The New Prescript Assist Reformulation is Dangerous, a Review

Prescript Assist old formulation recall notice!

Want to learn all about the HSOs in Prescript Assist? Get a copy of Fix Your Gut.

Everyone in the natural health community used to love Prescript Assist, but many of them changed their mind because of the new formulation. Some Guru’s have not changed their recommendations from Sisson,1 to Asprey,2 to Richard Nikoley. Chris Kresser finally changed his recommendation on Prescript Assist.3 Kresser states that they have changed the formulation to a new version that has not been tested for safety and clinically verified, unlike the old Prescript Assist formula. Well, I had my doubts about the safety recommendations of the old formula, the new formulation has manifested those doubts into a dark reality.

Many people still believe that Prescript Assist is the best “probiotic” supplement since sliced gluten-free bread.

However, why is that?

Well, in theory, Prescript Assist appears to be a perfect HSO supplement. Most of the “probiotics” found in the supplement are heat and shelf stable. Most of these homeostatic soil organisms are either encapsulated in endospores, pH resistant so they can survive stomach acid exposure, or produce biofilm when they colonize. Hopefully, they will survive your stomach acid and eventually colonize the large intestine for your benefit.

Endospores are dormant, tough encapsulations that protect the bacteria from your immune system, antibiotics, antibacterials, and even probiotics. Bacteria can also lay dormant in endospores until their environment becomes favorable for faster reproduction and survival. Bacterial endospores may also become opportunistic in a host, share in a “probiotic” communal with other true probiotics for a time, or slowly replicate to former larger colonies. Bacterial endospores can survive without nutrients for a long time and are resistant to UV radiation, desiccation, high temperatures, extreme freezing, and most chemical disinfectants.4

Kresser used to claim that the HSO’s found in Prescript Assist are non-toxic:5

“Finally, Prescript-Assist microflora are recognized Class 1 Etiological Agents, non-toxic, non-pathogenic, from independently maintained lines — this is well documented in both of the Clinical Therapeutics Articles. More than a decade of use as a supplement has revealed no adverse effects and/or side-effects [including reportedly patients with impaired immune systems], as well as the initial demonstrations with repeated consumptions of doses amounting to 500X that recommended for ordinarily daily use with no ill effect.”

Well, I will be damned, Prescript Assist used to be the safest probiotic ever produced, even with my doubts. Too bad that they changed the formula from an HSO probiotic that I would not recommend to a firm recommendation that no one should ever consume this “probiotic” supplement.

My Issues with Prescript Assist

It is unknown if most of the microorganisms in Prescript Assist are part of normal human flora. Many of the microorganisms have non-existent human studies and no human research studies. We might gain more information about the interaction between the microorganisms used in Prescript Assist and their human hosts once the human microbiome project6 is completed, but for now, it is truly unknown if any of these microorganisms are native flora.

You might be asking yourself what the big controversy is?

The main issue with probiotics using unstudied or lesser studied strains is that supplementing with any microbe with unknown pathogenic capabilities in even healthy people is playing with fire. Without proper research, we do not know what these organisms are capable of doing to our health. There was only one study performed (the second study was just a one-year extension on the previous study) on the old formulation of Prescript Assist. The study was a double-blinded, randomized trial with a placebo as a control. The original study was two weeks long, only had twenty-six participants, and used an irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) questionnaire to report initial symptoms or any improvement during the study. The second study was just a one year survey of twenty-two participants in the previous study. So because twenty-two people felt better on an IBS survey of taking Prescript Assist for one year, it is deemed by the authors that it is safe to use for a reduction of generalized IBS symptoms for short-term (a couple of weeks) or long-term (one year) use. Well, I have a few issues with the author’s conclusions. For one they used a survey which I believe to be one of the weakest forms of scientific data for the study and the study has a small population size. We also need more studies performed before we reach a broad conclusion. Whether or not you agree with Chris Kresser that the old studies prove that Prescript Assist was safe and effective is irrelevant, the new formulation of Prescript Assist has no studies to back up its effectiveness or safety. Do these poorly researched strains only improve our digestive or overall health, or do they cause severe, hard to relieve opportunistic infections? We have no idea without proper research into these organisms and their relation to our microbiome.

HSO’s That Are Not Considered Normal Human Flora or Have Non-Existent Human Interaction Research in Prescript Assist7

  • Arthrobacter globiformis
  • Azospirillum brasiliense
  • Azospirillum lipoferum
  • Azotobacter chroococcum
  • Azotobacter paspali
  • Azotobacter vinelandii
  • Bacillus amyloliquefaciens
  • Bacillus atrophaeus
  • Bacillus brevis
  • Bacillus firmus
  • Bacillus marcerans
  • Bacillus megaterium
  • Cellulomonas fimi
  • Kurthia zopfii
  • Nocardioides simplex
  • Rhodobacter sphaeroides
  • Rhodopseudomonas palustris
  • Rhodospirillum rubrum
  • Streptomyces griseus
  • Streptomyces griseoflavus
  • Streptomyces venezuelae

Documented Opportunistic HSO’s in Prescript Assist

Opportunistic Microorganisms That Were Removed From the Previous Formulation:

  • Acinetobacter calcoaceticus8 9 10 11
  • Phanerochaete chrysosporium12

Opportunistic Microorganisms in the new Formulation:

All of these listed HSO’s are known to cause opportunistic infections in humans or can cause severe health issues, some worse than others.

Opportunistic infections and overgrowths are rare with Micrococcus luteus and Pseudomonas putida. Micrococcus luteus is a normal inhabitant of our microbiome and is found on our mouth, mucosa, respiratory tract, skin, and pharynx. Micrococcus luteus dysbiosis is rare, but can occur in compromised people. Pseudomonas putida dysbiosis is rarely reported in literature than its cousin who is in Prescript Assist, Pseudomonas fluorescens

Pseudomonas fluorescens has even been implicated as the cause of Crohn’s disease (I believe that it is a coinfection instead of being the direct cause.)

These bacteria can produce hardy endospores and/or biofilm, which make it harder to reduce their colonies if they become opportunistic. It is a lot easier to reduce colonies opportunistic Lactobacillus acidophilus then Pseudomonas fluorescens.

What I believe is a grave error in the reformulation is the addition of the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis to Prescript Assist. Bacillus thuringiensis produces the pesticide BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) toxin (delta-endotoxin), and its genes are inserted into genetically modified corn to produce the toxin. The bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis are applied to some organic crops as a pesticide to produce the BT toxin to kill caterpillars. However, the bacteria and the toxin can be thoroughly washed off during food preparation. I am not here to debate whether or not genetically modified corn (which I believe it is, especially in people with a higher stomach pH) is harmful to our digestive systems because researchers claim BT toxin is inactivated by stomach acid. Stomach acid inactivating the toxins is why the researchers claim it does not harm the mammalian microbiome compared to the alkaline microbiome of insects. I, however, will declare that ingestion of Bacillus thuringiensis over time would possibly germinate the bacteria leading to dysbiosis, leaky gut, cellular intestinal damage, autoimmunity, and gut inflammation from the production of BT toxin that would be active in a more alkaline environment (for example our small intestine which has an alkaline pH of around 7-8.5 pH which is enough to activate the toxin) within our gut. Finally, contaminated Bacillus thuringiensis containing products can contain beta-exotoxins which are toxic to humans. Beta-exotoxins are not supposed to be in any product that includes Bacillus thuringiensis or anything produced by Bacillus thuringiensis, but it is unknown if Safer Medical of Montana tests for it in the new Prescript Assist formulation.22 23 24

Is the”Probiotic” Supplement Just Capsuled and Bottled Fertilizer?

Prescript Assist appears to be soil inoculant by Tainio Biologicals when you compared the labels. They contain the

Tainio Biologicals also has an interesting disclaimer about the soil inoculant:

Disclaimer: All products are for Agricultural use only. By your purchase of this product(s) you agree to only use the product(s) in strict compliance with the instructions of use on the product label and recognize that Tainio Biologicals, Inc. is not liable in any manner for any off label use.

I do not believe that Safer Medical of Montana should be using Tainio Biologicals soil inoculant for their “probiotic” supplement. It is only supposed to be used for agricultural use, not human consumption.

Finally, Safer Medical of Montana has been threatening researchers with legal action that report concerns about Prescript Assist. George Ackerson, the founder, and owner of Safer Medical of Montana, allegedly has a shady past, read Greg Caton’s blog Meditopia for more information.

Now, I hope you understand why I cannot recommend any of my clients supplement with Prescript Assist, and I hope you look over my research and do some investigating of Prescript Assist on your own.

  1. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-to-primal-supplementation/#axzz31t4SchA6
  2. http://www.bulletproofexec.com/the-red-meat-scapegoat-the-new-york-times-carnitine-heart-disease-and-science/
  3. https://store.chriskresser.com/pages/prescript-assist-announcement
  4. https://micro.cornell.edu/research/epulopiscium/bacterial-endospores
  5. https://chriskresserlac-shopify.helpjuice.com/questions/47699-Prescript-Assist-and-*spore-forming-organisms*
  6. http://commonfund.nih.gov/hmp/index
  7. https://safermedicalmt.com/
  8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/846390
  9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/362918
  10. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF01643394#page-1
  11. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC172888/
  12. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/rcr2.31/abstract
  13. https://goo.gl/sO6jRc
  14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1364539/
  15. https://academic.oup.com/femspd/article/48/3/410/506801
  16. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/629642
  17. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3141704/
  18. https://journals.lww.com/pidj/Fulltext/1996/08000/MICROCOCCUS_LUTEUS_AS_A_CAUSE_OF_RECURRENT.19.aspx
  19. http://www.gutpathogens.com/content/2/1/16
  20. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC133002/
  21. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3434797/
  22. http://www.jbc.org/content/279/53/55168.full
  23. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09540105.2017.1313200
  24. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5236067/