Do you trust your gut?
Your body contains a lot of good and bad microbes – do the bad guys harm you? You can think of them like a blockbuster movie – the epic battle between good and evil that plays out inside your body every day. Inside your mouth, intestines, urinary tract, and in women, your vagina, there are 100 trillion microbes fighting for space in your body. Collectively, scientists call these microbes 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. 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 a place. The villains in this battle are bad microbes, notably E. coli or salmonella. They spit out harmful substances and disrupt the body. The heroes are probiotics, including those in the lactobacilli and bifidus bacteria family. 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. Amazing! It seems that probiotics are not just heroes, but superheroes.
Ensuring that the vast confines of your microbiome are infiltrated by superheroes requires a microbiome that hosts a variety of probiotic species. For example, bifidus bacteria prefer to wander in the lower intestines, while lactobacilli are present in large numbers in a healthy vagina. Health First ProBio Supreme contains 14 species of probiotics. Wow! Health First 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 omnipotent stem cells (CFU), probiotics offer health benefits when administered in sufficient quantities. Health First ProBio Supreme is a good source of probiotics; each capsule contains 55 billion CFU. That’s a lot of fighting power to challenge what’s bothering you.
But how do you choose a probiotic?
1) Aim for the right one
If you want to get 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 carefully
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 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 help.