Supplement based on botanical extracts targets bacterial overgrowth in small intestine, developer says

By Hank Schultz

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Bacteria

Photo courtesy Dr Kenneth Brown
Photo courtesy Dr Kenneth Brown
The old saw about real estate values—location, location, location—could be applied to the basic idea behind a new gut health dietary supplement branded as Atrantíl.

The product’s developer, Dallas-based gastroenterologist Dr Kenneth Brown, said clinical research conducted through his practice into Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and other conditions led him to conclude that there was a gap in conception of many digestive health preparations.  Brown came to believe that where bacteria were proliferating in the gut could be just as important—or even more so—as which specific microbial species were gaining the upper hand.

It was always thought that IBS was tied to stress or depression, however, data began showing that a large percentage of people who had IBS symptoms actually had something called SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). Brandi​ (Brandi Scott-Hoy, manager of the research division of Brown’s practice) and I have been and always will be big believers of SIBO, and we felt we could effectively develop a natural plant-based supplement that could help sufferers relieve symptoms that was unlike any antibiotics, probiotics and prescription medications on the market.”

Brown said the supplement was specifically targeted to alter conditions in the small bowel, whereas many products on the market were designed more to affect actions in the colon.  If a consumer is experiencing SIBO, Brown said excess hydrogen gas will be produced in this upstream portion of the GI tract, which leads to an ideal environment for the archaebacteria class of organisms that feed on hydrogen and excrete methane.  

“This methane works as a local paralytic and slows everything down, allowing for more bacteria to grow, and resulting in a vicious cycle. We found that by using the three ingredients in Atrantíl, we can soak up the hydrogen and block the methane production, which gets the small bowel back to a relatively sterile environment as it should be,”​ Brown said.

Ingredients provide complementary effects

Atrantíl is based on extracts of three botanicals:  Quebracho, a South American hardwood species; Conker tree, otherwise known as horse chestnut; and M balsamea wild​, or peppermint.

According to Brown, the three botanicals work together to provide:

  • Antispasmodic agents  to slow down the small bowel, allowing the other natural ingredients time to help provide effective relief.
  • Flavonoids  that soak up hydrogen and weaken the archaebacteria (microorganisms) in the small bowel, enabling the final ingredient to penetrate the cell wall.
  • Saponins that penetrates the cell wall of the archaebacteria, stopping methane production and safely returning bacteria to the colon where it belongs.

Brown said a proof of concept, RCT-type trial that showed good results in reducing bloating and constipation was followed by an open label trial that confirmed those results. Despite his enthusiasm for the product, which is for sale solely online for the moment, Brown said he is careful to avoid disease-type claims in his marketing.

“We do not claim to treat any diseases like IBS. Atrantíl can help people receive relief from occasional bloating, abdominal discomfort and constipation,”​ Brown said.

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