Gut Health: What Drives Our Product Innovation

It All Starts In The Gut Microbiome

Improper digestive function also leads to disruption of the microbiome that consists of 100 trillion microbes that we harbor in or on our body.

The microbiome affects the way our body functions and the way that we feel. An altered or suboptimal microbiome not only leads to gas, bloating, and digestive distress, but there is a great deal of research showing the microbiome plays a key role in protecting against or developing many serious health conditions.

Enzymes Break Down What We Eat

One of the key components of our formulas are plant-based enzymes.

Our body makes its own digestive enzymes to break down food into smaller molecules that are then able to be absorbed into the body. However, sometimes the body does not produce sufficient enzymes.

This leads to undigested food being digested or fermented by the microbiome and can in turn lead to indigestion, gas, bloating, and either constipation or diarrhea.

Supplementing with digestive enzymes can overcome this enzyme insufficiency leading to proper digestion of food and relief of digestive distress.

The Benefit of Enzymes

The reality is that many people suffering from digestive issues may not be secreting or consuming enough active digestive enzymes and may need additional help.

Digestive complaints affect nearly one in three adults in the United States.* Digestive enzymes supplements have been shown to help:

●              Improve digestion and absorption
●              Relieve symptoms of poor digestion
●              Ease digestive distress and irritation
●              Revamp the composition of microbiome
●              Regulate bowel function

The Tradition Of Fermented Foods

Traditional fermented foods in Japan are highly valued for their health promoting properties.

Fermentation also increases the tolerability of prebiotic fiber. These fibers feed the microbiome, but in the unfermented form, some prebiotics can cause a lot of bloating and gas. However, during fermentation, these prebiotic fibers are broken down into forms that do not cause these unwanted side effects.

There are numerous examples of microbial byproducts or metabolites in fermented foods exerting noteworthy health effects.

For example, a bacteria in some Japanese fermented foods is able to transform a food component into a compound that is able to bind to the surface of cells in the gut to signal the human immune system. The term for these kinds of compounds is a “postbiotic.”

Our Fermentation Method

We use concentrated food-based sources of enzymes and those specifically produced from Aspergillus oryzae – also known as koji mold; the national fungus of Japan.

This extremely beneficial organism plays a critical factor in the traditional Japanese diet as it is used in the production of “koji,” a starter culture usually made from barley, rice, or soybeans. The koji culture is then used in the production of traditional Japanese fermented foods and beverages such as soy sauce, miso, sake, and shochu.

Aspergillus oryzae and koji culture complex are the primary sources of enzymes and beneficial organisms in SHINYALab products; uniquely designed and unlike any other enzyme-based company.

Sashiko: Repair & Repurpose

Sashiko means making something worn out feel new again. Combining different materials to make something Whole.

In this same way, we take supplements to support our body systems. We repair the damage from the unfiltered world. We meld ancient knowledge with modern technology to make ourselves more Whole.

Beyond being familiar, recognizable and modifiable, using sashiko embroidery as an influence for the brand elements for SHINYALab is rooted in the idea that to achieve our greatest Outcomes - for ourselves, our communities, our line of products - we must pay attention to detail, have reverence & respect for history and acknowledge that small things (enzymes! random shapes!) are mighty when multiplied and bound together.

Microorganisms Found In Japanese Koji Culture

Fungal

Aspergillus fumigatus
Aspergillus oryzae
Candida fructus
Candida prapsilosis
Debaryomyces nepalensis
Millerozyma farinose
CBS 7064
Penicillium chrysogenum
Pichia membranifaciens
Rogerella griseliniae
Wickerhamomyces anomalus

Bacterial

Aeromonas hydrophilia
Akkermansia muciniphilia
Bacillus megaterium
Bacteroides dorei
Chryseobacterium haifense
Coprobacillus caterniformis
Enhydrobacter aerosaccus
Eubacterium coprostanoligenes
Kocuria koreensis
Lactobacillus delbruekii
Lactobacillus pentosus
Leuconostoc mesenteroides
Mycobacterium massiliense
Obesumbacterium proteus
Ochrobactrum lupini
Staphylococcus succinus