Probiotics 101: A Simple Guide

We know why you’re here—probiotics are on the rise, and you wanna know what all the hype is about! For starters, research has proven that these friendly bacteria are good for you in all sorts of ways. From bowel disorders to depression, probiotics are quickly becoming a miracle healer for almost every ailment out there. To top it all off, getting your daily dose of probiotics is easy when you indulge in a variety of probiotic drinks.

With so much info on the internet, it’s hard to find a place to start. You’ve come to the right place! This simple guide will fill you in on all you need to know before embarking on your probiotic journey.

What Probiotics Are and How They Work

Before delving into the world of probiotics, let’s talk a little bit about the gut microbiome. This is a colony of microorganisms that line your small intestine. Microbiomes contain trillions of bacteria, both good and bad. Your gut has to constantly maintain a delicate balance between those good and bad bacteria so your body can function at the top of its game.

Bad bacteria is nothing to freak out about. Everyone has them in their guts, and there’s no way to entirely get rid of them. Your focus shouldn’t be to kill off bad bacteria but rather to introduce healthy strains that keep them in check, so your gut can achieve equilibrium…and it all comes down to what you eat.

This is where probiotics come in handy! Probiotics are strains of healthy bacteria that bolster gut health. Your body contains some probiotics already, but if you need more, billions of bacteria have been packed into supplements, fermented foods and your favorite low sugar probiotic drink. They balance out the ratio of good and bad bacteria in the gut microbiome and protect you from a host of problems that gut imbalances can cause.

Choosing the Right Strains

More than 500 species of good bacteria live in your gut. Researchers need more time to figure out what their unique roles are in maintaining the body’s overall health. However, the bacteria found in probiotics are typically categorized by the Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium families.

While research is still in the works, scientists suspect that certain strains of good bacteria excel at treating some health conditions more than others. For instance, Lactobacillus helveticus and Bifidobacterium longum are successful at alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety. The use of Lactobacillus gasseri looks promising for adults who struggle to keep their weight under control.

What’s more important than choosing a specific strain is making sure you ingest bacteria at the right point in its lifecycle. Should you sip germs that are dead or alive? Trick question—it’s neither! Dead bacteria are obviously useless, and live bacteria can fizzle out before you get a chance to crack open that vegan probiotic. You want spore bacteria, which lie dormant and become activated in the gut microbiome.

A Word of Caution

Probiotics are generally considered safe. That’s because the good bacteria in supplements and fermented foods are naturally found in the gut flora. But don’t get too crazy with the probiotics—they can deteriorate the health of people with compromised immune systems and certain chronic diseases. While most people get to enjoy probiotic drink benefits all they want, it’s best to consult your doctor first.

Even healthy individuals should speak to a doctor about probiotics. Probiotic supplements are unregulated, meaning companies can say anything they want about their product without backing those claims with hard facts. Ingredient labels might say the capsules contain a specific type of bacteria when they really don’t. It’s important to do your research, buy from reputable companies and get the all-clear from a doc before going crazy with the bacteria.

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Swallowing a daily pill is so blah. Ditch those boring supplements for a can of Boozy Boocha! Our signature alcoholic kombucha is just the thing you need to fortify that gut flora and get your buzz on at the same time. Each can is packed with non-dairy probiotics, so you can enjoy a guilt-free happy hour. Bacteria have never tasted so good!