Many of my patients come to see me because they want to enhance their gut health. When I mention gut health, I’m referring to the roughly 500 different species—trillions of bacteria in total—that live in your intestines and whose delicate balance affects gut function, metabolism, hormone balance, and general health. probioticseverything.comprobiotic near me
Unfriendly microbes can enter the gut and disrupt the balance if the flora isn’t balanced. Probiotics* are one specific method I use to assist restore and support gut balance, and it’s critical to choose the optimum option for your body when it comes to this supplement.
The fundamentals of probiotics
Probiotics have a variety of health benefits, including supporting a healthy bowel and immune system, promoting a healthy gut and regularity while traveling, helping you maintain a healthy weight, supporting healthy skin, easing bloating, and reducing the impacts of stress, according to study. probioticseverything.comprobiotic near me
Consider probiotics to be your small helpers who aid to restore order and harmony in your gut ecosystem. You want them to outnumber and combat the undesirable bugs, such as bacteria, yeast, and parasites. probioticseverything.comprobiotic near me
Probiotic bacteria compete for bacterial binding sites on the inside lining of your intestines with unfavorable flora, further safeguarding you. * The appropriate meals, which stimulate the growth and proliferation of the good bacteria that drown out the bad bacteria, are one method to populate your gut with probiotics, promote or restore harmony, and reap all of their many advantages. probioticseverything.comprobiotic near me
Cultured foods (such as yogurts or kefir); fermented foods (such as sauerkraut, miso, pickled vegetables, and kimchi); and cultured beverages (such as kombucha) are all examples of foods that contain beneficial living bacteria. probioticseverything.comprobiotic near me
During my recent trip to Japan, I noticed that pickled veggies were included in practically every traditional Japanese dinner. Unfortunately, the majority of Americans do not consume enough probiotic-rich foods and beverages. Even when they do, reestablishing balance frequently necessitates greater doses of these bacteria. A probiotic supplement can help with this.
Bifido-what? Understanding the many types of probiotics
Capsules, pills, and powders containing freeze-dried bacteria are available as probiotic supplements. That’s the simple part: flip the label over to reveal a list of unpronounceable components. Many of my patients claim it’s difficult to choose the correct probiotic supplement.
While there are several types of helpful bacteria, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces boulardii are the most prevalent ones found in probiotic supplements (which is actually a favorable, noncolonizing yeast, not a bacteria). probioticseverything.comprobiotic near me
Specific species can be found in each of these three genera (or families). For example, the Lactobacillus genus comprises the species L. acidophilus, L. rhamnosus, L. bulgaricus, L. reuteri, and L. casei. Bifidobacterium animalis, Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium lactis, and Bifidobacterium longum are the most prevalent Bifidobacterium species. There are also unique strains at a more granular level (e.g., L. acidophilus NCFM, B. lactis Bi-07, etc.)
Let’s take a closer look at the advantages of these three bacteria families: Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces:* probioticseverything.comprobiotic near me
Lactobacillus
Lactobacillus bacteria are primarily found in the small intestine (the portion of your gut that follows the stomach). Lactobacillus species-containing probiotics help to repopulate the small intestine with friendly bacteria that aid digestion and immunological function. L. acidophilus, L. plantarum, and L. paracasei are the most helpful species. probioticseverything.comprobiotic near me
Lactobacillus acidophilus was discovered to boost the inflammatory response in the gut in a preclinical research. GABA expression (an inhibitory neurotransmitter that makes you feel relaxed) in the brain is increased by L. rhamnosus, resulting in less stress-related behavior. Another study discovered that combining Lactobacillus with Bifidobacteria (which we’ll discuss next) reduced bloating, and yet another discovered that taking the Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG strain protects normal bowel function and buffers against loose stools linked with antibiotic use.
Bifidobacteria
The bacteria Bifidobacteria (Bifidus) dwell primarily in your colon or large intestine. They create butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that provides energy to your colon cells and helps them work properly. Butyrate is also absorbed by the body, where it influences a number of metabolic processes, including insulin sensitivity (which controls blood sugar) and even memory formation in the brain. probioticseverything.com
Bifidobacteria lactis and Bifidobacteria longum are the most helpful of the Bifidobacteria. Bifidobacteria has been shown to help maintain gut health in studies. Another study found that a Bifidobacterium lactis strain (B420) helped regulate body fat mass, waist circumference, and food intake.
Saccharomyces
Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a yeast that I frequently recommend to folks who have been on antibiotics. This yeast helps sustain healthy tight junctions and protects against gut microbial imbalance by promoting the health of the intestinal lining. S. boulardii can also outcompete other yeast in the stomach that isn’t friendly.
Don’t worry if that sounds perplexing. You won’t need to memorize their names if you use the three tactics below to find the correct probiotic supplement.
How can you tell if your probiotics are of good quality?
I enjoy a good deal as much as the next person, but buying a probiotic supplement is not one of them. Warehouse stores are fantastic for bulk purchases like paper towels and grass-fed beef, but those mega-containers of probiotics aren’t as cheap as they appear.
When it comes to supplements, quality is everything, and probiotics are no exception. Many commercial brands lack the technology to determine which strains are present in each dose and how much of each strain is present. This could result in a dose that is ineffective or even hazardous. If the company is employing probiotic strains that have been used in clinical studies at a dose that is similar to or the same as that used in the study, it’s a good sign. This is one of the few techniques to ensure a probiotic’s efficacy.
Even then, it’s all about survival with probiotics. To reach your intestines, these fragile bacteria must overcome various difficulties, including the production process, packing, shelf life, and (once you take them) the acid in your stomach environment.
Remember that if a supplement contains a certain number of organisms, that number will eventually expire. Probiotics are living creatures that can perish if left on a store shelf, in a warehouse, or in a transport vehicle for an extended period of time or at high temperatures. Companies must create probiotics with a greater CFU (colony-forming unit; see below) count in each capsule in order to ensure label potency until the expiration date, or two years from the manufacturing date in the case of probiotics with a manufacturing date.
Unfortunately, many commercial brands fall short of expectations. In stomach acid, they become unstable. Quality control methods, such as ensuring supplements are handled correctly to retain freshness, are not in place. The efficacy of probiotic pills might be reduced if moisture gets into them. Higher-quality probiotic supplements can withstand stomach acid, releasing their contents into the small intestine, where the bacteria can thrive in a more alkaline environment.
To avoid these and other issues, I strongly advise purchasing a professional brand from a reputable health care professional or another vendor who stands behind their products and submits them to multiple rounds of quality testing, starting with the raw ingredients and ending with the finished product. Some of these companies have developed cutting-edge technologies to ensure that probiotic supplements last longer on the shelf and in your gut.
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