Truth About Probiotics – Dos & Don’ts, Warnings & Scams

Today I’m going to talk about gut health and how vitally important it is to have lots of healthy bacteria in your body and gut – the truth about probiotics.

This topic is important for anyone who is interested in:

• Pimples and zits, hair loss, wrinkles, and having great skin
• Gaining muscle and losing fat
• Having more energy
• Improving your mood and being happier
• Boosting your immune system
• Having better hormones
• If you’re dealing with pain and inflammation
• Healthier colon and regularity
• Living longer

Yup, your gut bacteria affects all of these factors. It’s like an organ.

Unfortunately, any time you take antibiotics, you basically kill off almost all of the friendly, healthy bacteria for months.

This is why today’s topic is so important.

I’ll cover probiotics today. What they are. Best foods and supplements.

In my next article, I’ll discuss prebiotics.

Finally, in my 3rd article, I’ll discuss the differences between the two and why you need to take both.

I’ll keep it all very simple and easy.

My Personal Experience With Probiotics

I first started taking probiotics when I was 19, over 30 years ago.

I had white spots on my skin, called tinea versicolor.

It’s basically fungus. Many people have it, but my body is extra sensitive.

Every doctor just put me on antibiotics. It helped for a few months, but the problem kept coming back.

So my chiropractor told me to remove all yeast from my diet – which means no bread, beer, aged cheeses, and so forth.

And then to take probiotics.

A few months later, I was permanently cured and the problem has never come back.

Again, the power of diet and the correct supplements.

And I’ll tell you, things have really changed, grown, and improved in the past few decades with gut health and probiotics.

What Are Probiotics?

Probiotics are friendly bacteria, which can come from food or supplements. They help colonize your gut with health-boosting microorganisms.

Simply stated, healthier gut bacteria equals a healthier YOU, from head to toe. Inside and out. Physically, mentally and emotionally. With both SHORT and LONG term benefits.

I can go on and on about all the amazing benefits, but I hope you get the point.

Unfortunately, the wrong foods, stress, artificial sweeteners, and of course, antibiotics all cause negative effects.

Best Probiotic Foods

So, let’s try to improve your friendly bacteria by eating some fermented foods that have lots of healthy probiotics.

• Yogurt
• Kimchi
• Kombucha tea
• Kefir
• Sauerkraut

These are the most popular foods you’ve probably heard of.

If you’ve read my previous articles, I do NOT think adults should be having dairy. I think milk is for babies and cow milk is for baby cows.

So, I suggest you avoid yogurt and kefir.

If I do have yogurt, I have goat’s milk. It’s got a different form of casein milk which doesn’t cause problems for most people.

However, the best food in my opinion is Sauerkraut – it’s one of the most powerful and has the most probiotics.

It’s basically cabbage. Make sure you also drink the juice, that’s where the majority of the good bacteria is.

Just don’t do too much at once, or you’ll be running to the bathroom.

Best Probiotic Supplements

Now, most of you won’t eat these fermented foods daily. You’d rather have a pill.

And the good news is that there are dozens and hundreds of different probiotic pills you can take.

The problem is, it’s impossible to know which is the best, which your body needs, and how much.

Remember, your body has hundreds of billions of bacteria, with over 500 different species.

There’s no way ONE pill has all the correct ones and optimal dose.

I really would have loved to come up with an all-in-one product for myself and YOU… But I would be lying if I said I could create one.

The Problem With Supplements

Probiotics are typically measured in colony-forming units (CFU). Generally, higher doses have been found to produce the best results in most studies.

However, some probiotics may be effective at dosages of 1–2 billion CFU per day, while others may require at least 20 billion CFU to achieve the desired effects.

Then there are specific probiotics for specific health issues.

Some are good for colon health, IBS and constipation.

Some for weight loss.

Some for brain health.

Some for heart health.

Some for immunity.

Some for mood and happiness. For example, in ProVanax I’ve added over 100 billion probiotics, in 3 specific strains, which are clinically proven to improve your mood and reduce anxiety.

And in the future, I’ll be creating specialized ones for various health concerns.

But, what does that mean for you and me, today?

What do I suggest for GENERAL health? What do I personally take?

Honestly, I rotate between 3 to 4 different companies and probiotics because like I said, each has different CFUs, amounts, strains, and benefits.

So, I’ll take one brand for 2 weeks, then another for 2 weeks, and another for 2 weeks, and another for 2 weeks and then go back and start all over again.

I take Align Probiotic.

It was more expensive than the others. I just take 1 at night for 2 weeks. Here’s a link to it on Amazon. I also pick it up at Costco if they have a sale.

I also take Digestive Advantage by Schiff.

It costs less than Align.

It has 50 billion CFU, but more importantly, they claim it gets through the stomach acid, making it more effective.

I’ll then switch to this for the next two weeks, one pill at night.

These two products I take all the time, consistently.

The 3rd or 4th brand, it’s up to you.

Again, pay attention to how many billions of CFU and the different strains. You want to keep mixing things up.

Jarrow has a lot of good probiotics and that’s the company I first started using 30 years ago. So, you can give them a try as well.

The bottom line just keeps changing things up. Higher CFUs and lots of different strains.

There is no magic pill that does it all.

Besides, your body will adapt and that’s why it’s important to keep changing things up every couple of weeks.

Eat better, try to avoid antibiotics, eat sauerkraut, and make sure you also take PRE biotics, which is what the next article will discuss.