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How to choose the right probiotic
This might be one of the questions I get asked most often…how to choose the right probiotic.
With a growing awareness about the importance of these friendly bacteria and the enormous impact they have on our overall health, more and more people are seeking out probiotic supplements to address a myriad of health issues from IBS to inflammation to immunity. As we understand more about our internal ecosystem of microorganisms we better understand how to care for it. Think of it like cultivating your inner garden of microflora. Mmmmmm, that’s nice.
Excuse me while I nerd-out for a minute because I get seriously excited to talk about probiotics and gut health.
Did you know that we have 10 times more microbes in our bodies than cells (like, 100 trillion!)? Collectively, we call this our microbiome; our personal ecosystem of microbes. Most of these tiny superheroes live in our digestive tract.
When we’re healthy, we have a good balance between good and bad bacteria. But, when we aren’t treating ourselves nicely; we’re eating poorly, we’re highly stressed, or consuming antibiotics, we deplete the good guys and the bad guys start running amok (kinda like when you throw water on gremlins).
In an ideal situation, the good guys should outnumber the bad guys. Achieving the right balance of good bacteria in the gut has a positive effect on an overwhelming number of conditions throughout the body like:
- IBS
- Constipation/diarrhea
- Stress and anxiety reduction
- Brain health and mood
- Immunity
- Weight control
- Heart health and lowered cholesterol
- Healthy skin
- Reduced inflammation
- Treating yeast infections