Lactobacillus plantarum DR7’s Importance in Mood, Cognition, Immune Modulation

by Dr. Donald Dennis

Many patients with toxic mold exposure experience anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, and issues with memory, concentration, and comprehension. Most report an overall, very noticeable decrease in brain performance compared to their normal state. Anxiety and depression caused by the neurotoxic effects of mycotoxins emerge often suddenly in patients with no previous history of mood or psychological issues and are a result of the toxins entering the brain and bloodstream from the nose and sinuses. Once in the blood, these toxins can gain a mainline to the brain with an impact that is swift and intense. In fact, there is new Artificial Intelligence (AI) software that has not been publicized yet that is able to see mycotoxins that appear in urine and environmental diagnostic testing actually imaged in the brain. (see Fig.1) This visual connection between toxins in the environment with those inside of the body and their potential impacts on brain health and function is fundamental to helping patients understand that what they are breathing directly enters the brain tissue and does impact cognitive function, behavior, and mood.

Mycotoxins are mycological poisons made by some molds are neurotoxic, meaning that they can disrupt any brain function such as motor functions (walking, standing, gut motility, and strength of any muscle and can cause tremors), any sensory function (sight, hearing, balance), and any cognitive function (speech, cognition, comprehension, memory, reading, learning). When mycotoxins enter the brain, anxiety is often a first symptom followed by depression that, if untreated, can escalate to suicidal depression.

When severe neurological symptoms are present in my patients, there is most often no improvement without the patient leaving the moldy environment and not taking ANYTHING with them. This may sound very extreme, but neurological symptoms are nothing to downplay. If the brain cannot function, downstream symptoms also occur. The good news is that, when the patient finds a safe place in which they know they are getting better, treatment can have a chance to work, and symptoms can be reversed. The frustration for many, though, is the fact that neurological symptoms often linger in a healthy environment, thus more and longer support is often required to clear them. Getting the air, water and diet correct MUST be done before wellness can occur. The diet must be the low carb, no sugar, yeast diet, with bottled spring water or filtered chlorine-free water. The indoor air must be HEPA filtered and humidity must be kept below 50% to prevent outdoor molds from becoming problematic indoors.

The Gut-Brain Axis and Mold

Gut microbiota composition maintains homeostasis of the immune system. The presence and abundance of different bacteria promote or counteract production of pro- or anti-inflammatory cytokines, and importantly regulate the ability of T cells to properly and effectively identify and protect the body from invaders. Thus, anything that changes the gut microbiome may result in dysregulation in the immune system and in the nervous system.

Further it is known that the gut microbiome is involved in the synthesis of neurotransmitters such as glutamate, serotonin, noradrenaline, dopamine and gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) and their functions and bioavailability both in the central nervous system and in the periphery. Changes in some of these transmitters like a decrease in dopamine concentration have been linked to neurodegenerative disorders. As yeast tends to overgrow and alter the gut flora towards digestive upset, poor nutrient absorption, detox, and motility issues in mold patients, addressing this key piece of healing with a targeted probiotic strain has become an integral piece to my protocol. The issue with selecting the correct probiotic is in the fact that most mold patients are highly sensitive and reactive to supplements, have many allergies (mold is the master antigen and creates reactivity to other substances), and have some form of gut dysbiosis already, so introducing certain bacterial strains to a pathogenic environment can make a patient feel worse and have an exacerbation of symptoms.

Enter Lactobacillus Plantarum DR7

Lactobacillus plantarum DR7 is a next generation probiotic that has been studied extensively in clinical trials and that actually shows significant efficacy for not only neurological symptoms, but also for immune system modulation, respiratory health, and rebalancing a healthy gut microbial profile. Also important to me for my patients, Lactobacillus plantarum DR7 is manufactured so that it does not contain any of the most common allergens or inflammatory ingredients. Although it is derived from fresh cow’s milk, it has been through a specific fermentation process that leaves zero milk proteins in the final product. It also does not contain soy, wheat, nuts, fish, or shellfish, making it suitable for almost all patients, and it is incredibly gentle on the digestive system. I have seen no reported adverse effects from patients, and there were none reported in any clinical trials done on the strain.

Evidence for the Use of Lactobacillus Plantarum DR7 in Clinical Practice

DR7 and has been shown to support a more diverse microbial gut flora which is associated with a decrease in overall inflammation by reducing elevated cortisol, stress and anxiety, and lowering pro inflammatory cytokines and raising anti-inflammatory cytokines and improving memory and cognition. DR7 is also associated with the increase of colon short chain fatty acids (SCFA) which reverses intestinal flora disorder (HFD) by increasing the abondance of Bacteroides and Bifidobacteriales and reduces the abundance of Firmicutes and Closteridiales and thus regulates lipid metabolism. *

In clinical trials, DR7 has been shown to relieve stress and anxiety in stressed adults, accompanied by improved memory traits, and cognition such as basic attention, emotional cognition, and associated learning. The probiotic acts in a way that enhances the serotonin pathway while stabilizing dopamine. This balancing effect is key to DR7’s effectiveness. While dopamine may be linked to experiencing certain symptoms of depression, serotonin seems to be more involved in how emotions are processing, which can affect the overall mood of an individual.

DR7 has been shown to have a positive effect on nose, throat and upper respiratory tract infections. DR7 maintains proper gut colonization diversity which keeps the immune system works optimally and allows less invaders in, with proper digestion and excretion. *

DR7 has also been shown to relieve stress and anxiety in stressed adults, accompanied by improved memory traits, and cognition such as basic attention, emotional cognition, and associate learning. DR7 maintained the distribution of gut microbial profiles amid stress. *

Additionally, I thought it interesting and of note that one major study on the DR7 bacteria started during the year-end period of 2017 in East Peninsular Malaysia, which also corresponded to the period of annual monsoon season, for 12 weeks, which coincided with the aftermath of a flood. During the monsoon of 2017, a massive flood occurred in East Peninsular Malaysia, affecting over 14,000 individuals and displacing over 2000 homes where families were housed in shelters, attributed to increased rainfall in November and December 2017. These monsoon and flood seasons imposed great stress, gut dysbiosis, and abdominal disorders in flood victims and the general communities of East Peninsular Malaysia. Mold also destroyed and infested housing, buildings, etc. as a result. Thus, many, if not most of the study participants were dealing with the same stress, health symptoms, and displacement that mold patients who come to see me are also dealing with. So, while the study does not directly call out or consider mold exposure, the fact that the participants experienced all of the positive effects of taking DR7 under these conditions makes it, in my opinion, also a promising intervention for mold patients needing the same gut-brain support.

Final Thoughts

Although all of this information about DR7 is very important and promising, I cannot end this article without stating the obvious: because you are breathing about 3,000 gallons of air per day, the air you breathe is 5 times more important to your health than all treatment rendered by doctors, hospitals and medication, and it is 2 times more important to your health than your genetic code. Nearly 60% of all preventable deaths are due to the air conditions at home and work! So first fix your air or get into a safe place in which you know you are getting better. That is the only path that is effective long term. Once in a safe environment, then begin incorporating and spending money on other treatments and interventions. And, if neurological symptoms and inflammation are still problematic, both medical and when indicated, endoscopic sinus surgical removal of the mold and mycotoxins can be indicated.

(Figure 1: The black area is a mix of 11 or more mycotoxins with 2^nd pic showing marked improvement after leaving the home, not taking ANYTHING WITH THEM and doing the detox program with oxygen, glutathione, NAC, Liver cleanse, Intramax, Saline nose irrigations with CitriDrops and Amphotericin nasal nebulization 2x day. Top 2 pictures are the original MRI which of course shows NO MYCOTOXINS.)

(Figure 2: The image on the left shows dark brown sinus tissue which is positive for Mycotoxins and the brown halo around the tissue is also positive for mycotoxins. Thus, this shows how the mycotoxins produced by the mold spores come out of the tissues and enters the brain as documented by the scan of the brain. The image on the right is the control, which is negative for mycotoxins.)

References:

Altadill T, et al. Microorganisms. 2021 Mar;9(3):528.

Chong HX, et al. Benef Microbes. 2019;10(4):355-73.

Chong HX, et al. J. Dairy Sci. 2019;102:4783–97. Liu G, et al. Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21:4608.

Tan FH, et al. Benef Microbes. 2020 Feb 19;11(1):79-89.

Zaydi AI, et al. Benef Microbes. 2020 Dec 2;11(8):753-66.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease.

Questions? Comments? Please write to us below. We like to know what topics interest you most and what kinds of questions you may have about mold and your health.

Was this Post Meaningful? Please Share!