Probiotics 101

Probiotics: What Are They, How Can They Help, And How to Choose The Right One

Recent trends in the health industry indicate that many people are looking to probiotics to improve their gut health. With plenty of purported health benefits and few side effects, probiotics manufacturers are very busy!

However, instead of leaving your body and health at the mercy of probiotics manufacturers, it is best that you are informed about probiotics, what they are, how they can help and how to find the right one for your needs.

What are Probiotics?

Each dose of probiotics contains living Bacteria and yeast microorganisms. Research has shown that these bring plenty of health benefits to the body. You can find them in the form of supplements or as probiotic drinks and foods.

Probiotics help to raise the number of good bacteria in the gut. The good bacteria help to enhance the body’s health by supporting its immune function. The market has a variety of probiotics, although the two main kinds are Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Each class is made up of a number of species. Each species has a variety of strains.

Irrespective of the classification, each type comes with many different strains. While scientists cannot table concrete evidence, it is believed that different strains bring unique effects to the body.

Foods that qualify as probiotics include kefir, yogurt, tempeh, kimchi, and sauerkraut. Do not confuse them with dietary fibers known as prebiotics. The latter is used to feed good bacteria that exist in your gut.

Some supplements on the market are classified as multi-probiotics. Each product consists of several species of friendly microorganisms.

The community of microorganism in your gut is referred to as microbiota or gut flora. Actually, the gut contains more than 1000 different strains. The microorganisms include yeasts, viruses, and bacteria. Majority of the microorganisms are bacteria.

Most of the gut flora is found in the large intestine and their metabolic activities closely resemble that of an actual organ. For this reason, sometimes scientists refer to gut flora as the forgotten organ. 

Probiotics help your body in the following ways:

Scientists have studied probiotics widely due to their positive effect on gut health. Research shows that probiotics can help you sort out diarrhea related to antibiotics.  Prolonged use of antibiotics, even after an infection disappears may lead to diarrhea.

Antibiotics kill most of the natural microorganisms in the gut. This causes a shift in your gut’s balance and offers room to harmful bacteria to thrive. Probiotics help to restore balance and create a favorable environment for good bacteria to rule in your gut.

Impacts weight loss

Lean and obese people have different kinds of gut bacteria. Research studies show that a balanced gut population of microorganisms has a significant impact on body weight. In addition, the studies also show that certain kinds of probiotics like Key Nutrition’s offering can help people attain weight loss or maintain a healthy weight.

Generally, gut microorganisms lower the number of calories and fat the body absorbs, which helps to promote good health, a balanced population of gut bacteria and reduced belly fat.

Probiotics for Specific health concerns

It is difficult to carry out research on probiotics because there are so many different strains and combinations of strains. However, research supports the use of probiotics to address a variety of health issues, including:

• Atopic dermatitis

• Periodontitis and Gingivitis

• Candida

• Inflammatory bowel disease

• Infectious diarrhea

• Lactose intolerance

• Acute viral infection in kids

• Rheumatoid Arthritis

In addition, there is a growing body of evidence showing that your regular dose of Key Nutrition probiotics can help to combat the following health concerns:

• Pouchitis

• Dental cavities

• Urinary tract infection

• Traveler’s diarrhea

Too many options make it challenging for people to choose; this is often the case where probiotics are concerned. There are many options on the market today, so finding the one that you need can feel like an uphill task.

In addition, there is no one-size-fits-all probiotics product suitable for everyone, as each person has a unique gut. Here are some of the things to consider before you go for probiotic supplements.

Your personal goal

Generally, your choice of probiotic will be determined by the expected outcome. Either you have an existing gut issue or you simply want to improve your gut health further.  If you are dealing with a gut condition, it is possible that you need very specific strains of probiotics. Usually, the best choice is a practitioner’s brand.

If you are looking to improve gut health, the best kinds of probiotic supplements are consumer brands like Key Nutrition. You can take your dose of consumer probiotics long term for improved gut health and overall well-being

CFUs in the package

Once you settle on a particular brand, find out how many Colony-forming units (CFU’s) it has. While your choice depends on your needs, also consider products with many strains of beneficial microorganisms. A brand like Key Nutrition has more than nine strains of beneficial microorganisms and close to 25 million CFUs.

Also, look out for the phrase at the time of manufacture. If this sentence appears on your label, you are not guaranteed that the product will have the initial CFU count when you take the supplement.

Additives or Fillers

Find out whether your package has fillers or additives -- they may be difficult to spot. However, look for terms like artificial sweeteners, maltodextrin, salicylates, titanium dioxide, and silica. Although this is not the comprehensive list, generally, be wary of elements that have nothing to do with microorganisms. Also, go for supplements like ours that are Non-GMO supplements, as these have not been modified in any way!

Our goal is to give you the confidence to choose the right products for your needs. If you feel you might be in need of some gut-health support, try our Key Nutrition Probiotic with Digestive Enzyme Support. You may be pleasantly surprised by how effective it is at improving gut health.