Probiotics Can Cause Allergic Reactions
Another possible side effect of taking probiotics is an allergic reaction. Humans can be allergic to just about anything, including milk which is often used in the probiotic production process.
The purification process used in the production of some probiotics such as Nexabiotic® Advanced should remove most of these allergens.
If you are lactose intolerant you should be able to tolerate the small amounts of milk in probiotics. Furthermore, probiotics themselves break down lactose. This is the reason why probiotic-loaded kefir yogurt is advertised as being lactose-free.
However, if you have developed an allergic reaction to milk ingredients that results in problems breathing then you should avoid probiotics.
How Many Billion Probiotics Should I Take
Probiotics are measured by Colony Forming Units , which essentially indicate the number of viable cells. A probiotic supplement should have around 10 billion CFUs as this is the dose required to reduce the duration of diarrhea in children.
Not only is dose important but delivery as well. Many probiotic products do not protect the probiotics inside from stomach acid which kills many of the probiotics inside before they make it to the gut.
Look for probiotics with an enteric coating or some kind of delayed-release mechanisms to maximize the effective probiotic dose you are getting.
In addition to the dose, you need to consider the diversity of your probiotics. Many probiotics have one, two or just a couple strains or types of probiotics.
Studies have shown that more diverse formulations of probiotics with multiple strains of probiotics is more helpful than single strain probiotics.
Can I Use Probiotics To Help With Medical Conditions
There is currently a large amount of research happening around the idea of what probiotics can do for your body. Even though there are a lot of possibly positive outcomes, researchers are still working to find definitive answers about how probiotics can help with various conditions.
However, there are some medical conditions where probiotics may help. This can vary between people meaning that what works for one person may not work for another. These can also vary based on the certain probiotic that is taken.
Some of the conditions that might be helped by increasing the amount of probiotics in your body include:
- Upper respiratory infections .
- .
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How Do I Store And/or Throw Out Align
- Some brands of Align need to be stored in a refrigerator. Some brands of Align need to be stored at room temperature. If you have questions about how to store Align , talk with your pharmacist.
- Be sure you know how long you can store Align before you need to throw it away.
- Keep all drugs in a safe place. Keep all drugs out of the reach of children and pets.
- Throw away unused or expired drugs. Do not flush down a toilet or pour down a drain unless you are told to do so. Check with your pharmacist if you have questions about the best way to throw out drugs. There may be drug take-back programs in your area.
Should I Give Probiotics To My Kids
Probiotics can be beneficial for both adults and kids. If your child has an illness that requires an antibiotic medication for treatment, taking a probiotic can help shorten symptoms. Probiotics can also be used to help relieve constipation, acid reflux, diarrhea, gas and eczema in children.
Introducing probiotics into your childs diet through food is typically a safe way to give them probiotics. Foods like yogurt and cottage cheese are often part of a balanced diet and can add in good bacteria without much risk.
There are commercially available probiotic supplements specifically designed for infants and children. However, it is important to talk to your childs pediatrician before giving them any probiotic supplement or changing the childs diet to include probiotic-rich foods.
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Are There Any Risks Related To Probiotics
Probiotics are generally considered safe. However, there are some risks linked to the supplements. These risks are increased if you have a medical condition that weakens your immune system, have recently had surgery or have other serious medical conditions.
Unlikely, but possible, risks can include:
- Developing an infection.
- Developing a resistance to antibiotics.
- Developing harmful byproducts from the probiotic supplement.
Things All Effective Probiotics Must Have
Based on our research and feedback from our Smarter Shoppers, these are the things to look for in an exceptional probiotic supplement:
High CFU Count
Since our microbiome is composed of about 100 trillion good and bad bacteria, a high number of Colony Forming Units will have greater impact on the growth of beneficial bacteria within our gut. 23 Its essential to choose a probiotic which specifies CFU versus active cultures or live cultures. Look for a formula with a minimum of 40 billion CFU.
Prebiotics
The latest research shows that fiber-based prebiotics feed the probiotics, helping them to populate and flourish in our gut. 24 Choose probiotics supplements containing prebiotics to significantly increase the overall effectiveness of the probiotic.
Clinically Studied Strains
There are hundreds of different probiotics strains, but many have never been proven effective. The best way to identify the potency of a particular strain is to look at the clinical studies backing it up. To find out if a particular strain has clinical backing, search the strain name on the internet. Look for strains proven effective by clinical studies.
Formulated By A Doctor
It takes specific expertise to form an effective probiotic formulation. More is not necessarily better. The exact combination of strain type, potency, quantity, and prebiotics determines the products quality. Look for real doctors specializing in gut health backing the product.
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How Do Probiotics Work
The main job of probiotics, or good bacteria, is to maintain a healthy balance in your body. Think of it as keeping your body in neutral. When you are sick, bad bacteria enters your body and increases in number. This knocks your body out of balance. Good bacteria works to fight off the bad bacteria and restore the balance within your body, making you feel better.
Good bacteria keeps you healthy by supporting your immune function and controlling inflammation. Certain types of good bacteria can also:
- Help your body digest food.
- Keep bad bacteria from getting out of control and making you sick.
- Create vitamins.
- Help support the cells that line your gut to prevent bad bacteria that you may have consumed from entering your blood.
- Breakdown and absorb medications.
This balancing act is naturally happening in your body all of the time. You dont actually need to take probiotic supplements to make it happen. Good bacteria is just a natural part of your body. Eating a well-balanced diet rich in fiber every day helps to keep the number of good bacteria at proper levels.
Prior To Buying Your First Align Probiotic Review Consider The Following Factors
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Generally Probiotics Are Safe But You Can Have Too Much Of A Good Thing
Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that have been found to help promote better digestive health and support your immune system. These microorganisms exist in your intestines and help to break down food, absorb nutrients, and minimize harmful bacteria that may otherwise cause disease. You can get more probiotics by incorporating probiotic-rich foods or supplements into your diet. Foods containing probiotics include yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, and kefir.
Many people take probiotic supplements for additional health benefits as they offer higher doses of probiotics than probiotic-rich foods. Generally, probiotics are safe, but you can have too much of a good thing. Lets take a look at the four common signs that you may be taking too many probiotics.
Possible Side Effects Of Probiotics
Probiotics are living bacteria and yeasts that provide health benefits when consumed in large amounts.
They can be taken as supplements or consumed naturally through fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi and kombucha .
The health benefits of probiotic supplements and foods have been well documented, including a lower risk of infections, improved digestion and even a reduced risk for some chronic diseases .
While there are many health benefits linked to taking probiotics, there can also be side effects. Most of these are minor and only affect a small percentage of the population.
However, some people with serious illnesses or compromised immune systems may experience more severe complications.
This article reviews the most common side effects of probiotics and how to reduce them.
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What Do Probiotics Do For The Body
Probiotics are the good bacteria found in your body that largely play a role in the digestive system. Theyre live microorganisms that help contribute to a healthy gut. Thats right you have trillions of live microorganisms inside your body that are helping you function every day.
Theres still a lot to learn about how the probiotics work in the body, but scientists and researchers have discovered two main functions they provide:
Our guts are made up of about 85% good bacteria and 15% bad bacteria when healthy. Certain factors, such as the environment, the food we eat, and bad habits we obtain, cause these numbers to fluctuate. When the bad bacteria start to increase, and good bacteria decreases, health concerns are sure to follow.
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Use Probiotics To Your Benefit
By now you should be more aware of the potential side effects of overdosing on probiotics and how to eliminate or minimize those side effects. If you continue to have discomfort while taking probiotics, I recommend you stop taking that particular brand.
Because of the differences in dose, diversity, and delivery mechanisms, not all probiotics are created equal. One probiotic will not have the same benefits or side effects as another.
For example, a probiotic using one strain of Lactobacillus acidophilus may help your digestive health, but another using a different Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain may not have the same effect. It may take some experimenting to determine the right brand for you.
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Do I Need To Take Probiotics After I Take Antibiotics
Antibiotic medications are often needed to fight an infection. However, while antibiotics are killing the bad bacteria, they are also knocking out the good bacteria in your body. Some people develop conditions like diarrhea after taking an antibiotic. In other people, this may allow for really bad bacteria to take over and populate the gut, such as with C. diff. Some research has shown a positive connection between taking probiotics after an antibiotic and relief from diarrhea. This hasnt been proven yet and doesnt work for everyone.
The thought behind adding probiotics back into your body after taking an antibiotic is that it can repopulate the good bacteria that was destroyed by the antibiotics and re-boot your system. The extra good bacteria helps repopulate your gut and fight off any remaining bad bacteria. Many people feel that adding in probiotics wont hurt, might help you feel better a little faster and prevent diarrhea.
Should You Get Culturelle Or Align Probiotics
Culturelle probiotics tend to be cheaper than Align products and are ideal for those with frequent diarrhea. Additionally, Culturelle probiotics are usually soy-free, dairy-free and vegetarian, making them an excellent choice for those with dietary restrictions. On the other hand, Align supplements feature a broad spectrum of good bacteria. If you suffer from bloating, abdominal pain or allergies, there is likely an Align probiotic thats right for you.
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Cody Stewart writes for Best Reviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
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Can Probiotics Hurt Me
For most healthy people, probiotics dont cause any harm. They are generally considered safe and are often given a try to see if they could help with various medical conditions. Theres a lot of research around the topic of probiotics. Scientists are trying to determine when and how they should be used, as well as how effective they are. Talk to your healthcare provider before starting a probiotic supplement because there are some cases where you shouldnt be taking them. Its always best to have the conversation first before starting a new supplement.
Align Probiotic Side Effects
Digestive complaints are never fun, whether you fall on the “too slow” or “too fast” side of the spectrum. Many people turn to probiotics, or “good” bacteria supplements, to help restore a digestive balance, and Align probiotics have shown especially promising results in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. According to nutritionist Christine Avanti, probiotics are almost universally safe. According to the clinical trials, however, Align probiotics are even safer than most.
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Hear Our Experts Take
Align DualBiotic Prebiotic + Probiotic contains only one strain of beneficial bacteria, Bacillus coagulans. The lack of diversity in bacterial strains is a serious drawback of this product. Other probiotics in the category contain multiple strains of bacteria, which better match the diversity of bacteria in our gut.
This probiotic contains only 1 billion CFUs, which is much less than other brands. Typically, I recommend choosing a probiotic with anywhere between 5 and 100 billion CFUs. In my opinoin, the more CFUs the better. With so few CFUs, this probiotic is likely not as effective as others.
Align DualBiotic Prebiotic + Probiotic is dairy-free. It also contains inulin, a common prebiotic fiber used in many probiotics to feed the bacteria.
However, other ingredients include sucrose, coloring, wax, and cornstarch as added fillers and flavorings. As a result, this probiotic does contain 1 gram of added sugar.
I wasnt able to find much information about the gummies themselves from Align, but it is important to note that the gummy form of this product is highly susceptible to destruction in the stomach. This could negatively impact the products effectiveness.
What Are Probiotics And Probiotic
According to the World Health Organisations technical definition, Probiotics are live microorganisms, typically bacteria or yeast, that give us health benefits when ingested in sufficient amounts. The most common species that we see in our supplement probiotics are strains of bifidobacterium and lactobacillus. They typically help maintain or restore a healthy balance of bacteria to our digestive tract and have many proven health benefits, including: > boosting our immune system > preventing and treating UTIs > reducing symptoms of IBS and IBD
And while most people look to a supplement to boost their probiotic intake, there are also food-based sources available. Some of the more common probiotic-rich foods include: > Kefir
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There Is No Right Dose Of Probiotics
The average dose of probiotic supplements is 1 to 10 billion colony forming units according to the National Institutes of Health.
Most probiotics on the market have this amount, though you may see products that claim to have up to 50 billion CFU. However, there’s no concrete research that says what the most effective dosage is, says Farhadi.
“This is kind of uncharted territory. Most of our knowledge about probiotics is not pharmaceutically scientific or chemically scientific, and it’s a little bit different from other medications,” he says. For these reasons, researchers don’t know exactly which probiotics and what the effective dose is for health benefits.
However, if you are taking probiotics to deal with the uncomfortable effects of antibiotics, there is some evidence that a higher dose of certain probiotics might help abate the side-effect of diarrhea. In a small 2010 study, published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, patients who were given two capsules of probiotic, each containing 50 billion CFU, had fewer instances of antibiotic-induced diarrhea than patients who were given one capsule or no probiotic at all.
Adverse Reactions To Allergens
Those with food intolerances or allergies may be more susceptible to adverse reactions from probiotics. One of the most common reactions is to the dairy content of probiotics.
Many probiotic strains are derived from dairy and contain lactose, the sugar in milk. However, studies suggest that the probiotic bacteria in fermented and unfermented milk products can actually reduce the symptoms of lactose intolerance.
Every case is unique, and a minority of people with lactose intolerance can suffer from gas and bloating when consuming probiotic strains like Bifidobacterium bifidum when they begin their course. Although these symptoms may dissipate, its advisable to switch to dairy-free probiotics.
Those with egg or soy intolerances may react to the presence of these allergens in some products. Similarly, those who are sensitive or allergic to yeast should avoid supplements that contain yeast strains.
If you have sensitivities or allergies to certain foods, check the label on the product before purchasing.
Another factor to consider is that many probiotic supplements also contain prebiotics. These are plant fibers that your body cannot break down, so instead, your gut bacteria consume as food. The most common prebiotics include lactulose, inulin, and various oligosaccharides.
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