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How do you choose the best probiotic for your gut? It’s a common question but the answer is not as readily available as it should be. You know why? It’s because choosing the best probiotic will depend upon your own GUT. You heard it right. The best probiotic depends on you and your own needs. You cannot just take it as a multivitamin assuming that you’re getting the average amount of the right things. Probiotics are individualistic to the bacteria present in your gut.
What Are Probiotics?
The basic definition of probiotics is that it is a form of good bacteria consisting of “live” microorganisms that are already naturally found within our bodies.
Something else that is natural is the fact that when most people hear the term bacteria, they automatically get turned off because generally it’s a term that has a negative connation associated with it.
No one immediately thinks “yes I should be getting more bacteria into my gut.”
But that’s exactly what we should be thinking! After all, we do need more good bacteria in our gut if our bodies require it.
What Types of Bacteria Are In Probiotics?
Probiotics are generally made up of many different types of microorganisms.
These microorganisms are divided into groups based upon their function.
In each group, multiple strains are present all of which serve an important function. In actuality, they serve the most important function.
The type of strain is what really determines which probiotic you should take.
The three most common and well researched groups of microorganisms to date are:
1) Lactobacillus
2) Bifidobacterium
3) Streptococcus
Lactobacillus has the following strains:
L. acidophilus (the most common – it helps with nutrient absorption), L. rhamnosus, L. plantarum, and L. casei.
Bifidobacterium has the following strains:
B. bifidum (most common – breaks down complex carbs, protein and fat), B. lactis, B. breve, and B. longum (aids in maintaining the lining of the intestinal wall).
Streptococcus has the following strains:
S. thermophilus.
Who Should Be Taking Probiotics?
1. For diarrhea, bacterial vaginosis or eczema, strains of L. acidophilus and L. rhamnosus should be present in the probiotic of your choice.
2. L. plantarum strains can be used in people living with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).
3. Strains of L. casei can be taken by people suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome and in those who may be having mood disturbances, ie. depression and/or anxiety.
4. B. bifidum is efficient in diarrheal diseases, inflammatory conditions, and for people with functional GI disorders (ie. malabsorption, lactose intolerant, etc.).
5. Strains of B. lactis can be used in a variety of circumstances. For example, it can be used if you have diarrhea or even for antibiotic-associated diarrhea. It can increase your immunity by protecting against acquiring respiratory infections (i.e. pneumonia) thereby reducing your chances of getting an infection!
6. B. breve has shown a positive effect in lowering body fat in healthy individuals who are pre-obese.
7. Strains of B. longhum can be taken with people having issues with brain function, such as, memory problems or mild anxiety.
8. S. thermophilus forms a barrier to protect against skin damage from UV radiation, pathogens and heat.
Note, you must also take into account the AMOUNT of CFU (colony forming units) when choosing an appropriate supplement of probiotics. But it is not as important as the type of strain.
What Are The Benefits Of Probiotics?
It’s hard to say what the benefits may be from taking probiotics universally across the board as every single individual has a different makeup of microbiome within their gut.
What does that mean?
It means that although we all have certain similarities of the types of flora/organisms present within us, but not all people will have the same amount.
And if that is the case then we cannot or should not generalize what the benefits will be.
That being said, we can say that different strains will have different effects (as I mentioned above) and this a benefit to people with certain conditions.
It’s imperative to tailor the amount and type of probiotic according to the person.
In the treatment and/or prevention of the following conditions, potential use of probiotics has been researched with much success.
Those conditions are of the gut, such as, diarrhea, IBS, ulcers, and inflammatory bowel disease (UC and/or crohn’s).
Problems affecting the bladder, such as, UTI’s and recurrence of bladder cancer.
Also included, vaginal infections, eczema in children and finally antibiotic associated diarrhea.
What Are The Side Effects?
In the United States and many other countries around the world probiotics are not regulated because they are considered to be supplements and because of this, companies are not required to provide evidence of how safe or efficacious they are to regulatory bodies.
And because of this, it would seem that taking probiotics is harmless and they would cause very little side effects if any at all.
However, research indicated that for a severely ill hospitalized patient or in the case of premature infant, one should weigh the pros and cons before beginning a probiotic.
Other conceivable side effects of taking probiotics supplements can include things such as infections, the microorganisms within the probiotic may produce certain substances that are themselves harmful to the body, and unknowingly transmit antibiotic resistance genes to the already present natural flora of the digestive tract.
What are the BEST probiotics for your gut?
Like I touched on earlier in this post, the best probiotic for you is exactly that – it is whatever is right for you!
Normally this would entail some trial and error method consisting of trying various types of probiotics (if taking it in supplement form). All of which would have to have different combination of strains of differing strengths. This is really the ONLY way to figure out which one would work the best for you.
Here are 17 probiotics rich gut healthy recipes that can help you get started in the meantime!
Guide for Finding the BEST Probiotic
1. Decide the source of your probiotic
Would you like to take probiotics in a supplement form, consume it in food, and/or apply it on your body (this option is for skin conditions and not for the gut).
Each form has its own advantages and disadvantages. Like mentioned above, you CANNOT apply it to your skin if you need it for a leaky gut situation.
That said, researchers have done the most studies on the probiotics available in your diet from food. It is the form that offers the maximum benefit to your overall health.
And because you want help flourish the good bacteria that is already present in your gut, you should provide the ultimate environment beforehand.
This means you should stop eating processed foods on a regular basis. And to start eating real food containing complex carbs, good fats, and protein with a high fiber content.
2. The best food sources that contain probiotics
The best way to know if you are buying the right type of probiotic rich food is to look for fermented food.
Such as, (dairy and non dairy) yogurt, kefir, kombucha, pickles, sauerkraut, certain cheeses, nato, miso, tempeh, and kimchi.
They are all a really good source and are considered to be probiotic rich foods. Most of which can be readily bought at different supermarkets around the world.
However, some are easier and/or cheaper if you simply make them at home instead.
Note: Not all fermented products, such as beer or wine, contain probiotics sadly.
3. The misconception that ALL yogurts contain probiotics
Please be advised but not all yogurts contain probiotics.
The amount of probiotic in a yogurt can range from 90 billion all the way to 500 billion CFU per serving!
So in order to know that you are eating the correct yogurt you should look for the following things on the label: Live and Active Culture.
4. Taking supplements AND probiotic rich food together
Sometimes doing just one thing is not enough especially when it comes to our health.
The most important thing that we can do for ourselves is to provide an optimal environment for our gut before starting to take probiotics. And we accomplish this by eating healthy balanced meals on a regular basis.
To make the environment even better we can eat probiotic rich food and take a supplement when needed.
Now, there are many different sources (on the internet and even in books) that state what the best probiotic is. Some sources will state it’s the best within a particular category (such as, for women’s health). While others will state that one that is the best overall one.
For me, it’s more of a personal choice as I feel the probiotic that is the best depends upon the individual’s own gut health. Everybody’s gut health is individualistic so to assume that there is a best one that fits all is not necessarily true.
However, there are ones that tend to be more popular.
One such one is Physician’s Choice 60 billion Probiotic for adults (rated as the number 1 best seller on Amazon) and the other is by a very well rated and reputable brand Garden of Life Formulated Probiotics Organic Kids.
Check out Physician’s Choice 60 Billiion Probiotic at amazon
Check out Garden of Life-Dr. Formulated Probiotics Organic Kids at Amazon
These ones are a great place to take initially when first determining which ones work best for you or not.
5. Look for a combination of different strains in high concentrations of CFUs
When taking probiotics to heal your gut, make sure to look for CFUs above 50 billion. And to note the best before date as well. It should not contain any GMOs, and it is being manufactured under current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP).
Some of the most well researched strains fall under the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium groups.
Therefore a combination of strains containing ones from both of these groups are the best to take.
Takeaway Message:
Do what feels right for you. If you think that something isn’t working for you, then change it up! And look into something that might suit your needs instead.
More and more research is being done regularly by the NCCIH (The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health). And they work on projects concerning probiotics and/or on the microbiome. So that’s really good news!
Only time will tell what exactly is to be done in regard to its usage on a more general health basis.
Stay happy by keeping your gut healthy with the RIGHT probiotics for you.
