If you’ve struggled with hard stool, you may have heard that probiotics can help. This is true - but only some probiotics - so we want to make sure you have enough information to make a smart decision. When you find the best probiotics to soften stool, you can get very good results. However, the wrong probiotics will do nothing beneficial, and may even be dangerous. Before we look at our recommendations for the best probiotics to soften stool, there are a few important details to understand.
What causes hard stool?
Hard stool is caused by too much water being removed from waste. One of the primary jobs of the large intestine is to remove water as waste products pass through. If the waste passes through too quickly, not enough water is removed. This results in diarrhea. However, if the waste passes through too slowly, spending extra time in the large intestine, this can result in hard stool and constipation.
There are several factors that increase the likelihood of having hard stool. This, of course, varies by person but common ones include:
- Eating a diet low in fiber
- Consuming few fruits and vegetables
- Not staying hydrated
- Taking certain medications that are known to cause constipation
- A sedentary lifestyle
- Laxative use - while this may seem counterintuitive, it has been found that those who use laxatives often may have harder stools. Using laxatives may lower the digestive system’s ability to move waste products through efficiently
- Pregnancy
- The natural aging process
No matter the reason, there are ways to combat constipation, including making lifestyle adjustments and taking the best probiotics to soften stool. We recommend a combination of changes in your day to day activities, as well as taking a precision probiotic every day, to soften stool.
Lifestyle changes that can help soften stool
When you’re looking to make natural changes in your life that can help you be more regular, avoid constipation, and soften stool, there are several steps we recommend. These include:
- Stay active. You do not need to do strenuous activity for results - even taking several short walks throughout the day can help. Moving your body has been shown to help the digestive system keep moving as well. Remember that when stool spends extra time in a slow large intestine, more water is removed, making the waste more difficult to pass.
- Drink water. Being dehydrated is a common cause of hard stool. To soften stool, make sure you are drinking plenty of water. This will help your digestive system work effectively.
- Make sure you eat enough fiber. Fiber helps waste material move through the intestines. When your body gets enough fiber on a regular basis, it can keep your system regular. Fiber is also beneficial to the good bacteria that lines your intestines, so you get even more benefit from eating foods like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
- Take a precision probiotic. The right probiotic will give your intestines the healthy bacteria they need to work properly. When your digestion is optimized, food and waste can move through effectively, and you are more likely to have soft stool. While choosing the best probiotics to soften stool can be difficult, there are several important factors to keep in mind.
How to choose the best probiotic to soften stool
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Choose a company you trust. Before you choose the best probiotic for your health goals, make sure you choose the best probiotic company. If you pick a supplement based on an attractive label, the biggest discount, or marketing hype - you are setting yourself up for failure. Instead, put time into finding a company you truly trust. Once you do that, picking the best supplement is easier. Natren is truly the leader in healthy bacteria because of their commitment to precision probiotics. Precision probiotics prioritize quality over quantity, and science over hype. Natren probiotics also come with a 100% potency guarantee, so you can rest assured that the beneficial bacteria you choose, will be guaranteed through the expiration date printed on the bottle.
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Find a probiotic that supports intestinal functioning. Now that you’ve found a probiotic company you truly trust with your own health and that of your family, you want to find the best probiotics to soften stool. While the entire digestive system is important, it’s primarily the intestines you’ll want to make sure you’re supporting. Healthy Trinity is a 3 in 1 precision probiotic supplement that gets our vote for the best probiotic to soften stool. Healthy Trinity gives you Megadophilus, Natren’s leading probiotic to support small intestine functioning. It also gives you Bifido Factor, which supports the large intestine - a critical component to staying regular and having soft stool. Finally, Healthy Trinity gives you Digesta Lac which supports the entire length of the digestive system.
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Evaluate the results. It’s important to stay in tune with your body and see how your probiotic is working. We recommend you take Healthy Trinity - or the Natren precision probiotic of your choice - for at least one month before you evaluate how you’re feeling. If after a month, you want to try a more custom combination of healthy bacteria, Healthy Start System is a great option. This product gives you the same bacteria as Healthy Trinity, but each supplement is packaged separately. This means that you can increase or decrease the amount of each component, to see what works best for you. Some people may find that they feel their best when they increase the amount of Bifido Factor they take each day, for example.
Finding the best probiotics to soften stool is really about optimizing your digestive system, and especially your large intestine. By finding good bacteria that work for you, you not only are likely to see increased regularity and better overall health, but your immune system will get a boost. Because the majority of your immune system is located in the digestive tract, Natren’s probiotics work to ensure that you have the best chance of fighting off viruses and bad bacteria. Supporting regularity also can support the digestive system in surprising benefits like weight management, reduction of over sensitivity to environmental factors, and even improvements in heart health.
