When Choosing A Probiotic
Humans and animals need probiotics for many reasons including digestion, immune function and absorption of nutrients. It’s possible to get probiotics from the environment that surrounds us, but these days we drink chlorinated water that kills probiotic/friendly bacteria. And we take antibiotics that kills good and bad bacteria. The problem is that the bad bacteria grows back much faster and then is able to prevent the good from growing back. So today the way we can have a healthy bacteria level is to be intentional about it. It won’t be by accident.
People who take a quality probiotic supplement often report that it’s easier to lose weight (or gain if they’re underweight) and that they have fewer stomach problems. Others report improvement in allergy symptoms and skin health.
But before you go out and buy a probiotic supplement, you’ll need to know what to consider when you choose one. Not all probiotics are equal or even living (which really matters).
It’s important to note that Dr. Chapdelaine, MD of NaturalHealthBridge.net, says that a probiotic should require refrigeration. If the label doesn’t tell you that it must be refrigerated and/or if it’s not refrigerated at the store or when being shipped to you, it’s most likely not going to contain living cultures which means that such a “probiotic” would not do you much good and probably doesn’t deserve to be labeled a probiotic.
So take a look at http://www.naturalnews.com/036642_probiotics_supplements_bacteria.html for some ideas and helpful suggestions on selecting a probiotic.
