Years ago, no one thought too much about the bacteria that live in our digestive tract. Scientists knew there were plenty of bacteria in our gut, but they didn't think too much about them. That has all changed.
There are now more than three hundred clinical research studies looking into what those little bugs in our guts are doing for us and what the studies have found is amazing.
Your digestive tract contains more than 100 trillion bacteria (that is 10 times the number of cells in your entire body) and collectively makes up an inner ecosystem known as our gut flora. The health of that ecosystem, it turns out, can be very important to your overall health.
Gut flora
Gut flora help us in a lot of ways. They are used to aid in the digestion of food and absorb nutrients; many vitamins and minerals are released from the food you eat by bacteria in our digestive tract. The gut flora are a huge part of our immune system contributing up to 80% of our immune system and they help promote healthy intestinal activity, good digestion, and colon regularity.
If you have ever taken an antibiotic, even just once, your gut flora are out of balance. There are more bad guys than good guys in there because the antibiotic does not play favorites - it kills all of the bacteria in your gut both the good and the bad!
Then, if your diet isn't pure, and really whose is? Your gut most probably has an imbalance of gut bacteria. Meaning, if you consume white flour, sugar, too much salt, etc., then that means you created an environment where the bad bacteria have outnumbered the good bacteria.
What doctors and scientists are learning is you need to replenish the good guys and do it often if your diet is less than ideal or you have taken antibiotics.
If you have ever taken an antibiotic, even just once, your gut flora are out of balance. There are more bad guys than good guys in there because the antibiotic does not play favorites - it kills all of the bacteria in your gut both the good and the bad!
Then, if your diet isn't pure, and really whose is? Your gut most probably has an imbalance of gut bacteria. Meaning, if you consume white flour, sugar, too much salt, etc., then that means you created an environment where the bad bacteria have outnumbered the good bacteria.
What doctors and scientists are learning is you need to replenish the good guys and do it often if your diet is less than ideal or you have taken antibiotics.
How to have a healthy ecosystem
If you want to maintain a healthy bacterial ecosystem, the best approach is to avoid refined grains, sugar, processed foods, chlorinated water, and certain medications.
You can also add good bacteria by getting them in your diet. Make sure to include fermented foods as a part of your daily routine. This means not only a good yogurt, but also pickles, sauerkraut, kefir, buttermilk, and tempeh. Make sure you choose these foods with live cultures; pasteurization can destroy the healthy bacteria.
In addition to cultured foods, a probiotics supplement can also help support healthy digestive and immune function.
It would be great if we could get them all by diet alone, but that is virtually impossible. Many people do not like the above mentioned fermented foods and even if you do eat yogurt, most are so heavily laden with sugar, the few good guys that might be alive, aren't able to do much good.
This is why health experts strongly recommend supplementing with a good, quality probiotic to replenish the good gut bacteria. This not only helps with digestion problems, but also helps boost your immune system.
What is really great about adding probiotics is they do not interfere with medications and they are safe and easy for children to take!
It would be great if we could get them all by diet alone, but that is virtually impossible. Many people do not like the above mentioned fermented foods and even if you do eat yogurt, most are so heavily laden with sugar, the few good guys that might be alive, aren't able to do much good.
This is why health experts strongly recommend supplementing with a good, quality probiotic to replenish the good gut bacteria. This not only helps with digestion problems, but also helps boost your immune system.
What is really great about adding probiotics is they do not interfere with medications and they are safe and easy for children to take!
The problem with adding some probiotics in supplement form is they often never live to see your gut.
Studies done on the cheaper probiotics found in stores have shown those little guys don't last long in the bottle and many brands were found to have no live bacteria in them!
Other studies showed the problem of the good bacteria in the product never survives the stomach acids. This means very few of them live to get to the gut to do their job.
So how do you get a good, high quality probiotic to live on the shelf and to safely get past the stomach acids so these little guys can work their magic in your gut?
Science.
It takes a lot of research, trial and error and the best scientific minds working together to formulate a probiotic that actually works and get the little guys safely to their intended destination.
This is the one my family uses and we have noticed huge results with better digestion and a healthier immune system:
Optiflora Probiotic Complex - Potency Advantage
Optiflora Probiotic Complex utilizes patented triple-layer encapsulation technology, designed to provide live delivery of probiotics to the large intestine, where they provide the greatest benefit.
THE SHAKLEE DIFFERENCE
The power of nature,
unleashed by science.
Safe. Proven. Guaranteed.
At Shaklee, they are committed to innovating through science
and looking to nature for the answers that can provide
healthier lives. They ensure the highest quality and safety
standards—conducting over 100,000 quality tests per year to
ensure their products are safe for you and your family.
This is why I trust Shaklee to give us the very best of Science & Nature.
Try Shaklee Probiotics for yourself and if you are not completely satisfied receive a full refund of the product.
For more info: Shaklee Probiotic - Optiflora
*Note: Optiflora capsules can be ordered separately or as a system combined with Pre-biotics, which in simple terms are food for the good bacteria.
If you are not used to taking a probiotic I recommend not taking the pre-biotic yet as it may cause gas.
Start with just the probiotic capsule first, then when gut is in a healthier state you may add the pre-biotic powder later if you want.
Questions? Contact us by clicking the "Contact Us" tab up top and letting us know how we can help you.
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