Chances are that you have heard about the importance of taking a probiotic supplement. And, there is some truth to that statement. But, are they all created equal? Actually, no. They are absolutely not! As with all supplements, there are some that are super high-quality and some that are nothing but complete junk. It’s very important to choose a brand that is tested by a third party for quality so that you can be sure you are getting what is advertised. I spend a lot of time researching and creating protocols based on very high quality brands. Please reach out if you have any questions and I’ll do my best to help.
So, what are the benefits of taking a probiotic? Our digestive environment or microbiome is home to TRILLIONS of microorganisms that are related to gut health. Gut health is foundational for good overall health, so it’s critical to have a healthy microbiome. Probiotics help to facilitate this healthy environment in your gut. This can mean better immune function, absorption of critical nutrients and better weight management. Imbalanced gut bacteria can be linked to diarrhea, constipation, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and even colon cancer. Obviously, a healthy gut microbiome is important!
Probiotic supplements contain a high dose of the healthy microorganisms (bacteria, fungus and yeast) that we want to encourage in our digestive tracts. There are a few different kinds that I use when I work one-on-one with clients where I try to match their specific needs with the best choice for them. However, the idea is to encourage a healthy environment. Eating fermented foods and consuming fermented beverages like kombucha are great ways to get probiotic support through your diet. The best probiotic-rich foods are sauerkraut and yogurt (unsweetened).
Most people can benefit from the use of high quality probiotic supplement. There are a few exceptions where someone has an overgrowth of bacteria and specifically some of the types that are common in probiotic supplements. If you notice that probiotics make you feel gassy, bloated or have gas-related pain in your stomach, you might be one of those people. If so, you will need to follow some other protocols to balance the gut flora before using probiotics.
The best way to evaluate if you need a probiotic supplement is to run some functional lab tests that help identify nutrient deficiencies and look at the markers surrounding gut health and absorption. This helps us create a good picture of what you can do to create optimum, high performance health. You can visit this link to get more information on that process.
To your health!
Dr. Jeni
