Probiotics have become one of the hottest items in the supplement manufacturing world. Though the idea of adding bacteria to the body might seem strange, many people an unaware that the body is already full of bacteria, both bad and good.
Probiotics are considered to be the good type of bacteria. Adding them to your daily diet helps restore balance to the gut and keep the body working properly.
Healing And Helping
There are many ailments and illnesses that respond well to probiotic treatment. The common ailments that can be treated include bowel problems such as IBS, IBD, and infectious diarrhea caused by parasites, a virus, or bacteria. Research shows that probiotics can treat other ailments such as urinary tract and yeast infections as well as skin conditions such as eczema. Finally, taking a daily probiotic supplement can help boost the immune system to prevent colds, work to ease allergy symptoms, and help with oral health.
Finding them In Food
Probiotics can be found in fermented foods like sauerkraut, kefir, and yogurt. Yogurt has been one of the most popular foods for probiotic consumption for many years. Be sure that you find a brand that is marked with phrases such as “live active cultures” to ensure it actually includes probiotics.
As good as it can be, however, there are a few drawbacks in making yogurt your only source of good bacteria, such as:
- Yogurt often contains a low number of bacteria per serving. Microbiologists suggest the minimum effective dosage of probiotic units should be at least 10 million CFU’s.
- Most yogurt only contains one probiotic strain, but research shows that it takes multiple strains of bacteria to provide the most benefits to the body.
- Bacteria is fragile and those in yogurt often get digested in the stomach before they make it to the intestinal tract.
For these reasons, supplement manufacturing companies have created probiotics available in a pill form to provide combat these issues.
Why Supplements Are Suggested
Probiotic supplements will list the number of CPUs and various strains on their label. Many are well above the suggested 10 million and have a combination of strains. For example, Advanced Probiotic has 5.75 billion organisms and 7 important strains. Plus, a pill made by a supplement manufacturing company will pass through the digestive system easier before it gets released further along the tract.
If you love yogurt, it can’t hurt to keep eating it for its other nutritional benefits, but adding a probiotic supplement to your diet can be a game changer.