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The Benefits of Probiotics: How They Help Your Body
February 06, 2023
When you think about bacteria, you probably think about something bad. In reality, there is good and bad bacteria, and our body actually needs certain strains of bacteria to work properly. Good bacteria are commonly referred to as probiotics. These supplements can improve your gut health and support the body in other ways. Watch Luke the delivery guy discuss probiotics in this Pharmacology Friday Watch Luke the delivery guy discuss probiotics in this Pharmacology Friday, or keep reading to learn more about the benefits of probiotics and how they affect your health.
What Do Probiotics Do?
Our gut houses over 100 trillion microorganisms. These microorganisms play an important role in our lives by breaking down food, supporting our immune system, and absorbing vitamins we need. So when the bacteria in our digestive system becomes unbalanced, it can throw everything off. The most common way our gut becomes unbalanced is by taking a single course of a broad spectrum antibiotic (but other factors that contribute include low fiber diet, comorbidities, lack of exercise, etc.). Your doctor might have simply told you to take a probiotic with your antibiotic (they should be spaced out by at least two hours), or maybe they didn’t mention it at all. But by taking a probiotic supplement or eating probiotic-rich foods, you are helping your body replenish the good bacteria that this medication disturbs.
Benefits of Probiotics
They can also play a role in allergy control. Research shows that probiotics could support people who have histamine intolerances. It is also possible that taking these supplements reduces inflammation due to the presence of allergens. In turn, by helping reduce inflammation, probiotics would also boost your immune system.
For women, taking probiotic supplements or consuming probiotic foods can aid in balanced vaginal bacteria.
What Probiotic Should I Take?
You may be thinking that a probiotic would be beneficial for your health goals, but what kind do you need? As with any supplement, there are several options. First, it is always a good idea to include probiotic-rich food in your diet. These include:
- Yogurt
- Kombucha
- Kefir
- Sauerkraut
- Tempeh
- Homemade sourdough bread
However, we understand that these foods aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, and you may not be getting a huge variety of probiotic strains by consuming one type of probiotic food. That’s why we recommend supplements as well. Here is one of our favorites:
Our GoodBiotic Probiotic: This is our 30 billion CFU (colony forming units) probiotic through 4 strains. It supports your body’s natural immune response and regularity in bowel health.
Our FemBiotic: This probiotic contains a unique formula designed to maintain a healthy vaginal microflora and support urogenital health. A healthy vaginal environment is mildly acidic, and therefore Lactobacillus species dominate this ecosystem. FemBiotic provides two specific species of Lactobacilli: L. reuteri and L. rhamnosus. These two species are backed by human clinical studies to establish a healthy, stable vaginal ecosystem.
Now you know more about the benefits of probiotics and how they are essential to your body’s health. If you want to get a personalized recommendation from us, contact us today, and we will be happy to answer any questions you have about probiotics and your health!