Get Your Gut in Good Health with Probiotics!

You may have seen a label in the grocery store or a commercial on TV talking about probiotics with some vague hint that it’s good for your digestion.

But what are probiotics? and why are they important?

Watch this week’s 2 minute tip to find out!

https://youtu.be/XZrp86CW3-Y

So first; What are Probiotics?

Probiotics are the healthy bacteria that help balance the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria in your colon. Probiotics are living microorganisms that, when ingested, provide numerous health benefits.

Why Do I Need Them?

You are what you feed the trillions of microorganisms that live in your gut! Probiotics help move digestion along and can help lessen symptoms of diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Probiotics are especially helpful after taking antibiotic medications which not only wipe out the harmful bacteria causing you to be sick, but also affect the good bacteria in your gut.

So Where Can I Get Probiotics?

A lot of gut issues arise from when you’re missing key bacteria in the gut. The problem with this is there are thousands of different kinds or ‘strains’ of good bacteria and not all probiotic supplements cover all strains. So while you may be taking a really great probiotic, you might not be helping your issue because the strain you need isn’t being addressed by that supplement.

So How Do I Pick a Probiotic?

Pick a supplement with a wide variety of strains! And to be honest, it may be a few months of trial and error to figure out which one works best for you.

or even better; modify your diet!

High fiber foods are THE MOST effective and scientifically proven way to improve gut health.
Foods like beans, lentils, etc are super high in fiber and will keep things moving and healthy! There may be the side effect of some added gas with these foods but as they become more regular in your diet then these ‘embarrassing’ side effects tend to go away!

There are lots of foods that have added probiotics such as yogurts, cheeses, and milks, but this can cause issues if you have a lactose intolerance. More research is needed to fully understand the health benefits of probiotics added to foods and what quantities and types are most effective in foods and supplements.

Still not sure about probiotics? Ask one of our amazing practitioners at your next appointment!