Choosing the Right Probiotic

Probiotics have been scientifically proven to improve a number of different health conditions. There is no doubt they can do wonders for your health. But, choosing the right one is incredibly important! This is another industry that is loosely regulated and so flooded with fake and ineffective product. Finding a trusted brand is number one on the important list when trying to improve gut health and overall vitality.

Did you know a large majority of your immune system is in your gut? Replenishing your gut bacteria has major advantages for your immunity. Probiotics help to keep pathogens in check by preventing harmful yeast and bacteria from spreading. So probiotics are like armor for your gut in the war for better health.

Probiotics will help your digestion too. The lactic and acetic acid they produce help to promote good digestion. Some probiotic strains even produce important micronutrients like B vitamins.

No two probiotic supplements are the same, and there are some that you should definitely avoid. Let's take a closer look at my favorite probiotic, Life 9™ by Young Living and compare it to others.

Veggie capsules sound good, especially if you’re a vegetarian. Unfortunately, they’re not really suitable for probiotics. The contents of your stomach are naturally so acidic that a standard veggie capsule will quickly break down. Its probiotic bacteria are destroyed before they have a chance to reach your gut. Studies have shown that regular vegetable capsules will only get around 4% of their bacteria past stomach acid.

Life 9™ has a special timed-release capsule designed to open in the small intestine so will actually get the bacteria to your gut.

Probiotics contain a certain amount of living bacteria per dose. Each living bacterium is referred to as a colony-forming unit (CFU). Clinical trials have shown successful results with supplements containing a minimum of 10 billion CFU and up to 100 billion.

Because some bacteria will always die during the journey from the mouth to the intestines experts say it’s important to take a probiotic supplement that contains at least 5 billion CFUs per dose in order to provide maximum benefit.

 Life 9™ probiotic guarantees that a minimum of 17 billion live active cultures (CFUs) will be present.  Young Living puts a large amount more, as much as double, in the original formulation. But one thing that sets Young Living apart from other companies is their transparency. They want what is on the label to be EXACTLY what is in the product with no surprises or let downs. So while other brands list the original number of CFUs they start out with to look better than they really are, Young Living puts the lowest possible number of CFUs  you could possibly get after the product has gone through the bottling and shipping processes. They tested this product against the most extreme environments, from hottest to coldest, in the shipping process to see how much bacteria actually survives, and the LOWEST survival rate of the testing batch is the number they put on the label.

Note that the delivery mechanism is very important here too. A probiotic that opens up in the stomach will have even more “die off” rate, so would need an even higher amount of CFU’s to be effective. Since Life 9™ is in that time release capsule that opens up in the small intestine, you will have a higher rate of colonization. For example, 17 billion CFUs in a time-release capsule might deliver more probiotics to your gut than 75 billion CFUs in a regular veggie capsule.

Does your probiotic contain the most important strains?

While there are hundreds of different probiotic strains out there, some have been studied more than others.

Clinical trials of certain Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains have provided evidence that some strains are not only more beneficial than others, but are better able to colonize the gut and survive certain conditions, like excessive heat and exposure to stomach acid.

Research suggests that three of the most effective strains, known as super strains, are:

  1. acidophilus: The most-studied Lactobacillus strain, L. acidophilus easily establishes itself in the walls of the small intestine. It’s been shown to enhance absorption of nutrients and improve overall digestion, especially of dairy products. This strain is the most commonly recommended by health professionals. 
  2. longum: As one of the most common bacteria in the adult digestive tract, B. longum helps in maintaining the integrity of the gut wall. It also reduces gastrointestinal discomfort caused by stress, and increases the acidity of the digestive tract, which inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria.
  3. plantarum: This strain has been shown to help prevent pathogenic bacteria or diseases from establishing themselves in the gut. There is also evidence that Lactobacillus plantarum induces an immune response that may protect the body from infectious diseases. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Buy a probiotic that contains a variety of researched strains found naturally in the gut microbiome. Life 9™ probiotic has 9 different strains, including L. acidophilus, B. longum, L. plantarum, and several more. 

Even if your probiotic has a high number of CFU, if it only contains one or two strains it won’t be as effective as a product that contains multiple strains.

Each strain of probiotic bacteria functions slightly differently and has different benefits for the body. They’re also concentrated in different places throughout the digestive tract and have a better ability to survive environmental elements. That’s why it’s best to choose a probiotic supplement that contains a variety of well-researched strains that have been shown to benefit the gut…and survive

Many food products today contain huge numbers of potentially harmful chemicals such as colorings, preservatives, and sweeteners. These may be added to a product in order to increase its shelf life, or to improve taste and appearance. But there is no reason for these to be present in your probiotic supplement!  A good probiotic supplement should contain as few binders, fillers, coloring agents, flavorings, preservatives, tableting aids, or additives as possible. While additives such as colorants and flavorings may be deemed ‘safe’ by the FDA, numerous studies have suggested that they may be linked to acute intolerance or allergic reactions, or even may increase risks of serious long-term illnesses such as cancer. Besides, they are just not necessary. After all, probiotic supplements are taken to improve your health – not harm it! Check the ingredients label on a product to see whether it contains any excipients (additives) that you don’t need.

Life 9™ probiotic contains only naturally-derived ingredients that won't damage or inflame your gut.

So, if you’re reading this because you are shopping for a good probiotic, you need not look any further. I am incredibly grateful for the life-changing product Life 9™, and I am certain you will be too.

So let me tell you a story about my road to digestive bliss and how I went from severe pain from cramping and constipation to regularity and stronger immune system.

Once upon a time there was a princess who had a hard time going poo. She would spend huge amounts of time in the bathroom trying to go poo. So much time, it started to affect her quality of life. She would literally spend 20-30 minutes in the bathroom, and have nothing to show for it. She was afraid to use the restrooms at school, for fear of being late to class, or having someone realize how long she had been in there and teasing her about it. She never went poo at other people’s homes, or anywhere that only had one bathroom available, or if she was with someone who would be waiting for her, for fear of someone judging her for how long she had been in there.

Having to “hold it” for such long periods of time would cause her to have extreme tummy aches with cramping and bloating, and of course, made the problem of constipation worse.

After high school, she worked at home on her Dad’s horse ranch. Her Dad would tease her about how much time she spent in the bathroom and how much she went poo. She was too embarrassed to tell him that she wasn’t always going poo, she was merely TRYING to poo and it was severely uncomfortable…and embarrassing.

Fast forward many years of this to a day that changed everything. The day Young Living rocked my world, freeing me from the shackles of digestive discomfort and embarrassment. The day I started making better choices for my health because I got educated on what my body needs to function. Since that day, Young Living has been providing me with many tools to keep my digestion and elimination on point. I no longer fear the bowel movement or waste away my day sitting on a toilet. I eliminate efficiently and frequently, and it FEELS SO GOOD! I feel lighter. I’m not so bloated. I don’t get crippling stomach pains. I got my life back! And a nifty side-effect is a stronger immune system. I don’t get sick near as often as I used to, and if I do get sick, it is usually short-lived and not as intense of a knock down as it used to be for me.

I’ve made other healthful changes in my lifestyle and used many other Young Living products to yield these results, but Life 9™is a major player in my general wellness game. It is the ONE supplement I NEVER miss a day on. If you’d like to know more about these wonderful wellness products and how they can benefit your health, please contact me and I will walk you through your own journey to wellness one step at a time.

You have no idea how good you can feel until you finally experience it. You deserve that kind of health freedom! I achieved it, so can you! Let’s DO THIS!

 

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May 13, 2019

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