The Truth About Probiotics
Probiotics are live yeasts and bacteria that are great for your body, especially for your digestive tract. These are most known for being “gut-friendly” bacteria that help you to feel healthier. Just because something touts its probiotics, doesn’t mean that one probiotic work for everyone. In fact, different products have different effects on everyone. You need to be very careful when you are using probiotics because there has been some correlation between probiotics and negative side effects in your body. By reading on, you are going to learn some of the concerns that people may have when using probiotics.
One thing that you may not know is that probiotics can be linked to cognitive issues such as brain fogginess and confusion. Studies performed at the Medical College of Atlanta at Augusta University is believed to be the first study completed that links these issues with the bacterial growth in the digestive tract. The problem can be linked to the probiotics colonizing in the wrong area of the digestive system. The bacteria shouldn’t colonize in the small intestine, as this can lead to an increase in lactic acid which can be linked to some cognitive issues and boating.
Another important consideration is that generally, probiotics in pill forms are not as effective since probiotics need to be alive when the user consumes to be effective. There is evidence that often times the microorganisms are dead before the products even hit the store shelves. There are some exceptions to this, such as delayed-release tablets. Otherwise, you may be better off consuming probiotics in whole foods like yogurts.
According to Ankit Rathi, Quality Assurance & Regulatory Affairs at Specialty Enzymes & Probiotics, not all probiotics are the same, ” It is very common in shops that we see customers (and marketers alike) looking to buy (or sell) high potency probiotics because of a common misconception that the more probiotics you have in the product – the better. That may not be true in all cases. The human body is complex and depending on what condition our body is correctly formulated probiotic is important. For example, if you were recently on an antibiotic dose due to being ill, you might need a higher probiotic dose to bring back your probiotic levels in your body. Once you are back at being normal (or in normal cases), small but regular dose helps in maintaining and enhancing probiotic levels. While formulating probiotic blends, body pH, temperature, a mixture of various bacteria’s and yeasts and their interaction with the body and with each other are among the many factors that need to be studied. Consumers need to invest time and determine which formulation suits best for them and choose from best formulations, preferably from well-established companies, which has lots of years of experience in formulating probiotics that works the best.”
This all means that you need to do your research before you invest in any probiotic products. If you do want to purchase supplements, you will want to look for a probiotic with a shelf-life of at least 1 billion CFUs. Also look for items that say, “Best By” rather than products that are “present at the time of manufacture”. Simple wording differences like this have a huge effect on the quality of the product. You can also eat fermented foods to consume an adequate number of probiotics that can help you get the benefits you are looking for. Just remember that probiotics are not a replacement for medicine nor are they a cure-all for your health issues. These are essential parts of an overall healthy approach to your diet.
