At some time or another, you may have heard someone suggest using probiotics to tame an upset stomach — or manage any number of digestive problems, such as constipation and irritable bowel syndrome. Or that they're just good for overall health.
If you're not fully familiar with them, take a look at these five interesting traits and uses of probiotics.
What Are Probiotics?
While the term may sound like something out of a movie about robots, probiotics are actually live bacteria. Don't worry. It's a very good bacteria, one that can especially aid in your digestive health. These probiotics reside in the human gastrointestinal tract. Rest assured: You can count probiotics among those bacterias that are on your side — helping your digestive organs performing at optimal levels. You'll also hear that prebiotics, a specialized plant fiber, works with probiotics by nourishing the good bacteria in the gut. Together, probiotics and prebiotics work together to promote digestion.
How Do You Digest Probiotics?
If you want this live bacteria acting on your behalf, you can stop in your grocery store to pick up products like yogurt and kefir — both of which contain them at good levels. Other options include sourdough bread and kimchi. Some people choose to digest them through supplements.
What Research Is There On Benefits of Probiotics
Besides treating digestive problems, research shows that probiotics can assist in issues related to the cold, fatigue, liver disease, diarrhea, allergies, urinary tract infections and vaginal yeast infections.
What Different Types of Probiotics Are There
Probiotics vary widely; some fall in the Lactobacillus species category while others can be categorized as Bifidobacterium. And they can be further segmented from there. The friendly bacteria include the following: Lactobacillus plantarum; Lactobacillus casei; Lactobacillus acidophilus; Lactobacillus helveticus; Bifidobacterium lactis; Lactobacillus paracasei; Bifidobacterium bifidum; Lactobacillus rhamnosus; Lactobacillus brevis and Lactobacillus salivarius.
When you're considering adding probiotics to your diet, whether through food or a supplement, you'll have many options available to you.
Wonder Labs features an array of probiotic supplements, including gluten-free Mega Potency Probiotic 20 Billion Good Bacteria. Each capsule contains 10 billion good bacteria; the recommended dose is two capsules, which provides 20 billion good bacteria.
The supplement, which is freeze-dried, is a proprietary blend of 10 different probiotic strains plus Inulin, a prebiotic that stimulates the growth of friendly intestinal bacteria.
