Probiotics are live microorganisms or bacteria which we intake and stay in our gut. They are very important and what we need them for is to improve our intestinal health. That’s why many people use them more and more every day.
But, according to recent research, the probiotics which were tested only showed 1% of the billions of different organisms that should be present there. It seems like they aren’t doing their job as they should!
How can we know whether we’re getting a proper probiotic?
Our intestines are full of bacteria. No matter how this word sounds, some of them are very important to our health.
We must keep them in balance if we want to have a clean intestinal flora. If they aren’t balanced, we’ll face numerous problems with our immunity and many illnesses and diseases might appear like: heart problems, respiratory problems, and lactose intolerance. Probiotics need to repopulate all the bacteria we’ve lost and need in order to have optimal health.
Probiotics have the ability to release some acids which can destroy all the bacteria that are harmful. They create beneficial bacteria and many experts recommend them whether we take them in the form of kefir and yogurt or some supplement. We should take probiotics especially when we take antibiotics.
Constipation can also be relieved with the help of these beneficial bacteria. Some studies even claim that they can increase the acid levels, treat colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease and even decrease the power Helicobacter pylori has!
One example talks about a naturopath from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto, Ontario called Rahima Hirji. This naturopath prescribed probiotics to her 18-year-old patient, a woman. The woman had the irritable bowel syndrome. Probiotics managed to improve her irregularity as well as pain in only 3 weeks.
There are researchers which agree with this example. According to a study performed by the University of California, Los Angeles in 2002, probiotics can decrease gas and pain in patients with the irritable bowel syndrome. Another important study managed to prove that patients with IBS had very low numbers of beneficial bacteria found in their intestines.
Probiotics are something that will even improve our whole immune system and make it stable and healthy.
They can even help us decrease the appearance of allergy attacks as well as colds and flu. Some children even had a decreased number of ear infections and urinary tract infections.
Try to intake more yogurt. Look for labels that have the LAC seal because they are full of active cultures. If you want to treat some conditions, you’ll have to take a supplement.
SUPPLEMENT GUIDE
In case of lactose intolerance or diarrhea, experts agree that the patient should have a supplement, but also intake plenty of yogurts.
How do you know which one is the best for you?
Top Form: You can use liquid, capsules, powder, tablets, but the most recommended are the refrigerated enteric-coated tablets or capsules. It’s their coating which ensures us that organisms will survive the transit of acid through our stomach to the intestines. When they’re refrigerated, they stay alive for a very long period of time. It’s cheaper to use the powdered form than the capsules. Just add it to your favorite smoothie. The liquid form isn’t that recommended since it’s not very stable.
Read the Label: Try to find products which are full of 1 billion bacteria in ever serving for every day. Make sure you avoid the ones which guarantee the dose only during the time of manufacture because the trip that the manufacturer does to the supermarket can destroy the bacteria from the product. It’s also important to pay attention to the expiration date.
Look for a Blend: For various health problems, experts recommend taking particular bacteria strains, but unfortunately, not all of them are always available. Try to find a probiotic which contains several blends. You increase the chance of intaking several strains that will all act.
Article and image source: justnaturallyhealthy.com
