Probiotics

Probiotics provide an extra layer of strength. The behave like soldiers in your intestinal tract to combat pathogens - Dr. Mary Ellen Sanders

Probiotics

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Why you’re probably wasting your money on probiotics

Perhaps you've seen over-the-top ads for probiotics — live yeasts and bacteria that you can take for a rainbow of wonderful effects: "Strengthen your natural defenses!" "Burn fat and flab!" "Improve gastrointestinal function!"

The first thing to know about probiotics is that most of these ads are wildly exaggerated. As UpToDate, the guide to medical research for physicians, put it dryly: "Enthusiasm for probiotics has outpaced the scientific evidence."

But that doesn't mean probiotics are useless. There's actually decent evidence that they can be effective to treat specific ailments. And it's quite possible that scientists could find…

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Resources

  Why you’re probably wasting your money on probiotics

But if you do decide to try them, consider seeking out probiotics that have at least been studied in humans. This guide to probiotic supplements, recommended to me by Gregor Reid at the University of Western Ontario, is helpful, listing the products that actually have evidence behind them. In the future, as researchers gather more evidence and deepen their understanding of the microbiome, we may find more uses for probiotics. Perhaps one day they could prove a promising treatment. For now, though, don't expect any miracles.

TOP 10 Probiotic Supplements

LabDoor analyzed 30 best-selling probiotic supplements in the United States, measuring amounts of total anaerobic bacteria, genera-specific bacteria, and potential contaminants (mold, yeast, and pathogenic bacteria, including E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., and Staphylococcus aureus).

GoodBelly

What you eat and drink has so much to do with your overall health. And where does that health get started? In your gut, your digestive tract — your belly. That’s why you should start every day with a GoodBelly. Every shot or glass has the probiotic digestive helpers your body needs. You’ll feel so good, you’ll make GoodBelly your daily go-to. Because when your belly smiles, the rest of you does too.*

MedicineNet

While some studies have shown many health benefits of probiotics, more research still needs to be done to be sure that they are safe and effective as a supplement and in foods. This is especially true for children, pregnant women, elderly people, and people with compromised immune systems. For people with suppressed immune systems due to disease or treatment for a disease (such as cancer chemotherapy), taking probiotics may actually increase your chances of getting sick.

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

Our understanding of probiotics is a work in progress. Although probiotic products are marketed for many different uses, scientific evidence supporting specific uses is still limited, and the FDA has not approved any health claims for probiotics. Before using probiotics, learn as much as you can by talking to your health care provider and researching reliable sources of information.

Fortify

Digestive balance is key to overall health and wellbeing. That said, there are many things that can negatively impact the balance of good bacteria in your intestinal tract, including stress, travel, diet and age, just to name a few. That’s why it’s important to replenish and fortify your digestive system on a regular basis through a healthy diet, exercise and a probiotic supplement such as Primadophilus® Fortify™

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