24 Jul Why We All Need Probiotics In Our Lives

Over the past several years, science has come to realize that the bacteria found in our gut has an enormous influence over our genetic expression and our immune system. Meanwhile, we’ve been so busy buying antibacterial everything, trying to get rid of all bacteria, that we’ve failed to recognize why we all need probiotics in our lives!

Throughout history, we’ve gotten the probiotics needed from the foods we ate. Foods were not GMO, the soil was better, and fermentation was used to keep food from going bad. When refrigeration was invented, along with agricultural and sanitation practices, many foods became essentially devoid of bacteria – good or bad. With these changes, our gut bacteria has diminished and changed, resulting in digestive problems, emotional imbalance, and a host of autoimmune diseases.

What are Probiotics and Why do we Need Them?

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria, which help our body function in balance. As the use of antibiotics becomes less and less effective, the medical community is turning more and more towards probiotics in their search for solutions to many of the health problems of today. More and more exciting research is emerging, which shows the benefits of probiotics. Just a few of these are:

• Digestive health, including a decrease in inflammatory bowel diseases and diarrhea
• Balanced emotions and mental health
• A powerful immune system
• Clear, healthy skin
• Fewer food allergies
• Lowered blood pressure and cholesterol levels
• Treatment of diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity
• A healthy way to combat antibiotic resistance

We are Killing off our Gut Bacteria

Unfortunately, we have been systematically killing off all of our good and bad bacteria, leaving us vulnerable to imbalance and disease. Many things can damage our gut flora including:

• The use of antibiotics
• Processed sugar
• GMO foods
• Alcohol (except red wine)
• Gluten
• Prescription medication
• Stress
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Cigarette smoking
• Lack of sleep
• Lack of prebiotics in the diet (these include fruits and vegetables)
• Use of antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers

These are all clues to how we can nurture our gut flora. We should avoid the use of antibiotics and prescription drugs when possible, eliminate processed sugars and foods, avoid GMO and eat organic, stay away from gluten, stress, cigarettes, get adequate exercise and sleep, get rid of antibacterial soaps, and be sure to get adequate prebiotics into our diets.

Yet, even with all of these steps, most of us need additional supplementation to recolonize our damaged guts. We can introduce healthy bacteria into our gut by eating tasty fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, and home-made yogurt, and by drinking fermented drinks such as kombucha (here’s how to make the best kombucha you’ve ever tasted), kvass, and kefir. We can also use high quality probiotic supplements.

What to Look for in a Probiotic

The probiotic market in the United States is massive. The incredible growth in this market should be a warning to us to properly investigate the supplements that we choose, ensuring that they are safe and effective. In our home, we choose Young Living’s Life 9™ for the adults and KidScents MightyPro for the children. The following are a few points which we considered when making these choices.

How Many Strains Does the Probiotic Have?

Most probiotic supplements in the market today have between one and ten billion strains. The amount of strains needed by an individual varies according to each person’s previous conditions and current health. Life 9™ offers at least 17 billion live cultures to ensure the maximum benefit to everyone. Probiotics are safe and will not cause harm, even when taken in high doses.

Which Strains Does the Probiotic Include?

Although there are over 1000 different species of bacteria in the gut, there is a short list of well-studied strains that should be included in a quality probiotic. Each of these are found in Life 9™. They are:

1. Lactobacillus acidophilus supports a healthy immune system and digestive system.
2. Bifidobacterium lactis supports a healthy inflammatory response.
3. Lactobacillus plantarum supports a healthy immune system and digestive system.
4. Lactobacillus rhamnosus supports healthy weight management and normal cholesterol levels. It can also reduce symptoms of gastrointestinal distress.
5. Lactobacillus salivarius promotes a healthy immune system, normal cholesterol levels and a healthy inflammatory response in the gut.
6. Streptococcus thermophilus supports healthy, hydrated skin and a strong immune system.
7. Bifidobacterium breve supports healty inflammatory and immune responses.
8. Bifidobacterium bifidum supports healthy, normal blood sugar levels and may help to alleviate gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea.
9. Bifidobacterium longum promotes a healthy stress response and may reduce gastrointestinal symptoms.

Are the Probiotic Strains Viable and Stable?

When choosing a probiotic, it’s important to know that the bacteria will be viable and stable by the time it ships to you. The bacteria strains in Life 9™ have been freeze dried. When you take a capsule, the bacteria will be exposed to water, which will activate them so that by the time they reach your gut, they are living, active bacteria.

If you’d like to check if your probiotic is viable, here’s a simple test that you can do at home to verify.

Are the Probiotics Strains Able to Successfully Travel Through the Stomach to Reach the Intestine?

In order to ensure that Life 9™ probiotic strains can move safely through the stomach and into the intestine, Young Living sources probiotic strains that are tolerant to acid. They also use a delayed-release capsule which is designed to withstand gastric juices ensuring product efficacy.

Can the Probiotic Survive in the Intestine?

The strains chosen for Life 9™ were chosen for their ability to adhere properly to the walls of the intestines. While other companies may choose to use lower cost alternatives, Young Living only uses the finest quality ingredients and products and will settle for nothing less.

Kidscents MightyPro: A Probiotic for Kids

Young Living recently released a highly-anticipated prebiotic and probiotic blend for children, called MightyPro. This supplement contains over 8 billion active, live cultures to support digestive and immune health. It is an exceptional product not only for it’s probiotic content, but because it also contains prebiotics, which help to keep the beneficial bacteria healthy and flourishing. It is packaged in easy, one-dose packets that can be taken almost anywhere you go.

It’s important for me that my children enjoy their path to health and vitality, and thankfully, MightyPro makes this easy by being a delicious-tasting treat. My children look forward to their daily dose of MightyPro… and I may even sneak an occasional dose myself!

Enjoy the Benefits of Quality Probiotics

If you are not enjoying the benefits of probiotics yet – or if you need to upgrade to a better quality – you may want to consider changing to the Young Living brand. I’m here to help you with this, and I promise that over time you will enjoy fewer sick days, fewer missed days of school, and better health and vitality!