How To Choose Pre And Probiotic: The Buying Guide
How do you choose the pre and probiotic? You must consider many things, such as the brand name, price, and product quality. In addition, you should also consider whether it is suitable for your needs or not.
So how do you choose the right pre and probiotic? Here are some tips that you can use to help you find a good product:
What you Should Keep in Mind When Buying pre and probiotic
When shopping for a pre and probiotic, there are several things to consider. You need to think about the quality of the product, the price, and even how much it will benefit your life. However, you also need to keep these factors in mind:
Belive Probiotic Fiber Gummies
BeLive Probiotic Fiber Gummies are a good choice if you dont like the taste of other fiber powders, or hate mixing powders into a drink.
There are some downsides, though: each gummy has only 1.6 grams of fiber, and is flavored with sugar alcohols, which dont always sit well with everyone. They do, however, have a decent quantity of fructooligosaccharides to promote probiotic growth.
Types Of Prebiotics To Consider
Prebiotics come in a variety of forms.
A prebiotic powder can be added to your morning smoothie. These food-based powders are generally tasteless, though some come flavored, and will help get your digestion on track as you start your day. You could also add a spoonful of prebiotic powder to any beverage throughout the day.
If you dont like taking vitamins or cant swallow pills, prebiotic gummies may be right for you. Children love these, too and theyre available in sugar-free form.
Capsules are the most common form of prebiotics. Unlike most probiotics, prebiotic capsules do not have to be refrigerated. Dosage is generally one capsule per day.
Pearls do away with the outer coating of cellulose or gelatin capsules and are generally easier to swallow.
Synbiotics combine probiotics and prebiotics in the same capsule. This cost-effective and highly convenient combination maximizes the benefits of both therapies.
“A 2015 study showed that prebiotics had a positive change on cortisol, a stress-causing hormone, suggesting that taking prebiotics may help reduce stress levels. “
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Best Powder: Garden Of Life 5
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Contains 34 studied probiotic strains for digestive health
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Also made of prebiotics, fiber, and enzymes
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Can be added to your smoothies or shake
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Only five servings per package
Looking for a powerful probiotic solution without adding a new daily supplement to your routine? If so, Garden of Lifes 5 Day Max Restore is a potent, fast solution.
This probiotic blend in powder form is rich in different Bifidobacterium strains which have been studied extensively for their effect on the gastrointestinal tract. One daily serving contains 400 Billion CFU of 34 different probiotic strains, 100 milligrams of digestive enzymes, and a rich prebiotic blend from Jerusalem artichoke and banana powder. This powder alone contains 10 grams of fiber per serving, a bonus for anyone seeking to increase their fiber consumption.
Certified organic, non-GMO, and featuring an NSF certificate, this supplement has been independently tested and evaluated against a rigorous set of quality and material safety requirements.
Type: Powder | Colony Forming Units: 400 billion | Dosage: 2 tbs. daily | Certified: Organic, gluten-free, NSF
Price at time of publish: $32
What Do Prebiotics Do
Prebiotics are able to change the composition of the gut microbiome for the better. For example, consuming prebiotics has been shown to support the immune system by increasing the number of protective microorganisms.
As well as this, studies have shown that they can even decrease the number of harmful microorganisms too.4,5
Fortunately, you can up your prebiotic intake through your food choices. Some of the best sources of prebiotics include:
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They May Control Your Blood Sugar
The first benefit of postbiotics, in particular, is their impact on blood sugar.
Specifically, studies have shown that intestines lacking in microbe balance can be a contributing factor to obesity.
However, muramyl dipeptide is said to relieve glucose intolerance through increasing insulin sensitivity.38
How Many Strains Of Bacteria Should A Probiotic For Dogs Have
This is a difficult question to answer and authorities disagree about the best approach. Some believe that probiotics with a litany of bacterial strains are the most useful, while others feel that multiple probiotic bacteria strains may compete with each other, reducing their overall efficacy. Just speak to your vet about the issue to decide which approach is right for your dog.
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What Are The Benefits Of Prebiotics
Prebiotics promote a healthy gut. When you have a healthy gut, your immune system functions more effectively, which means you spend less time at the doctor or lying in bed. Your moods are better because you have more stable blood sugar. You feel better because of regular bowel movements so you can wave goodbye to feeling bloated, sluggish, and tired. The increased fiber in your digestive system also helps with feeling fuller for longer so you’re less likely to snack, and can lower bad cholesterol in your blood.
Below is a list of benefits of adequate prebiotics in your diet.
Can Probiotics Make You Poop Or Cause Loose Stools
Supporting upper and lower GI tract functions, probiotics help support many dimensions of healthy digestion, which includes improving regularity to achieve healthy bowel movements.* Probiotics are considered safe to take and won’t cause major negative side effects if you’re healthy, but as the body adjusts to the new bacteria, some people may experience some short-term, mildly unpleasant changes before seeing improvements .
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The Best Foods With Probiotics
Dairy & Non-Dairy Alternative-Based Foods with Probiotics
Note: GF = Gluten Free, Veg = Vegetarian, V = Vegan, LF = Low FODMAP
Vegetable-Based Foods with Probiotics
Not A Good Fit For Your Gut
The balance of microorganisms in your gut affects your health and may determine how well you tolerate a prebiotic supplement.
Newer research shows that in certain gastrointestinal conditions the balance of bacteria may not be the same as in individuals with good intestinal health. When certain families of bacteria are too high or too low, fermentation of a prebiotic fiber may produce excessive gas, bloating, and pain, says Stefanski.
You should always talk to a health care provider about nutritional supplements before adding them to your daily routine.
When it comes to prebiotic supplements, there’s simply not enough evidence that they offer any health benefits.
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Best Prebiotics 202: The Top Gut Health Supplements
Wondering what are the best prebiotics of 2022? Wonder no longer. Weve done the research and produced a full guide for you to find your way through the top prebiotics for the year.
Here youll learn the difference between prebiotics and probiotics, can you take them together, the benefits of using them, and what you should look for in a prebiotic and what you shouldnt.
But first: what is a prebiotic?
The term prebiotics was first coined in 1995 and described them as non-digestible food ingredients that were beneficial to the host through their selective stimulation of specific bacteria within the colon. In short, a prebiotic is a food that feeds only the beneficial bacteria in your stomach.
Prebiotics are far different from what you get with probiotics, which are essentially foreign bacteria that you introduce into your system to support your gut health, whereas a prebiotic is purely specialist fiber.
Prebiotics are typically high-fiber foods and supplements which your body can use to feed these healthy bacterium. Below, well be talking more about the best prebiotic fiber and best prebiotic supplements that you can incorporate into your diet.
Contents
Are Probiotics Useful For Weight Loss
Yes, probiotics are helpful for weight loss and they improve metabolic functions. The human gut contains trillions of bacteria. If you have a healthy gut then these organisms will maintain your body and help to fight against dangerous organisms such as E. coli or salmonella this helps to lose weight by increasing metabolism which in turn reduces fat storage.
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They Can Help Maintain Normal Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is one of the main risks for heart disease. A healthy diet and exercise can help lower blood pressure, but the latest evidence suggests prebiotics can help too.
Prebiotics are complex carbohydrates, found naturally in foods including bananas, asparagus, parsnips and garlic, that help feed probiotics and encourage them to multiply.
Malaysian researchers discovered prebiotics not only tackle high blood pressure, they could protect against the condition too.
They found prebiotics help reduce the absorption of cholesterol from food, in turn lowering our cholesterol levels and reducing high blood pressure.
Prebiotics Vs Probiotics: What Are The Differences
People often confuse prebiotics with probiotics, and sometimes even think they are they are one and the same. This is not the case, prebiotics are dramatically different to probiotics.
Your over-the-counter probiotic is typically found in foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi and more. Probiotics are live organisms that you ingest that can help increase the numbers of healthy bacteria in your gut.
Prebiotics on the other hand are not living organisms, they are fuel for the good bacteria that is already in your gut, theyre a prebiotic fiber. Prebiotics are typically more reliable as they do not have the risk of being dead-on-arrival to your gut after being ingested, plus they grow the bacteria that you already have into your system, rather than introducing new and strange strains.
Your digestive system is more likely to benefit from you using Prebiotics instead of Probiotics due to them being more reliable and that they grow the bacteria that your body is already familiar with. That said, both probiotics and prebiotics have their advantages when they are working correctly.
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What Probiotic Do Doctors Recommend For Women
Finding a probiotic specifically developed for women can be highly beneficial for womens health and hormones. Research shows the Lactobacillus strains mentioned previously can be especially helpful for women. These specific strains have undergone clinical trials and have been shown to be beneficial in womens health. Thats why they are included, along with gut beneficial Bacillus species, prebiotic support, and antioxidant rich aronia berry in our doctor formulated Womens Probiotic.
Best Budget: Culturelle Daily Probiotic
Courtesy of Amazon
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Includes prebiotic fiber to boost results
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Not as strong as others on the market
Probiotic supplements that are super affordable are hard to come by. One 30 day supply of Culturelle won’t break the bank and contains a potent, evidence-backed strain of good bacteria. Lactobacillus rhamnosus has been used in multiple clinical trials focusing on abdominal pain, infection-induced diarrhea, and allergic reactions such as eczema.
Culturelle contains ten billion Colony Forming Units of this evidence-backed bacteria strain per serving. In addition to these beneficial bacteria, Culturelle combines 200 mg of inulin, a naturally occurring prebiotic fiber to feed the probiotic. Independent product testing company, Consumer Labs, confirmed that it contains the listed amount of probiotic organisms and is free of contamination as well as yeast, milk, dairy, lactose, wheat, and gluten, which makes this a great option for anyone who may be following a gut-healing specific diet looking for an extra gut health boost.
Type: Capsules | Colony Forming Units: 10 billion | Dosage: 1 daily | Certified: Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, soy-free, non-GMO
Price at time of publish: $17
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Blend contains both a prebiotic and probiotic
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Uses only research-backed probiotic strains
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Patented microalgae capsule ensures survival in stomach acid
Type: Capsules | Colony Forming Units: 53.6 billion AFU | Dosage: 2 daily | Certified: Vegan, allergen-friendly
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Potential Health Benefits Of Prebiotics:
- Elevated Energy/Mood
Alongside the right probiotic supplement the speed and potency of both supplements increases exponentially.
Prebiotics lay the foundations for a healthy gastrointestinal tract and allow your bodys natural digestive system to work at peak efficiency. Getting the right amount of prebiotics and probiotics also helps to strengthen the immune system and improve health in general.
What Are The Potential Side Effects
While taking pre and probiotics to increase the production of postbiotics can have a range of different benefits, its important to be aware of potential side effects.
For example, initially, you may experience some gastrointestinal discomfort like bloating, wind and mild stomach issues but these usually pass once your body has adjusted to them.52
The Wellness Edit is the H& B Podcast.
In this episode, Eve Kalinik, author of Happy Gut, Happy Mind, and Holland & Barrett nutritionist Isabel Tarrant reveal how to take care of your gut so it takes care of you.
Listen to the podcast below and discover more episodes here.
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When Do Dogs Need Probiotics
Probiotics are a healthy addition to any dogs diet and are now frequently found in various dog foods. That said, some dogs benefit a great deal from adding probiotics to their diet, as they can potentially solve existing issues or concerns.
Your vet may recommend probiotics for your dog if he:
- Has digestive issues: Restoring balance and fighting bad belly bacteria with probiotics can help correct common doggy digestive woes like noxious gas and diarrhea.
- Recently completed a course of antibiotics: Antibiotics disturb the bacterial balance in your dogs stomach, sometimes killing off too much good bacteria. Probiotics can help replenish these.
- Recently recovered from an illness: Sickness takes its toll on your dog from head to tail, and giving his digestive system a helping hand with probiotics can help him get back to normal.
- Gets sick frequently: If your pup is under the weather a lot, he may be suffering from hidden tummy troubles that are wearing down his defenses. Probiotics help your dogs system fight off bad bacterial overgrowth that might be behind some of his issues.
- Dogs who have sensitive stomachs: Unfortunately, some pups just seem to have trouble digesting food, but some of these four-footers with sensitive stomachs respond well to probiotics.
What Should You Look For In A Probiotic Supplement
Your doctor will recommend a probiotic shown to help with your specific complaints, says Dr. Poppers. For example, one bacteria, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, is better for those with diarrhea, compared with other strains, Gilbert says.
Some doctors also encourage the use of probiotics if their patient is on antibiotics. Taking probiotics before, during, and after taking antibiotics could help prevent common side effects like diarrhea, Poppers says. He recommends taking probiotics containing the saccharomyces bacteria strain prior to starting antibiotics, and to continue for at least a few days after your course of treatment is done.
If you have ulcerative colitis,a chronic disease causing inflammation and ulcers in the lining of the large intestines and rectum, a doctor may also prescribe probiotics.
While people with ulcerative colitis can take anti-inflammatory medication to manage discomfort, Poppers says there is some research to suggest that the supplement VSL#3, a combination of eight different Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and Streptococcus bacteria strains, could help in addition to traditional treatment.
“IBS is very complex. What may work for your neighbor may not work for you,” he explains. “A lot of trial and error is necessary, and thats OK.”
At the end of the day, it’s best to talk with your doctor to determine if taking a probiotic is right for you.
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What Are The Different Types Of Probiotics For Dogs
Probiotics arent all alike. In fact, probiotic products come in several different forms. None are inherently better than the others, so youll just need to consider the needs of your furry friend and pick the best one you can .
A few of the major types of probiotics for dogs include:
- Probiotic Treats: Often marketed as probiotic chews, probiotic treats are exactly what youd think they are tasty little edibles fortified with one or more bacteria strains. Though theyre often formulated with tasty natural flavors, these are usually the best option for dogs who arent picky eaters.
- Probiotic Liquids: Typically the easiest probiotic supplement to administer , liquid probiotic supplements may also bear natural flavors, but the quantities involved are usually small. This makes them pretty easy for doggo dosing.
- Probiotic Powders: A great option for pet parents who want complete control of the daily dose of bacteria, probiotic powders are typically designed to be mixed in with your dogs favorite food. Powders dont always taste great, but they mix well with wet foods and dog food toppers.
- Probiotic Capsules: Designed to be swallowed like a pill, probiotic capsules are another option, but they can be tricky to administer. Pet parents will typically find them easiest to offer via a pill pocket or some other small, tasty morsel .
