Benefits of Gut X

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✅  Supports Good Gut Health

✅  Triggers Immune Response

✅  Easy to Feed & Economical

✅  Increased Nutritional Absorption

✅  USEF & FEI Compliant

✅  Scientifically Proven Ingredients

✅  90 Day Money Back Guarantee 

What's the science behind the Gut X & Beta Glucan?

According to a study published by Slovis, N. 2016;  Equine gastric ulceration impacts condition, performance and behavior; the prevalence of ulcers in horses can reach 80-90% of the population. 

Looking back to a study published by Sykes, B.W. 2015; Prevention of Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) using Pharmaceutical drugs with Proton pump inhibitors will "Irreversibly Impair" the proton pump. EGUS healing rates ranged between 70-77% using a daily dose of Omeprazole for 28 days.  The alarming finding for Omeprazole as a prophylactic is that 23% of horses experienced worse results.

The study by Slovis, N. 2016; concluded that horses given the "All Natural" polysaccharide blend of Hyaluronan & Beta Glucan showed that 90% had "Complete Resolution" or "Improvement" in ulceration. Improvements included morphological changes, behavior changes, weight gain and reduction of colic.

Beta Glucan

β-glucan is a polysaccharide found in the internal aleurone and sub aleurone layers of cell walls in certain plants, bacteria, and fungi. It is characterized as a soluble dietary fiber with a variety of proposed health benefits, although insoluble fractions also exist. The macromolecular structure of β-glucan varies depending on its source. For example, β-glucans from fungal cell walls typically consist of 1,3 β-linkages with small numbers of 1,6 β-linked branches, while oat- and barley-derived β-glucans contain predominantly 1,3 and 1,4 β-linkages (1,2).

Molecular mass, size & weight also differs between sources, which influence functionality (3).

Gut Microbiota

The gut microbiota is a diverse microbial community residing in the gastrointestinal tract. Together with its environment, it forms the microbiome. The number of bacterial cells in the human microbiome is estimated to approximate the number of host cells (ratio ~1:1) (5).

Over the past decade, the microbiome has emerged as a central factor influencing health. Among many determinants, dietary intake plays a critical role in shaping microbiota composition (6). Humans, equines, and other mammals have distinct diets, yet the health impacts of the microbiota and several bacterial groups within it are broadly conserved across species. This supports the translational relevance of β-glucan research between humans and animals.

Effects on Specific Bacterial Populations

Supplementation with β-glucan has been shown to enhance the growth of beneficial microbial groups in both humans and equines:

• Bifidobacteria – Facilitate fiber digestion, prevent infection, and produce B vitamins and fatty acids. β-glucan ingestion increases their abundance (9,10).

• Roseburia hominis – Associated with gut integrity. Low levels are linked to ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and IBS. Dietary β-glucan increases Roseburia levels in clinical trials (8,11).

• Lactobacilli – Support gut pH balance and mucosal integrity. β-glucan supplementation promotes their growth in vivo and in vitro (12–14).

• Clostridium cluster bacteria – Reduce inflammation and allergic responses. β-glucan enhances their presence in humans (15).

  
  

These bacterial shifts may help explain β-glucan’s role in reducing gut dysbiosis, a condition linked to cardiovascular disease, obesity, and chronic inflammatory disorders (6).

Immune Modulation

β-glucan also exhibits immunomodulatory effects, acting on both innate and adaptive immunity (16,17).

• Innate immunity: In mice, β-glucan injections improved macrophage activity (3). In horses, oral supplementation increased macrophage concentrations (18). In rodent models, β-glucan activated leukocytes and stimulated cytokine production, including interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and TNF-α (2,19,20).

• Equine studies: Horses supplemented with β-glucan demonstrated enhanced innate immune responses during endotoxemia challenges, though data are limited by small sample sizes and short evaluation periods (21).

• Human trials: Surgical patients receiving β-glucan infusions showed reduced infection rates and accelerated recovery. In one trial, postoperative infection rates fell from ~30% in the control group to ~8% in the high-dose β-glucan group (23,24).

  
  

Collectively, these findings support β-glucan as an effective immune enhancer across species.

Cardiovascular Health

Although cardiovascular outcomes are more relevant to humans than equines, β-glucan also appears beneficial for vascular health.

• β-glucan supplementation increases nitric oxide production, improving vascular function and exercise performance (25,26).

• It has been shown to reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (27).

References:

1. Sonck E, Stuyven E, Goddeeris B, Cox E. The effect of beta-glucans on porcine leukocytes. Vet Immunol Immunopathol. 2010 Jun 15;135(3–4):199–207.

2. Volman JJ. Immune modulation by dietary glucans from oat and mushrooms; results from in vitro, animal and human studies. Maastricht: Datawyse / Universitaire Pers Maastricht; 2009.

3. Brown GD, Gordon S. Fungal beta-glucans and mammalian immunity. Immunity. 2003 Sep;19(3):311–5.

4. Jayachandran M, Chen J, Chung SSM, Xu B. A critical review on the impacts of β-glucans on gut microbiota and human health. J Nutr Biochem. 2018 Nov;61:101–10.

5. Sender R, Fuchs S, Milo R. Revised Estimates for the Number of Human and Bacteria Cells in the Body. PLoS Biol. 2016 Aug;14(8):e1002533.

6. Thursby E, Juge N. Introduction to the human gut microbiota. Biochem J. 2017 May 16;474(11):1823–36.

7. Mach N, Ruet A, Clark A, Bars-Cortina D, Ramayo-Caldas Y, Crisci E, et al. Priming for welfare: gut microbiota is associated with equitation conditions and behavior in horse athletes. Sci Rep. 2020 May 20;10(1):8311.

8. De Angelis M, Montemurno E, Vannini L, Cosola C, Cavallo N, Gozzi G, et al. Effect of Whole-Grain Barley on the Human Fecal Microbiota and Metabolome. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2015 Nov;81(22):7945–56.

9. O’Callaghan A, van Sinderen D. Bifidobacteria and Their Role as Members of the Human Gut Microbiota. Front Microbiol. 2016;7:925.

10. Drzikova B, Dongowski G, Gebhardt E. Dietary fibre-rich oat-based products affect serum lipids, microbiota, formation of short-chain fatty acids and steroids in rats. Br J Nutr. 2005 Dec;94(6):1012–25.

11. Patterson AM, Mulder IE, Travis AJ, Lan A, Cerf-Bensussan N, Gaboriau-Routhiau V, et al. Human Gut Symbiont Roseburia hominis Promotes and Regulates Innate Immunity. Front Immunol. 2017;8:1166.

12. Rastogi S, Singh A. Gut microbiome and human health: Exploring how the probiotic genus Lactobacillus modulate immune responses. Front Pharmacol. 2022;13:1042189.

13. Jaskari J, Kontula P, Siitonen A, Jousimies-Somer H, Mattila-Sandholm T, Poutanen K. Oat beta-glucan and xylan hydrolysates as selective substrates for Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus strains. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 1998 Feb;49(2):175–81.

14. Snart J, Bibiloni R, Grayson T, Lay C, Zhang H, Allison GE, et al. Supplementation of the diet with high-viscosity beta-glucan results in enrichment for lactobacilli in the rat cecum. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2006 Mar;72(3):1925–31.

15. Guo P, Zhang K, Ma X, He P. Clostridium species as probiotics: potentials and challenges. J Anim Sci Biotechnol. 2020;11:24.

16. Stier H, Ebbeskotte V, Gruenwald J. Immune-modulatory effects of dietary Yeast Beta-1,3/1,6-D-glucan. Nutr J. 2014 Apr 28;13:38.

17. Estrada A, Yun CH, Van Kessel A, Li B, Hauta S, Laarveld B. Immunomodulatory activities of oat beta-glucan in vitro and in vivo. Microbiol Immunol. 1997;41(12):991–8.

18. Picetti TS, Soveral L de F, Miotto R, Erpen LMS, Kreutz Y, Guizzo JA, et al. Orally administered β-glucan improves the hemolytic activity of the complement system in horses. Vet World. 2021 Apr;14(4):835–40.

19. Olson EJ, Standing JE, Griego-Harper N, Hoffman OA, Limper AH. Fungal beta-glucan interacts with vitronectin and stimulates tumor necrosis factor alpha release from macrophages. Infect Immun. 1996 Sep;64(9):3548–54.

20. Ishibashi K, Miura NN, Adachi Y, Ohno N, Yadomae T. Relationship between solubility of grifolan, a fungal 1,3-beta-D-glucan, and production of tumor necrosis factor by macrophages in vitro. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2001 Sep;65(9):1993–2000.

21. Lacerenza MD, Arantes J de A, Reginato GM, Passarelli D, Balieiro JC de C, Amaral AR, et al. Effects of β-Glucan Supplementation on LPS-Induced Endotoxemia in Horses. Animals (Basel). 2024 Jan 31;14(3):474.

22. Liang J, Melican D, Cafro L, Palace G, Fisette L, Armstrong R, et al. Enhanced clearance of a multiple antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus aureus in rats treated with PGG-glucan is associated with increased leukocyte counts and increased neutrophil oxidative burst activity. Int J Immuno pharmacol. 1998 Nov;20(11):595–614.

23. Babineau TJ, Hackford A, Kenler A, Bistrian B, Forse RA, Fairchild PG, et al. A phase II multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of three dosages of an immunomodulator (PGG-glucan) in high-risk surgical patients. Arch Surg. 1994 Nov;129(11):1204–10.

24. Babineau TJ, Marcello P, Swails W, Kenler A, Bistrian B, Forse RA. Randomized phase I/II trial of a macrophage-specific immunomodulator (PGG-glucan) in high-risk surgical patients. Ann Surg. 1994 Nov;220(5):601–9.

25. Hattori Y, Hattori S, Kasai K. Lipopolysaccharide activates Akt in vascular smooth muscle cells resulting in induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase through nuclear factor-kappa B activation. Eur J Pharmacol. 2003 Nov 28;481(2–3):153–8.

26. Oral O. Nitric oxide and its role in exercise physiology. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2021 Sep;61(9):1208–11.

27. El Khoury D, Cuda C, Luhovyy BL, Anderson GH. Beta glucan: health benefits in obesity and metabolic syndrome. J Nutr Metab. 2012;2012:851362.