There are so many probiotic supplements on the market these days, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the options. What should you look for? Are they worth the money? How do you choose the best probiotic for your health goals?
We've got answers to all your most pressing probiotics questions. But before diving into all the juicy details, let's cover the basics first—what are probiotics anyway?
What Are Probiotics?
Probiotics are live microorganisms. You can think about them as healthy bugs you actually want to ingest to help support the tens of trillions of bacteria living in your microbiome. And, while most probiotics come in the form of bacteria, there are some that come in the form of yeast.
The easiest way to get these beneficial microorganisms is by taking a probiotic supplement, but you can also enjoy fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, tempeh, and kombucha that are also loaded with these beneficial bacteria.
Here's Why Probiotics Are So Important
So, why do you need probiotics? Probiotics have been studied time and time again for their health benefits, and more research is emerging on just how important supporting the gut microbiome is for overall health. *
Here are three of the biggest reasons probiotics are so important.
#1 Your Gut Plays a Huge Role in Keeping Your Immune System Strong: Did you know that nearly 70% of your immune system resides in your gut? This is why better overall health really does start in the gut. If you are looking to support and maintain robust immune system function, probiotics are key.
Giving your gut a boost with healthy bacteria can also help strengthen the gut wall, which is critical for immune defense. *
#2 Your Gut Bacteria Actually Makes Important Vitamins: A little known fact about gut bacteria is that it actually makes certain vitamins, including some B vitamins and vitamin K. B vitamins, play a big role in energy support by converting the foods we eat into a source of energy we can use. Vitamin K helps support blood clotting and supporting bone health. *
#3 A Healthy Gut May Improve Long Term Health and Longevity: More research is showing just how important balanced gut bacteria is when it comes to just about every aspect of our health. In fact, imbalanced gut bacteria have been linked to many different health challenges. Here's just one more reason to make sure we are giving our gut the probiotic boost it needs to allow those gut microbes to flourish. *
But...Not All Probiotics Are Created Equal
While probiotics are important and can give our gut health a major boost, it's important to know that not all probiotics are created equal. It's not enough to just pop any old probiotic each day and call it good—why? Because quality is key. In fact, many probiotic strains die off even before they reach the gut, essentially making them a big waste of money.
How To Choose The Best Probiotics For You
Knowing what you know now, here's what you need to know to make sure you are choosing the best probiotic to support your health goals.
- Probiotic Strains: When choosing a probiotic, you will be faced with an overwhelming amount of options. From probiotics that only offer one bacteria strain to broad-spectrum probiotics, that offer various strains, the options are endless. The benefit of a broad-spectrum probiotic is the fact that the gut contains at least 1000 different species of bacteria. Supporting the various species is important for promoting gut bacteria balance.
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Live Bacteria: Another thing to keep in mind is that not all probiotics supplements contain live strains, some of the probiotics you may have supplemented with in the past may have contained dead bacteria. If that grosses you out, we totally get it! Plus, dead bacteria in a probiotic isn't going to offer you much. This is exactly why our 50 Billion Probiotic has 12 very active strains that are alive when you take them, similar to the beneficial bacteria already living in your gut!
The benefit of this is that you will actually feel the difference quality probiotics can make. From supporting your long term health to supporting your immune system, boosting energy, and reducing occasional bloating, they can help you feel your best. * - Added Ingredients: One more thing you have to watch out for when selecting your probiotic is added ingredients. Avoid anything that contains unnecessary added fillers and ingredients like gluten, soy, dairy, or corn. Also, make sure that the supplement was made in a non-GMO facility to avoid the risk of GMO cross-contamination, and that the highest quality processing methods were used. At Earth Echo, we can promise you all of these things, offering you a probiotic you can feel amazing about taking.
Make Gut Health a Priority
Supporting a more balanced gut is one of the best things you can do for your health. We can't deny all the research that shows just how important gut health and balanced microbiome is for boosting health, while also helping support a better mood and less occasional digestive upset. *
So, start by making your gut health a priority today and see what a Probiotic supplement can do for you. It may be that one supplement you need to take your health to the next level.
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