It's time to try probiotics

Your body contains a lot of good and bad microbes – are the bad ones harming you? They can be compared to a blockbuster movie, the epic battle between good and evil that lies dormant inside your body every day. Inside your mouth, intestines, urinary tract, and in women, your vagina, there are 100 billion microbes fighting for space in your body. Collectively, scientists call them the microbes of your microbiome.
By Health First
3 min read
C'est le moment de choisir les probiotiques.

Your body is home to many good and bad microbes – are the bad ones harming you? Think of it like a blockbuster movie, the epic battle between good and evil that dwells inside your body every day. Inside your mouth, intestines, urinary tract, and in women, your vagina, there are 100 billion microbes fighting for space in your body. Collectively, scientists call them the microbes of your microbiome.

Who wins? You can tell by how you feel. According to a 2014 study, the microbiome (the microorganisms in a particular environment, including the body or a part of the body) influences body health in many ways: from tooth decay to digestive gas, and from eczema to mood. The microbes in your intestines can seriously harm your health. Grab some popcorn and keep reading! Find out how to harm the bad guys and regain your health!

Just like a galaxy, your body is a vast place where microbes try to find their place. The villains in this battle are bad microbes, including E. coli or salmonella. They spit out harmful substances and disrupt the body. The heroes are probiotics, including those in the lactobacillus and bifidus families. According to the peer-reviewed Gastroenterologist’s Guide to Probiotics, probiotics work hard to keep your body healthy: they promote food digestion, nutrient absorption, and immune system modulation. Probiotics also ward off bad microbes. Incredible! It seems that probiotics are not just heroes, but superheroes.

Ensuring that the vast reaches of your microbiome are infiltrated by superheroes requires a microbiome that welcomes a variety of probiotic species. For example, bifidus bacteria prefer to wander in the lower part of the intestines, while lactobacilli are present in large numbers in a healthy vagina. Health First's ProBio Supreme contains 14 species of probiotics. Wow! Health First's ProBio Supreme contains some of the extremely well-documented species, including lactobacilli plantarum, lactobacilli acidophilus, and bifidobacterium longum.

Like all epic battles, numbers can be an important factor. Measured in Colony Forming Units (CFU), probiotics offer health benefits when administered in sufficient quantities. Health First's ProBio Supreme is a good source of probiotics; each capsule contains 55 billion CFU. That's a lot of fighting power to defy what bothers you.

But how do you choose a probiotic?

1) Aim well

If you want to achieve a specific benefit (for example, a probiotic associated with soothing diarrhea), look for those that meet your needs.

2) Long live the difference

For general health, consider that a person's intestines contain a wide variety of probiotics. A supplement containing several species of probiotics promotes good gut flora.

3) Count well

To be effective, probiotics must be administered in appropriate quantities. Health Canada recommends a minimum dose of 10 billion CFU.

4) Quality first

Choose a probiotic brand whose species are scientifically validated and which is known for its high standards of purity and potency.

5) Ask for help

Quality health food retailers have knowledgeable staff to help you choose the right supplement. Visit your local Health First store for assistance.

May the "good microbes" be with you!

 

References:

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Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2012 Sep; 10(9): 960–968.
Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2015 Mar;49(3):207-14
Int J Mol Sci. 2015 Apr 2;16(4):7493-519
Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Aug;80(2):245-56.
Am Fam Physician. 2008 Nov 1;78(9):1073-8.
BiomedJ.2014Sep-Oct;37(5)-259-68