera, which supports gum health, making it the perfect complement to the oral probiotics.
You can find TrueOC at NatureCity.com. A new batch of TrueOC is being made and tested as your read this– we’ll be ready to ship it to you in about a week.
This product is suitable for the entire family, and I’m confident you will love it as much as I do!
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Yours for Good Health,
Carl Pradelli
