Whether you are taking a course of antibiotics, struggle with gut-related issues, or just want to improve your overall health, a quality probiotic supplement is a wonderful tool to help get your gut and overall health back on track. The only problem with this popular product is trying to find one that contains the right strains of bacteria that suits your needs. There are hundreds of brands and types to choose from that range from liquids, pills, fruit juices, and powders, which can be quite a task to sift through, especially if you are looking for your money’s worth. Fortunately, we have narrowed down the search and compiled the ultimate guide on how to find the best probiotic for your needs.
What Are Probiotics?
There are billions of different strains of bacteria living within our bodies. Most of these strains are found in the large intestine and make up a complex system known as the gut microbiome. This colony of beneficial fungi, bacteria, and other microbes is directly involved in important biological processes like digestion of fiber and nutrients, mood regulation, and the immune’s defense. When this natural microbe is disrupted by the overgrowth of harmful strains of bacteria, fungi, and yeast, the imbalance can bring on illnesses, infection, and inflammation within the body.
Probiotics are live strains of the same beneficial bacteria that are naturally found in the gut, which help restore the gut’s natural flora and provide the body with many other benefits when taken correctly.
What Are The Benefits Of Taking A Probiotic?
Depending on the live strains in the product, probiotics can aid in alleviating various conditions and provide several health benefits including:
Improved Immune Function
One of the main benefits of taking a probiotic supplement is because it gives the immune system a powerful boost and extra helping hand in eliminating other harmful toxins and pathogens that have begun multiplying in the gut. According to studies, probiotics are also helpful in increasing the body’s natural antibody defense and boosting immune cell production.
Relief From Constipation and Diarrhea
Probiotics are an effective way to help alleviate some digestive issues including constipation and antibiotic-induced diarrhea as well as diarrhea that is brought on by infections such as stomach flu (gastroenteritis) and food poisoning.
More and more health care professionals are recommending that patients take a probiotic when they are prescribed a course of antibiotics. The reason for this is because while the antibiotics are trying to eliminate the infection from the body, they also kill some of the beneficial bacteria in the gut along with it. As a result of the gut microbe imbalance, some may experience diarrhea or inflammation. Probiotics help restore a natural balance in the body and prevent the risk of developing any antibiotic-induced inflammation and diarrhea by almost 42%.
Improving Cognitive Function and Mental Health
The gut plays a crucial role in regulating moods and emotions due to the fact that most of our happy hormones like serotonin, is produced in the gut. When there is a disruption in the balance of bacteria, it can trigger various infections and diseases, which leads to reduced serotonin production, inflammation, and ultimately affects the mood.
In addition to boosting the mood, studies have also found that probiotics are helpful in reducing symptoms associated with cognitive disorders such as generalized anxiety, autism spectrum disorder, OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), and age-related memory loss.
Improved Heart Health
Countless studies have shown that taking a probiotic reduces the risk of developing heart disease later in life. According to the research, certain cultures of bacteria found in high-quality probiotic supplements aids in lowering LDL (the harmful type) cholesterol levels while increasing the production of HDL (the beneficial type) cholesterol in the blood. When cholesterol and triglyceride levels are properly managed, it protects against developing certain diseases associated with high LDL levels including:
- Heart disease
- Vascular disease
- Atherosclerosis
- Stroke
- Heart attack
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
Weight Loss
One of the most interesting benefits of taking a probiotic supplement is that it aids in weight loss and weight management. The evidence shows that a probiotic supplement that contains the right strains of bacteria is helpful in reducing overall belly fat and body weight by limiting the number of calories that are absorbed by the large intestine.
More Benefits
- Alleviating Candida Yeast And Urinary Tract Infections.
- Improves digestion
- Alleviates symptoms associated with IBS and IBD
- Provides symptomatic relief from certain allergies, eczema, and psoriasis.
Approved Science® Probiotic Review: Choosing The Right One
As we mentioned earlier, there are hundreds of different brands of probiotics on the market, and sourcing the best ingredients and quality can prove to be quite challenging. Different strains of bacteria help with certain conditions so you ideally want to look for a product that contains a combination of strains to provide you with all the benefits listed above. When choosing the right probiotic, these are a few things to consider:
The Ingredients
There are over 500 different species of bacteria, which can be naturally found by the billions in the large intestine, however, when it comes to a quality supplement, you want to be sure that it contains three specific genera – Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces. These main categories of bacteria are broken down even further into different types of species. For example, Lactobacillus Acidophilus. Lactobacillus is the genus and Acidophilus is the species. Each species belonging to a genus provides different health benefits, which is why you want to find an ingredient list that offers a variety of strains to promote overall support and health.
For the best results you want to look for these 10 different live strains and at least one strain of prebiotics in order to provide the live strains of bacteria with nutritional support:
- Lactobacillus Acidophilus – naturally found in the intestines and is known to play a vital role in our health. This strain of bacteria helps to break down the sugar found in milk, which is known as lactose, into lactic acid. This strain of lactic acid bacteria is beneficial for soothing symptoms associated with IBS, improves overall digestion, prevents the overgrowth of harmful bacteria in the vagina, and is also known to help alleviate symptoms of the common cold.
- Lactobacillus Rhamnosus – one of the most well-documented bacteria strains, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus is a hardy microorganism that is able to survive in acidic conditions. Lactobacillus Rhamnosus is known for restoring proper gut function, protecting against cavities, and fighting off harmful pathogens associated with urinary tract infections.
- Lactobacillus Plantarum – a unique strain of bacteria that creates its own antibiotic effect against foreign pathogens. Lactobacillus Plantarum also aids in the production of essential acids like Lysine, which helps to combat the herpes simplex virus type 1 (cold sore virus), blocks anxiety receptors, and increases collagen production in the body.
- Lactobacillus Casei – adding this beneficial strain of bacteria to your diet is known to have positive effects on a wide range of gut and stomach related disorders including IBS, Crohn’s disease, IBD, lactose intolerance, and ulcerative colitis. Lactobacillus Casei also helps to alleviate symptoms of certain allergies, hives, cold sores, eczema, dermatitis, and oral health problems.
- Saccharomyces Boulardii – a potent strain of beneficial yeast that is effective in alleviating both traveler’s and antibiotic-associated diarrhea and reducing symptoms by up to a day. S.Boulardii has also shown to be positive for curbing inflammation and preventing symptoms caused by viral infections such as Rotavirus and Helicobacter pylori. In addition to its powerful anti-diarrhea properties, Saccharomyces Boulardii also provides relief from canker sores, fever blisters, vaginal yeast infections, acne, high cholesterol, and lactose intolerance.
- Bifidobacterium Bifidum – one of the most popular strains of probiotics used to provide symptomatic relief from chemotherapy-related infections, mumps, IBS, and antibiotic-associated diarrhea and constipation. Research also shows that Bifidobacterium Bifidum is helpful for fighting off bacteria that infect the lining of the intestines also known as necrotizing enterocolitis.
- Bifidobacterium Longum – an essential microbe that helps to boost immunity, improves skin health and protects against harmful pathogens known to cause inflammation and disruptions in the gut. Research also states that the Bifidobacterium Longum species reduces the risk of respiratory tract infections and pneumonia-induced complications.
- Brevibacillus Brevis – This beneficial strain of bacteria is considered to be a rich source of antioxidants and various antimicrobial peptides that help combat various strains of harmful fungi and toxins that make its way into the intestines. In addition to that, Brevibacillus Brevis also multiplies at a rapid rate, meaning that it does not take long for this strain of bacteria to take effect within the body.
- Bifidobacterium Infantis – a gut-friendly strain of probiotics that is effective for reducing inflammation caused by psoriasis, chronic fatigue syndrome, and ulcerative colitis. Bifidobacterium Infantis is also beneficial for providing relief from stomach ache, bloating, and gas, which is common in IBD and IBS patients.
- Bifidobacterium Lactis – this potent strain of bacteria is essential for increasing the body’s immune system and its natural response to life-saving vaccines. Studies also show that this potent species of bacteria can reduce the risk of developing tumors due to its tumoricidal activity. Bifidobacterium Lactis is also a vital component of digestion and the absorption of vitamins and minerals within the body.
- Fructooligosaccharides – is a short-chain fructose compound that acts as a prebiotic. A prebiotic acts as food for the beneficial bacteria found in probiotics. Due to the structure, humans are unable to digest Fructooligosaccharides and they travel through the digestive tract completely intact. However, the fascinating thing about this short-chain fructose is that the live bacteria in both our intestines and the probiotics eat this fiber, which contributes towards their growth and activity.
The Colony Forming Units
The Colony Forming Units of CFUs is another important factor to consider when choosing a probiotic. This tells you how many live bacteria you are getting per supplement dose. Ideally, you want to look for a product that contains 25 Billion CFU to reap the rewards of these incredible microorganisms. Anything under that number may not take effect and could just land up costing you hard-earned money.
The Quality
Just like everything else you put into your body, you want to look for a manufacturer who delivers on its claims and offers a high-quality formula. Since the FDA does not regulate supplements the way they do medical drugs, quality and safety lie in the manufacturer’s hands, which is why you want to invest in a trusted brand that has the science and the clinical professionals to back up their claims.
Approved Science® Probiotic Review: Get 10% Off!
Now that we know that the species of live bacteria and CFUs are important deciding factors in choosing the best probiotic supplement, finding a brand that meets these criteria is the last step of the journey. Fortunately, there is one brand that ticks all the boxes in terms of providing a well-rounded formula that contains all of the strains listed above with no additives or other unnecessary ingredients – Approved Science® Probiotic. This groundbreaking probiotic supplement is specially formulated to deliver results in the safest and most effective way. The ingredients have been hand-picked by top researchers and scientists with countless studies available to back it up. Approved Science® Probiotic also offers buyers a pleasant experience by offering incredible value for money as well as a 60-day money-back guarantee that allows you to test the product without any risk.