Who Should Take A Probiotic?

Clients often ask us this, to which we respond with a few questions ourselves: Have you ever taken antibiotics? Do you drink tap water? Were you born by C-section? Do you have stress in your life? Do you eat non-organic food? If they, or you answer yes to any of these questions then yes you probably should be taking a probiotic.  

Where exactly do probiotics go in our bodies? They head straight to our intestinal tract (sometimes called gut or digestive system) which has 75 to 100 trillion bacteria living in it. Yes, that was trillion. Some are good bacteria (the probiotics we’re talking about now) and some are bad bacteria; essentially more good bacteria, equals better health. Of the trillions of bacteria we carrying around, research states that about 70% of that bacteria should ideally be bifidobacteria.

Probiotic Benefits

When good bacteria are plentiful inside our digestive tract studies show we are less likely to catch a cold or flu. Beyond that, probiotics help to prevent constipation, diarrhea, food cravings, heartburn and irritable bowel syndrome. Weight loss is also often a benefit as gut health (or the lack thereof) is often a hidden factor in weight loss. One more amazing benefit is evident in the powerful connection between our mood and our gut since almost 95% of serotonin, the chemical responsible for even moods, is made in the digestive system.  

If any of those symptoms sound familiar or you're trying to stay healthy (and who isn’t?), consider three great options from NutriKey. Bifido Balance (capsule form) or Bifido Powder.Our nutritionists advise to take one to two capsules (or 1/4 tsp of the powder variety) ten to fifteen minutes before each meal; an empty stomach is important so that food digestion doesn't interfere.

Our last option is Biotic 7, a powerful multi-strain probiotic, containing six of the most researched strains of bacteria (20 billion CFUs total), plus 2 billion CFUs of saccharomyces boulardii. Most people will benefit from taking just one capsule per day and we recommend taking this capsule at night before bed.

With any of these probiotics you may notice a difference within just a few days, or within a few weeks.

Eat This, Not That for Better Gut Health

Even the best probiotic can’t compete with a poor diet (which is a common source of bad bacteria), therefore before you click buy on any probiotic, we’d recommend starting with eating real foods and eliminating processed foods. It’s as simple as that. We recommend a variety of animal proteins, carbohydrates in the form vegetables and fruit, along with good healthy fats like avocados, coconut oil, olives or nuts to repopulate diverse bacteria. On top of that balanced diet, consider adding foods that naturally contain good bacteria, such as yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi and miso.

Other tips include to avoid drinking chlorinated water, eating fruits and vegetables with pesticides and herbicides on them, or meat and dairy products from animals given antibiotics and growth hormones.

To learn even more about probiotics, listen to this recent Dishing Up Nutrition: When to Use Probiotics and Prebiotics.