Taking the right probiotic matters if you want a healthy balance in your gut microbiota. But what does that actually mean, and why take one at all? The short answer is this: bacteria outnumber the body's own cells roughly ten to one. Yes, you read that correctly. The gut is colonized by these microorganisms, and they play a major role in how you feel day to day. We carry both beneficial and less desirable bacteria, and a healthy balance between the two is what supports optimal function.
The beneficial bacteria living in your body help you absorb important nutrients from food and from nutritional supplements. Scientists have identified over 1,000 species of bacteria in the gut (1), and they contribute to a wide range of functions.
Beneficial bacteria help:
Beneficial gut bacteria can be crowded out, though, by stress, antibiotics, heavily processed foods, environmental toxins, and more. When that happens, the balance tips toward less desirable strains. Researchers have studied associations between an imbalanced gut microbiome and a broad range of conditions, including multiple sclerosis, diabetes, depression, rheumatoid arthritis, autism, heart disease, asthma, and cancer (3). These are associations observed in research, not cause-and-effect conclusions, and they are one reason gut health continues to draw so much scientific attention.
Signs your gut may be out of balance:
When gut bacteria are out of balance, digestion tends to suffer, and imbalance has been studied in connection with digestive conditions including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), and increased intestinal permeability, often called leaky gut.
A clean diet is one of the most powerful ways to support the balance of bacteria in your gut. Below, Dr. Ryan Brown, DO, shares his top tips for a healthy gut microbiota.
Limit your sugar intake: This may be the single best change you can make. Less desirable bacteria thrive on sugar. Sugar, dairy, low-nutrient carbohydrates, and alcohol can all disrupt the balance in your gut.
Eat a variety of foods: The hallmark of a thriving gut is a diverse mix of beneficial bacteria. Therefore, eating a wide variety of low-toxin, anti-inflammatory foods helps keep any one strain from dominating. Focus on vegetables, high-quality protein, and omega-3 fats.
Eat collagen-rich foods or take a collagen supplement: Collagen supports the gut lining, which is where nutrient absorption happens. Look to collagen-rich foods such as bone broth and organ meats, or add a hydrolyzed collagen protein powder to your morning coffee.
Consider a REPAIR: Healthy Gut IV: Our custom-formulated gut health IV treatment is designed to support the gut lining and the mucosal layer of the intestinal tract, support healthy immune function, and support a normal inflammatory response.
Take a probiotic: And here we are. A quality probiotic is one of the most direct ways to support the natural balance of your gut microbiota.
Probiotics are beneficial strains of live bacteria. A probiotic supplement adds to the population of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract, which may support nutrient absorption and help guard against nutrient depletion. With so many products on the market, it can be genuinely difficult to know which brand, strain, and delivery method to choose.
Three things are worth checking before you buy: CFUs, strains, and delivery.
1. CFUs (colony-forming units): The body contains more than 35 trillion bacterial cells. Research on probiotics spans doses from the millions of CFUs into the trillions, but higher dosing does not automatically mean greater benefit. A quality daily probiotic supplement typically contains 10 to 40 billion CFUs.
2. Strains: The specific strains in a probiotic also shape what it does. Where CFUs describe the overall count of beneficial bacteria, strains are the organized families within those colonies, and each has its own role. A diversity of strains gives the gut broader support. Below are a few of the more heavily researched strains and the areas they have been studied for.
3. Delivery: Probiotics are live organisms, which makes them vulnerable to factors such as temperature and the pH of the stomach. For a probiotic to do its job, it needs to reach the intestinal tract with its CFU count intact. There are several ways to achieve that: choosing strains that naturally survive those conditions, treating strains to be more resistant, and using specialized capsules built to protect their contents until they arrive where they are needed.
If you are not sure where to start, our team in Jupiter, FL can review your gut health alongside your micronutrient levels and help you build a plan that fits.
RevitalIV is located at 1317 W Indiantown Rd, Suite 100, Jupiter, FL 33458, serving patients from Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, Tequesta, Juno Beach, North Palm Beach, and across Palm Beach County. Call (561) 406-2202 or book a consultation.
This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Individual results vary. Consult a licensed healthcare provider about your individual health situation.
