You have trillions of little critters, crawling through your intestines. In fact, you have more bacteria in your gut than you have cells in your body!

The question is: Who’s winning?

There’s a never-ending battle in your belly. It’s GOOD (eg. Lactobacilus acidophilus) vs. EVIL (E. coli or Salmonella); a fight to occupy the land called, “GIT” – short for Gastrointestinal Tract.

When the bad guys take control, you end up with unwanted symptoms like gas, bloating and indigestion. However, when GIT is full of healthy probiotics, you have a happy belly…and all the wonderful benefits it brings.

A happy, healthy belly means:

Better digestion and less bloating
A strong protective lining along your intestinal wall, so the wrong things don’t “leak” in
Stronger immunity
A happier mood
Clearer skin
And more

What causes the imbalance?

Glad you asked!

Life is full of factors that kill off your good bacteria and leave the territory free for the taking. Things like refined sugar, processed foods, chlorinated water and antibiotic use can cause a noticeable drop in your probiotic numbers.

When that happens, the unhealthy bacteria are granted an opportunity to multiply and outnumber the good guys - causing an imbalance called dysbiosis. This is where you run into common symptoms like bloating, digestive upset and lowered immunity.

Thankfully, you can restore balance and increase your healthy bacteria count by supplementing with probiotics.

What should you look for in a probiotic supplement?

It ultimately comes down to four key things: Source, Variety, Potency and Stability.

1) SOURCE: Choose Human Strain Probiotics

A quality probiotic contains human strains because human microflora is by far the most compatible with your digestive system. It has the ability to colonize and multiply within the gastrointestinal tract whereas other forms (dairy and plant) fail to adhere to the intestinal wall or simply die off after ingestion.

2) VARIETY: Go for Full Protection

Different probiotic strains live in different parts of your body. That means a great supplement must provide a variety of strains in order to protect your entire intestinal tract – from your mouth through to your large intestine.

3) POTENCY: Your Body Needs Billions

Look for a probiotic that provides probiotics in the billions. For example, 30 billion as a solid baseline, 70 billion for high potency daily protection or 150 billion when recommended by a healthcare professional for temporary use.

4) STABILITY: You Want Your Friends Alive

A big number in writing is great, but what are they doing to guarantee those little critters live a long life (or at least until expiry)?

Look for:

A method called, “Cryoprotection”. It uses cold temperatures to remove the available moisture.
Natural desiccants like potato starch and silica. These ingredients help to keep the moisture low, so the probiotics don’t come alive and die off too soon.
An antioxidant like vitamin C, which helps to preserve and extend the probiotics’ lifespan.

Need a Recommendation?

Try Progressive HCP® Probiotics!

This great little family of probiotics is manufactured right here in Canada, in Health Canada site licensed and GMP compliant facilities. But beyond quality, their formulas feature:

100% human strains for better harmony with your body.
Strain variety for full intestinal protection, from mouth all the way through
3 effective potencies: 30 Billion, 70 Billion & 150 Billion. Unsure which one is right for you? Take their Happy Belly Quiz!
Cryoprotection, desiccants and Vitamin C (antioxidant) to protect and guarantee the potency all the way to expiry.

Here’s the final word: A happy belly can make your whole health better.

To make your belly happy, and to restore balance to the land of GIT, you need probiotics. Try it for yourself and experience the many benefits of a truly happy, healthy belly!

Blog post courtesy of Progressive Nutritional Therapies.