How do you choose the best probiotic? It can be a daunting task. First, it’s important to understand what a probiotic is and what it can do. Second, you’ll want to understand what characteristics make something a ‘good’ probiotic vs a less good one. Third, you’ll want to know how to distinguish true quality from marketing hype. And finally, you’ll want recommendations on the best probiotic for you and your family. We’ll look at each of these considerations in detail, so you can make your own decision about choosing the best probiotic to support your health.
Consideration 1: Understanding what a Probiotic is
A probiotic, in this context, is a supplement that can deliver healthy bacteria into your body. Healthy bacteria is essential to the functioning of your digestive system, which in turn can affect many aspects of your health. People commonly think of the digestive system when they’re experiencing issues such as constipation or diarrhea, but rarely when they’re looking for ways to boost their immune system. However, a healthy digestive system is critical to your body’s ability to fight off “invaders”. This is because the immune system is primarily located in your gut. The walls of your intestines are lined with bacteria - some good and some bad. When you support your health by taking supplements with carefully selected strains of good bacteria, you’re allowing your digestive system to be optimized.
It’s important to also remember that even if you’ve a great balance of healthy bacteria in your gut today, that’s no guarantee of future gut health. The bacteria in our bodies, both good and bad, are changing constantly. In fact, in the average bowel movement, it is estimated that 30% of the solids excreted are bacteria. This means you can easily lose billions of bacteria from your digestive system every day. Additionally, taking a course of antibiotics or changing your diet can have a substantial effect on the good bacteria you have in your intestines.
Taking probiotics not only helps you maintain a balance of good bacteria, but can also replenish healthy bacteria lost to typical cycles of elimination, or an occasional course of antibiotics.
Consideration 2: What characteristics make one probiotic “better” than another?
Figuring out how to choose the best probiotic also involves understanding what you want to be looking for. One factor you’ll see advertised, is the number of bacteria within a probiotic. It may be easy to assume that the higher the number, the better. But this is not necessarily true! Yes, you want a sufficient number of bacteria in your supplement, but beyond that, more is not necessarily better. The reason that some companies put so many extra bacteria into their probiotics is because they know there’s a good chance that many of them will be dead before they reach your home. They’re hoping that if even a small percent of their enormous number of bacteria survive, you’ll get what you need. However, there’s a smarter and more effective way of getting you the number of bacteria you want. That method is to include the appropriate number of bacteria, and use innovative capsule technology, packing, and shipping, to guarantee that each strain of bacteria put into your supplement survive so you’re getting live, healthy bacteria. This is how Natren ensures you are getting the bacteria you want in every probiotic we make.
In addition to the number of bacteria, you want to make sure your probiotic has the best strains of good bacteria. How is an every-day person going to know which strains of bacteria are the best? The reality is, they likely can’t. Instead, the key is to purchase your probiotic from a company that has the integrity and commitment to excellence that allows you to trust their decisions. At Natren, we’ve got almost 40 years of experience choosing the right bacteria, manufacturing the probiotics to protect and deliver those bacteria, and maintaining the highest standards of safety and excellence. If you cannot trust the founder and company behind your probiotic, then you cannot trust that you’re choosing the best probiotic.
Consideration 3: Avoid marketing hype
Just as we discussed needing to trust your probiotic company’s scientific decisions, you also need to trust the integrity of their business decisions. If a company is putting more money into flashy packaging and over-the-top claims, than actual products, you’ve got a major red flag. Any time you hear promises that sound ‘too good to be true,’ they probably are. Instead, look for a probiotic company that focuses on education and has a true passion for their industry. At Natren you’ll see that the founder, Natasha Trenev, who is often known as the ‘mother of probiotics,’ has an absolute commitment to finding better health through probiotics.
Recommendations for choosing the best probiotic
If you ask the members of our team what they’d tell a friend or family member looking for the best probiotic, here are some of the answers you’d get:
- Choose a probiotic that comes with a guarantee… that way you can trust you’re getting the healthy bacteria you want
- Choose a probiotic that’s easy to understand and easy to take
- Choose a well-rounded probiotic that can help you maintain good bacteria as part of your everyday routine
- Choose a probiotic made by a company that is transparent about their process and background
While some people like to take time researching, and we strongly support that, others are looking for a quick answer to choosing the best probiotic. For those people, our recommendation for the best probiotic to start with is Healthy Trinity. This non-dairy product is our most potent capsule, combining three of Natren’s best-selling supplements into an easy-to-take system. Healthy Trinity is a safe, effective, comprehensive probiotic system that can work for all members of your family from children to grandparents. Healthy Trinity not only supports regularity, but also the digestion of carbohydrates, protein, and dairy. Finally, it supports the production of B vitamins as well as hydrogen peroxide to further support your digestion.
Choosing the best probiotic can seem overwhelming if you’re new to using probiotics. Our number one piece of advice is to get your probiotics from a company you trust to educate you and provide you with the highest quality supplements. You can learn more about how Natren supplies the best quality probiotics by visiting us at natren.com.
