Most of us haven’t had a year that’s brought up as much anxiety than 2020. As we start approaching winter, we’re all looking for ways to keep ourselves and our families healthy. There are many important steps you can take through the winter that can optimize your health. These include eating well (focus on protein, veggies, and whole grains), staying hydrated, getting enough sleep, and washing your hands often.
But what else can you do to support good health at this time of year? We recommend learning about the benefits of probiotics, as one of the most important lifestyle choices you can make when it comes to supporting good health. Probiotics can strengthen the foundation of the immune system, which is an essential component to staying well. The key is that not just ‘any’ probiotic will do. Let’s look at how to choose the best probiotic for winter.
Why Winter is Different
Did you ever have an older family member tell you to bundle up before you go outside, so you don’t get sick? How about a warning that going out with wet hair is sure to bring on a cold? If these well-meaning pieces of advice sound familiar, you’re not alone. Even today, many people say that going out in the cold - especially if you’re not bundled up - can make you more likely to get sick. Some research has said that being cold is not going to raise the chances of you getting sick, and there are plenty of articles ‘debunking’ the myth that going out in the cold could contribute to seasonal illnesses. However, there is other research that shows that being cold may actually affect your body’s ability to fight off germs effectively. This research also says that having cold air in your nose may make it harder for your immune system to ward off germs. The last thing any of us want right now is to make our immune system’s job more difficult.
The colder temperature also drives people indoors, which means less fresh air, and more time in close proximity to others. These are both factors in increasing your likelihood of getting sick this winter. While there is no sure way to guarantee you stay healthy during the winter, you are not powerless to germs. By boosting your immune health, you can give yourself a better chance of staying well. Now that you understand why you really can be more likely to get sick in the winter, let’s look at why probiotics can help.
The Connection Between Probiotics and the Immune System
Probiotics deliver healthy bacteria where it’s most needed: your digestive tract. Why does this have anything to do with your immune system? Because your digestive tract is actually where most of your immune system is located. The good and bad bacteria that line your intestines have a significant effect on your ability to fight off ‘bad guys’ like germs and viruses. There is only so much room in your intestines for bacteria to live. For every location taken up by healthy bacteria, that’s one fewer location that a “bad” bacteria can reside. The good bacteria act as an army of defenders, ready to pounce on invaders that can make you sick. That’s why it’s so important to take quality probiotics that deliver the right healthy bacteria to the right places in your body.
The Factors We Look for in the Best Probiotic for Winter
When we’re looking for the best probiotic for winter, there are a few essential qualities we believe in:
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Highest Quality. A probiotic is off our list instantly if we can’t trust the quality of the product and integrity of the company. There are too many unknowns in today’s world, to gamble with our health. A probiotic company needs to focus on science over marketing, and quality over quantity.
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Convenient. While this isn’t always at the top of a list when someone is looking for a probiotic, it’s pretty important. The reality is that if you cannot keep up with the regimen of taking your probiotic this winter, you cannot get the benefits from it. A convenient, easy-to-take, and easy-to-understand probiotic routine is essential for people who want to work good bacteria into an already very-packed lifestyle.
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Supports a Healthy Immune System. There are times when your primary focus for a probiotic may be more directly related to digestion - like a probiotic to support regularity. However, when we’re looking ahead to this winter, we cannot think of a more important goal than promoting a healthy immune system.
Best Probiotic for Winter
Our top pick for best probiotic for winter is Natren’s Healthy Trinity. This is a comprehensive probiotic supplement that’s actually a proprietary system that combines 3 of the most popular probiotics. Healthy Trinity makes taking an outstanding probiotic easy and convenient. This supplement is beneficial for young children, adults, and seniors alike.
Why is Healthy Trinity the best probiotic for winter? It’s because of the strains of healthy bacteria that our founder and her team of experts have chosen: Lactobacillus acidophilus, NAS super strain, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Malyoth super strain, and Lactobacillus bulgaricus, LB-51 super strain, 5 billion cfu. In addition, it’s because of the highest quality you get when you choose Healthy Trinity, including a 100% potency guarantee of every strain of bacteria in our probiotics, through their expiration date.
Best Probiotic for Infants for Winter
While Healthy Trinity is our overall pick for the best probiotic for winter, we want to point you towards an important option for infants, toddlers, and even pregnant or breastfeeding moms. This probiotic supplement is called Life Start. The winter can be especially scary for babies because the flu - which is not particularly serious for most healthy adults - can be quite serious for a baby. Additionally, those who are very young have not had a chance to develop a full immune system, the way adults and older children have. So when we consider prioritizing our health over the winter, it’s important to look at the special needs of the youngest members of our family.
Life Start gives a minimum of 1 billion colony forming units of Bifidobacterium infantis, NLS super strain, in each serving. This healthy bacteria can support the GI system and healthy digestion which are essential to supporting a strong immune system, through the winter and beyond.
When you’re looking for ways to support the health of every family member, look to Natren. We can ensure you have the best probiotics for winter and beyond. You can learn more about the products we offer at natren.com.
