What are the benefits of probiotic supplements?
Probiotics are live microorganisms that are most commonly used to help balance out the good and bad bacteria in the gut. When people think of bacteria, they often associate it with a negative connotation. But as they have become more common in today’s society, awareness of gut issues — and the bacteria that either cause or treat them — are on the rise. Probiotics supplements are often good to take for those experiencing gut issues.
WHAT CAUSES A GUT IMBALANCE?
One common way you lose good bacteria in your body is due to the overuse of antibiotics. When you take antibiotics, you are killing all the bacteria to evade an illness. The repeated loss of good bacteria over time can lead to intestinal and gut health issues.
Dietary and lifestyle choices also link to digestive problems, especially irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Those who are physically inactive, sleep less, eating at irregular intervals, and eating a poor diet can cause IBS. Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can be known to increase good bacteria in the gut.
WHAT FOODS CONTAIN PROBIOTICS?
There are lots of foods that contain probiotics to a small or large degree. Here are three of the best dietary sources of probiotics.
BEST PROBIOTIC FOODS – YOGURT
Some yogurts contain probiotics that have been show to improve stomach issues after a few weeks. To ensure you’re yogurt is not heavily pasturized (which kills the good bacteria), check the label which will indicate if it contains probiotics. The most common strains found in yogurt include Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus. The two strains in particular are known to help with IBS. Bifidobacteria is also shown to help improve women’s health and digestive system for those who do not suffer from a digestive disorder. Eating yogurt has also been known to reduce inflammation, which leads to several gut issues and can weaken your immune system.
BEST PROBIOTIC FOODS – KEFIR
Kefir is a popular, yogurt-like probiotic drink usually made from cow or goat’s milk. Essentially it is fermented milk. Kefir grains contain up to 61 strains of bacteria and yeast making it a very strong probiotic option. Kefir contains Lactobacillus, which is known to reduce bad strains of bacteria including: Salmonella, Helicobacter pylori, and E. Coli. Specifically, kefir contains bacteria that are effective in treating several forms of diarrhea.
BEST PROBIOTIC FOODS – SAUERKRAUT
Sauerkraut is a fermented food that is delicious but also known for its useful in aiding digestive disorders. The process of fermenting this cabbage allows the production of good bacteria to exist, creating probiotics similarly found in yogurt and kefir. This is particularly good to take after you have an antibiotic treatment to rebalance the bacteria in your gut. It can also help prevent post-antibiotic diarrhea. Sauerkraut contains 28 different strains of bacteria which is beneficial due to its higher number of diverse bacteria.
WHAT PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTS ARE AVAILABLE?
Probiotic supplements come in many varieties and forms and to treat different biological systems. Let’s talk about some of the different probiotic supplements available to you. We’ll also recommend some of our favorite products.
BEST PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTS FOR CONSTIPATION
Constipation can occur more frequently in elderly adults or people with IBS. In particular, the B. lactis strain has been show to significantly improve constipation for people. Two top-rated probiotic supplements for constipation are Garden of Life colon care and Lion Heart Pride Probiotics.
BEST PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTS FOR YOUR DIGESTIVE HEALTH
When looking for a probiotic supplement that will specifically address digestive health issues, look for these strains: Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria species. Also, the L. rhamnosus GG strain is particularly known to help the gut. Two probiotics that are great at dealing with digestive health are: Culturelle Digestive Daily Probiotic Capsules and Florastor Daily Probiotics.
BEST PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTS FOR REGULATING YOUR WEIGHT
There have been several studies that have linked obesity to an imbalanced gut. Leaner people were found to have a more balanced gut, which was tied to their lower weight. On the other hand, those who typically are obese are found to have a less diverse gut bacteria balance leading to several gut issues, including having the bacteria that is good at breaking down food. The bacteria strains that are found best for weight-loss are: lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium lactis. Two probiotic supplements that help regulate your weight shown to be effective are: Garden of Life Raw Probiotics Ultime Care and VSL #3.
BEST PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTS FOR YOUR BRAIN
In your central nervous system, your vagus nerve sends signals between your intestines and your brain. Another form of communication occurs in your gut microbes, which creates molecules that sends messages to your brain. Gut bacteria effects your brain with inflammation and hormone imbalances. Because your brain and your gut are connected, those with gut issues are also inclined to have a higher-risk for anxiety and depression. Taking probiotics has been shown to decrease anxiety and depression.
The strains best at regulating good brain health are: Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium infantis, Lactobacillus helveticus and Lactobacillus rhamnosus.For depression, these strains were highly successful: L. acidophilus, L. casei and B. bifidum. The supplements we recommend are: Garden of Life Dr. Formulated Probiotic and Mood Supplement and Hyperbiotics Pro-15 Probiotics.
Leave a reply →