Probiotics come in many different strains, and they all have different benefits. Knowing which probiotic is right for me or for you comes down to research and experience.
For example, some strains are more acid-tolerant and can help to kill off harmful bacteria that cause IBS or irritable bowel syndrome.
Other strains are known for being more hearty and thus better at fighting off infections and getting rid of the toxins that cause the problems.
Once you’ve chosen your probiotic, there are a few things you can do to start to see the benefits almost right away.
First, you should make sure you eat a wide variety of foods rich in probiotics. You should also take the time to drink plenty of water to help wash the toxins out of your system.
If you’re taking antibiotics, you might even consider limiting the number of times you get antibiotics as these could be causing more harm than good.
In this blog, we look at some of the elements to be aware of to make more informed decisions as to which probiotics to choose.
What are the benefits of a single-strain system?
The benefits of a single-strain system are easy to understand. Probiotics are living organisms that contain a set of cell structures that each contain a “flavor receptor.”
These cell structures typically contain both Lactobacillus (the good ones) and Gardnerella (the bad ones).
These organisms work together to help your digestive tract to keep on track, enabling you to absorb the right amount of vitamins and nutrients from the foods you eat.
The benefits of a multi-strain system go a bit further than that.
First, the probiotics in this system help introduce other beneficial bacteria to your system. These helpful bacteria can help restore the appropriate levels of microorganisms in your intestines.
This may be necessary because some microorganisms are naturally more abundant than others. You may have fewer good bacteria than you think, for example.
If you take a probiotic supplement that contains both Lactobacillus and Gardnerella, you can increase the number of good bacteria in your system.
How do I know if a multi-strain system is right for me?
When it comes to choosing which probiotic is right for you, there are a few things you need to consider.
First, you should pick a probiotic that contains “good bacteria” but not so many that it makes you feel ill.
For example, a product like Metronidazole may work well for you, but it will make you feel ill because it has too many “good bacteria.”
You want a product that has Lactobacillus, FOS (Fructooligosaccharides), or both. Lactobacillus is the best choice because it is the best to combat the cause of IBS, irritable bowel syndrome.
FOS is particularly good because it helps prevent the occurrence of food poisoning and similar digestive disorders. However, if you choose a probiotic that contains FOS, it is wise to avoid other types of carbohydrates, such as starches.
When you are choosing probiotics, you will also need to understand what nutrients they contain. In order to function correctly, probiotics need a wide range of vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids.
Most of them also contain digestive enzymes, which help the body digest foods properly. Probiotics also have certain antimicrobial components, which are critical to preventing infections from occurring in the gastrointestinal tract.
How do I know if a digestive supplement will give me the benefits I need?
If you want to know if a digestive supplement will give you the benefits that you need, it all starts with knowing what’s lacking in your diet.
If I were looking for something like this myself, I would start by asking about my eating habits and how they affect me daily – do different foods make me feel bloated or gassy?
If so then there might be some missing nutrients here and not enough enzymes being produced on their own due to an underlying disease state such as celiac disease which is really just gluten intolerance gone awry.
Being aware of the changes you might experience is your best approach. If need be keep a diary and log in there your mood, what you ate, how you felt, etc. Comparing over time will give you an idea of whether something is improving or not.
I always found that scoring just these three things (diet, mood, health) out of ten and giving it a number out of thirty, allowed me to compare and see where it ebbs and flows from week to week.
This form of benchmarking gave me some sound knowledge to base my decisions on and know whether the current brand of probiotics I was using was any better than the last.
In conclusion
As you can see, there are several different ways to answer the question.
First, you need to get a reliable source of probiotic supplements. These should be produced by reputable manufacturers.
Second, you need to take the right type of supplements. You want to choose a supplement with live bacterial cultures that are capable of producing good bacteria.
Ultimately, your own personal experience will be the only credible thing to guide you. Listen to your body and try to establish a rhythm that allows you to draw a baseline and therefore, decide on how your current probiotics are benefiting you or not.
A quick reminder ..
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