You’ve probably heard that probiotics can support your health, but have you heard of paraprobiotics?

These days more than ever, we’re all doing our best to stay healthy…especially with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS). 

In the clinic, we have a paraprobiotic many of our team take and it really helps many of our clients, too. Here’s the story of Stephanie. While we’ve changed her name for privacy, her story is real.

“Stephanie” had a lot of the common symptoms of MCAS and Histamine Intolerance (HIT). 

Her symptom list included:

• Gastrointestinal issues, like diarrhea and bloating 
• Her skin itched a lot
• She had sleep issues
• She’d often have allergy-like symptoms, such as runny nose and headaches
• She reacted to high histamine foods

Sound familiar? 

She had barely started working with our clinic when she ran into a series of illnesses. 

She got a stomach bug. It was going around her daughter’s daycare.  

Not long after that, she got a cold at work.  

Then, she got the flu. 

Stephanie told us it felt like every time she took one step forward with her MCAS, getting sick sent her two steps back.  

That made sense. Infections can trigger a mast cell immune response.   

And it was a concern that she was so prone to infection. 

That’s when we suggested she try a paraprobiotic as additional supplementation to give her immune system a boost.   

We thought the paraprobiotic may offer additional health benefits by helping with some of her most irritating MCAS and HIT related symptoms, too. 

Keep reading to hear the rest of her story. 

And learn more about: 

• What paraprobiotics are 
• How paraprobiotics differ from probiotics and prebiotics  
• What paraprobiotics can help with 
• What to look for in a paraprobiotic supplement 
• Why HoloImmune may be the best paraprobiotic for MCAS 
• Who should and shouldn’t consider a paraprobiotic

First, here’s the good news about Stephanie’s story. 

Paraprobiotics: A Health Turn-Around

It’s important you know that this blog post is for informational and educational purposes. It’s not meant to treat any health condition or to be prescriptive for anyone.  If you have any medical condition, it is critical you work under the care and guidance of a licensed medical provider.  

You’re likely making a lot of changes in your life to address your Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and Histamine Intolerance. 

You’re probably:

• Eating a lower histamine diet
• Working on getting good sleep
• Cleaning up your skincare
• Working on your nervous system
• Looking for and removing environmental triggers, like mold
• And more

Usually, it’s all these things together and addressing your root causes that makes the difference. 

One single supplement alone is not likely to be the answer to all your problems.

But the right supplements, at the right time, can be helpful in getting your health back on track. 

Here’s what happened with Stephanie. 

As you read, Stephanie was getting sick…a lot.   

Your immune system may be dysregulated, especially if you’ve dealt with Mold Toxicity.  

You may be more prone to catching more bugs. Like Stephanie was.   

After she started the paraprobiotic, she didn’t get sick as much, though. Even when everything was going around the office or daycare.  

Once she wasn’t coming down with something all the time, she was starting to feel like she was finally seeing some real, lasting progress.  

She saw more improvement with her MCAS and Histamine Intolerance once she wasn’t battling all those illnesses and pathogens all the time.

And she told us that she felt like her MCAS and Histamine Intolerance related symptoms were improving more, too.  

Again, there isn’t one magical supplement that will make or break your progress with MCAS or Histamine Intolerance.  

But there are supplements that can give you a health advantage. And it looks like paraprobiotics may be ones to consider! 

Especially if you want to support healthy, normal immune function.   

There aren’t a lot of paraprobiotics on the market! And definitely not ones formulated with our sensitive community in mind. So, that’s why we want to tell you about HoloImmune.

So, just what are paraprobiotics? And how are they different from probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics? 

Keep reading to learn more. 

Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Postbiotics   

To understand paraprobiotics better, let’s start with something you may have heard of already. 

Probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics. 

What are Probiotics? 

Probiotics are live microorganisms. 

The term probiotics was first used in the mid-1960s to describe substances secreted by one microorganism which stimulated the growth of another organism. 

For example, your gut microbiome may be out of balance because bad bacteria outcompeted the good bacteria.  

And gut issues that affect your microbiome (all the flora/microbes/bacteria in your gut) like SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), SIFO (small intestinal fungal overgrowth), or Leaky Gut, can trigger mast cell issues.   

A probiotic would help replenish the good bacterial strains. And that can help get your gut flora back in balance. 

Related Post: Histamine Lowering Probiotics 

Probiotics have been shown in numerous studies to help with conditions like: 

• Antibiotic-associated diarrhea 
• Diarrhea in infants 
• Relapsing Clostridium difficile colitis 
• H. Pylori infections  
• IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) 
• UTIs in women 
• Infections related to surgeries 

Probiotics derived from lactic acid bacteria like Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus plantarum have been shown to have immunomodulatory effects. 

This means they can have an effect on the immune system. 

A huge amount of your immune system is found in the gut. 

This is why there’s a big relationship with mast cell issues and gut issues. Remember, mast cells are part of your immune system. 

So, a healthy gut can result in far fewer mast cell issues. 

In this way, probiotics can be helpful for supporting good gut health. So, that means they help support your immune system (including mast cells). 

You may also have heard of some of the benefits of prebiotics and postbiotics. Prebiotics and postbiotics play important roles in your body, too. 

What are Prebiotics? 

Prebiotics are compounds that feed the good bacteria and fungi in your gut. 

You’ll find these in foods like: 

• Onion 
• Garlic 
• Wheat  
• Lentils 
• Honey 
• And more

Probiotic bacteria are good gut bacteria. It makes up part of your gut microbiome.

When this gut microbiota breaks down prebiotics, the result is postbiotics. And those postbiotics play a role in your health, too. 

What are Postbiotics?

As you just read, postbiotics are essentially what you get when gut bacteria digest or ferment a prebiotic. 

Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are one type of postbiotic.

SCFAs are important for gut health and immune health. SCFAs help lower inflammation. 

That means they are important for Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Histamine Intolerance. Both of which cause inflammation in your body. 

Some short chain fatty acids are:

• Acetate 
• Propionate 
• Valerate
• Butyrate 

Sodium butyrate is one that has a number of health promoting properties proven through studies!

Related Post: Enzymes, Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA’s), and Gut Health in SIBO, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, and Histamine Intolerance

You can see how prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics can all be helpful. 

So why should you consider paraprobiotics?  

More on that up next. 

What are Paraprobiotics? 

Paraprobiotics have been studied since the 1990s. But you don’t hear about them nearly as much as probiotics. 

You just read that probiotics are living organisms. 

Paraprobiotics are heat-killed probiotics.  

This is why they are also called ghost probiotics. 

They are non-viable microbial cells. Essentially, this means they are dead, not living.  And often, they are immature cells. 

Studies are showing that viability (life) isn’t necessarily required to get health benefits. So, now we are starting to hear more about paraprobiotics. 

What studies are showing is that non-viable (non-living) microbial cells may produce better health benefits, like immune modulation. 

And here’s something else to know. 

In some cases, taking live probiotics may be dangerous to people with a weakened immune system. So, paraprobiotics are also attracting attention because of their safety. 

They can be used by people with weakened immune systems as well as the elderly. Paraprobiotics may reduce the risk of sepsis and antibiotic resistance. 

And they have a long shelf-life. Probiotics are living, so some aren’t as shelf stable. 

Here are some health benefit effects of paraprobiotics in studies: 

• Regulating the adaptive and innate immune systems (immunomodulation) 
• Lowering cholesterol
• Inhibiting cell growth (often used to control malignant cells) 
• Being anti-inflammatory  
• Being an antioxidant  

Like probiotics, paraprobiotics are derived from different strains of bacteria. 

One of these strains is really standing out. That’s because of the role it plays in activating certain immune cells.  

Read more on those immune cells next. Then learn about the strain that helps activate these important immune cells.

The Innate and Adaptive Immune Systems 

There are 2 sides to your immune system: the innate and adaptive. 

Your innate immune system is your first line of defense against pathogens. 

Antigens (irritants like viruses, bacteria, or other foreign particles) trigger your T cells to produce proinflammatory cytokines (chemical messages) and launch an immune response against these invaders.

Your innate system responds quickly. And the response is more generalized. It’s not as targeted.  

Inflammation, red throat, and fever are part of your innate system. 

Your adaptive immune system is slower to respond. But it is more specific in what it targets. It’s also more powerful. Your adaptive system is responsible for producing long lasting antibodies against pathogens.  

Together these two systems work to protect you.  

Both the innate and adaptive systems produce specialized immune cells. 

There are lots of different types of specialized immune cells. 

But there is one “commander in chief”.  

It can activate most types of immune cells in both the innate and adaptive immune systems. 

These “commander in chief” cells are the pDCs (plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell).  

In other words, pDCs can activate all the other immune cells in the immune system.  

Having more active pDCs can help your whole immune system work better. 

And there’s something that activates these pDCs. Read more on that next.

The Paraprobiotic that Activates pDCs  

A specific paraprobitoic called Lactococcus lactis strain Plasma (LC-Plasma) has been shown to activate pDCs in the small intestine.  

In studies, benefits from this paraprobiotic include: 

• Stimulating your body’s natural defenses 
• Supporting upper respiratory health 
• Providing immune support during high-intensity training   

There have been over 20 studies on this alone. 

And this paraprobiotic can be found in the supplement HoloImmune, formulated by Steven Wright from Healthy Gut. It’s listed under their proprietary name, Immuse™. 

All the probiotic strains in HoloImmune are specifically chosen for their potentially helpful properties. They are:

• Lactobacillus lactis strain Plasma (LC-Plasma)
• Lactobacillus acidophilus L-92
• Lactobacillus plantarum L-137

HoloImmune has been reported to help with:  

• Under-active or overactive immune systems 
• Environmental allergies 
• Food allergies 
• Relief of skin issues like acne and dryness 
• Immune system support during stressful times 
• Oral gum health 
• Gut-immune health 
• Improved memory 
• General well-being
• Histamine Intolerance 
• Mast Cell Activation Syndrome 

And here’s why it may be especially helpful if you have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome.

HoloImmune and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome 

With Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), it’s likely you have a dysregulated immune system. Your immune system is overly reactive.  

That’s why you may start noticing increased sensitivities, even when those around you seem unaffected. 

If you have a dysregulated immune system, here’s what can happen. 

You can be triggered by any threat such as bacteria, pollen, viruses, or toxic chemicals. That’s all quite normal. 

And normally, your immune system should quit responding when your body has addressed the threat.

But with MCAS your immune system continues to respond. It doesn’t know when to shut off. 

Or your mast cells may send out the wrong responses. 

That’s where adaptogenic products like HoloImmune can be helpful. Adaptogenic means they adapt to what your body needs. 

In other words, the response isn’t too much or too little. 

This is really important with MCAS. You don’t want to amp up your mast cells unnecessarily.  

You want them to respond normally to threats, and not over respond. 

And you don’t want them to under respond, either. An under-response wouldn’t protect you. 

Modulating your immune response is a big part of getting MCAS under control and taming down that amped up reactivity. 

Think of paraprobiotics as working smarter, not just stronger.  

Another way to understand it is this: you don’t need a nail gun when a pushpin will do. 

Who Should and Should Not Consider HoloImmune Paraprobiotics 

We have many clients with SIBO (and SIFO). Not to mention Mold Toxicity that is one of the major root causes of MCAS we see in the clinic.

Gut recovery takes some time when you have that much going on and are sensitive.

We eventually like to use several of the gut supporting supplements from Healthy Gut with clients. They have been really helpful for years in the clinic, and in our own cases.

We use this trio often:

• Holozyme – is a digestive enzyme that helps break down food and absorb nutrients better.
• HCL Guard+ – helps with low stomach acid, so food is easier to break down. And appropriate levels of stomach acid also help keep bad bugs in check.
• Tributyrin X – this form of the short chain fatty acid (SCFA), butyrate can help with things like Leaky Gut and increasing good gut bacteria. 

But because of the SIBO, SIFO, and Mold Toxicity, many people really struggle with taking most probiotics. Either spore-based or non-spore-based. 

This is because when you have severe SIBO, the last thing you want to do is add more bacterial strains to what is already overgrown. 

But we still often want to get some of the beneficial effects of probiotics, when it’s the right time to introduce them.

This is part of the reason we gave HoloImmune, the paraprobiotic, a try. 

And many people have been able to take the paraprobiotics without any problems.  

Check out this Facebook Live I did with Steve Wright who created HoloImmune:

Now, when we talk about who may want to consider HoloImmune and who should not consider it, here are some things to think about. 

Who HoloImmune Paraprobiotics May Be Helpful For 

Like you just read, many people are dealing with SIBO, SIFO, and Mold Toxicity. 

And while some people who are less sensitive may be ok with live probiotics, many are not. 

This is especially true if you tend to be among the most sensitive.

And as much as we have seen low histamine probiotics work for some clients, they just weren’t working for others. And especially those dealing with all those conditions above.

But a paraprobiotic like HoloImmune seems to be easier on people with SIBO. So, if you have SIBO, you may tolerate paraprobiotics better. 

Paraprobiotics may be helpful if you have: 

• SIBO and can’t tolerate live probiotics 
• MCAS
• Histamine Intolerance
• Side effects like gas and bloating when using probiotics 
• A weakened immune system  
• A dysregulated immune system 
• Brain fog 
• A lot of allergy-like symptoms 
• Skin conditions like dryness or acne 
• Food sensitivities 
• A tendency to be more prone to illness 
• Mold Toxicity 

Speaking of Mold Toxicity, there is one more thing you should be aware of. 

Mold Toxicity is the #1 root cause of MCAS we see in the Mast Cell 360 practice. 

It can cause dysregulation in your nervous system, your immune system, and your digestive system. 

So, a supplement that can help both your gut health and your immune health can be really helpful when you are dealing with Mold Toxicity. 

But there is one more thing you may need to consider.  

Keep reading to find out what that is. 

Who Shouldn’t Consider HoloImmune: Beta-glucans and Mold Toxicity 

You may have heard to stay away from products with beta-glucans if you are dealing with mold. 

Beta-glucans are naturally occurring polysaccharides (a type of carbohydrate.) 

They are found in the cell walls of different organisms such as some plants, yeasts, bacteria, and fungi. You can also find it as a supplement. 

Beta-glucans have been shown to have these properties: 

• Lower cholesterol levels 
• Decrease inflammation 
• Improve blood sugar management 
• Help with allergies 
• Modulate the immune system 

Beta-glucans have a lot of benefits. That’s why they are used in HoloImmune.  

But here’s where you might not be able to tolerate HoloImmune. 

Some people dealing with mold can develop mold allergies. And that’s not uncommon at all. 

But a few people then develop allergies to the whole fungal kingdom. That’s much less common. The whole fungal kingdom is likely larger than the plant kingdom. 

So, it isn’t likely you’d be allergic to every single species in the fungal kingdom. Just like it isn’t likely you’d be allergic to every single plant. 

But we have seen it a handful of times. 

And if you have developed that severe of an allergy, you may not tolerate things like Saccharomyces boulardii, a beneficial yeast probiotic.  

In our practice, it’s maybe only about 5% of our clients. 

Here’s how that relates to beta-glucans. Remember how you read that beta-glucans are found in some yeasts and bacteria? 

That means that if you do have this rarer allergy to the whole fungal kingdom, you may not be able to do beta-glucans, sometimes derived from yeasts (a fungi) and other fungi. 

But even those with severe Mold Toxicity and a mold allergy often do really well with HoloImmune. Other people in our community have reached out sharing that they’re doing well with it, too. 

You’ll want to talk with your provider and check it out for yourself to see if this might or might not be for you.  

And if you aren’t tolerating any supplements right now, you probably don’t want to start here. Consider starting with some nervous system supports first.  

Then, as you can onboard some supplements, you can start anything new with just drops or sprinkles. You can gradually build up if tolerated. 

Other Considerations for HoloImmune Paraprobiotics

Here are a few other things you might want to consider with paraprobiotics like HoloImmune.

HoloImmune is: 

• Low histamine 
• Low salicylate 
• Low lectin
• Low oxalate 
• Vegetarian 

That covers a lot of needs in our sensitive community. 

And it has no fillers. That’s great if you have MCAS because a lot of fillers can be mast cell triggers. 

When we talked to Steve from Healthy Gut, he said that generally, HoloImmune seems to be working well for the sensitive population. 

And when you use Healthy Gut products, you know you are getting a clean, quality product. 

HoloImmune has been a routine part of many supplement regimens for a while now. And we see people getting sick far less often than they have in the past.

So, if you are looking for a little extra boost for your gut and your immune system, you might want to consider giving HoloImmune a try.

And if this is your first order, you can get 15% off by shopping through our Healthy Gut link below and using code MASTCELL360 at checkout.

>>> Click here to shop for HoloImmune! Get 15% off your first order at Healthy Gut with code MASTCELL360

Have you tried HoloImmune yet? Let us know in the comments! 

More on Low Histamine Gut Health

• The Best POST-biotic Butyrate 
• Histamine Lowering Probiotics for People with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Histamine Intolerance
• Enzymes, Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA’s) and Gut Health
• Frequently Asked Questions: The Gut, SIBO, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, and Histamine Intolerance 

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References 

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Teame, T., Wang, A., Xie, M., Zhang, Z., Yang, Y., Ding, Q., Gao, C., Olsen, R. E., Ran, C., & Zhou, Z. (2020). Paraprobiotics and postbiotics of probiotic lactobacilli, their positive effects on the host and action mechanisms: a review. Frontiers in Nutrition, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2020.570344