A Breakdown of Dr. Ohhira’s Exclusive
Fermentation Process

By Ross Pelton, RPh, PhD, CCN
Scientific Director, Essential Formulas


Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics originated from a reverence for nature and is widely recognized for bestowing transformative and replenishing good health. It all begins with an abundance of fresh herbs, fruits, mushrooms, seaweeds, and vegetables, and, of course, clean, clear spring water. A diversity of 12 lactic acid bacteria strains are added and encouraged to flourish through the patience of a multi-year natural temperature fermentation process that produces a probiotic like no other on the market today.

CREATING A HEALTHY MICROBIOME
There are four main topics that are interrelated regarding how to create and maintain a healthy microbiome.

  1. DIVERSITY or Who Is Present? Diversity refers to the number of different species of bacteria a person carries in his/her intestinal tract. Studies show that indigenous cultures (people with little or no exposure to antibiotics, processed foods, and environmental pollution) have 2x greater microbiome diversity compared to average Americans.i
  2. BALANCE – Balance refers to the relative number of each species of bacteria that are present in the GI tract. Taking high-dose (CFU) probiotics can create an unbalanced microbiome. In a recent study, scientists stated the following; “Probiotics can be ineffective or even detrimental if not used at the optimal dosage for the appropriate purposes.”ii
  3. PREBIOTICS – You MUST feed your probiotic bacteria well, FIBER, specifically, the non-digestible carbohydrates which are primarily found in fruits and vegetables. The human digestive system cannot break down these non-digestible carbohydrates but when they reach the large intestine/colon, they are the perfect food supply for your probiotic bacteria.
  4. POST-BIOTICS – This refers to the METABOLITES that your probiotic bacteria produce. Dr. Ohhira called these bacterial metabolites the Biogenic. Remember, probiotic bacteria are little “manufacturing plants.” The reason probiotic bacteria are important is totally related to the metabolites they produce and how those metabolites influence and regulate a wide range of biological functions in your body. In his recent book titled “The Mind-Gut Connection”, Emeran Mayer, M.D. states that, “your probiotic bacteria, with the information stored in their millions of genes, are able to produce hundreds of thousands of post-biotic metabolites.”iii

An explanation of how Dr. Ohhira’s process optimizes these four requirements for a healthy microbiome, which results in a probiotic that delivers a much broader range of benefits than any other.

A MULTI-YEAR FERMENTATION PROCESS
Fermentation is a process in which bacteria (or other microorganisms) cause the chemical breakdown of substances into useable end products. In the human digestive tract, bacteria ferment or digest food, producing post-biotic metabolites.

Dr. Ohhira’s fermentation process mimics the fermentation processes that take place in the human digestive tract. The process begins by utilizing twelve unique strains of probiotic bacteria. Then, at seasonally appropriate times throughout the year, various kinds of organically grown plant crops are added to the fermentation vats as the nutritious prebiotic food supply for the probiotic bacteria.

Non-digestible plant carbohydrates (fibers) are the preferred food for your probiotic bacteria. A wider range of different types of fibers supports the growth and proliferation of a wider range of probiotic bacteria. This promotes probiotic diversity.

POST-BIOTIC METABOLITES: This is the real secret to the success of Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics. When Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics are encapsulated after 3 years of fermentation, you actually get three products. Each capsule contains multiple strains of probiotic bacteria along with an extensive array of prebiotics, which supports the growth of the probiotic.

More on the post-biotic metabolites: When Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics are encapsulated; they contain a substantial “dose” of all the post-biotic metabolites that the probiotic bacteria have been producing during three years of fermentation (no other product can compare). The post-biotic metabolites include vitamins, amino acids, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), immune system-enhancing compounds, detoxifying agents, cell signaling compounds, and probably many other beneficial substances that have not yet been discovered.


i Clements JC.The microbiome of uncontested Amerindians. Science Advances. April 17, 2015:1(3)
ii Wen K., et al. Vaccine. Feb. 1, 2012;30(6): 1198-1207.
iii Mayer, E. (2016). The Mind-Gut Connection. New York, NY. HarperCollins.