Many of us grew up being told that bacteria, germs, and other microscopic organisms are bad for our health. We were taught to bathe every day, use hand sanitizer when in public places, and wash our hands frequently to protect ourselves from all the germs and bacteria we came in contact with. While it’s true that some of these microscopic organisms can be harmful, that’s not the case for all of them. In fact, there are certain types of bacteria that your body actually needs in order to stay healthy!
Your body is home to trillions of bacteria. Yes, that’s trillions with a “t”. They reside on your skin, in your mouth, and all throughout your digestive tract. In fact, the vast majority of these bacteria reside in your gut, making up what is commonly known as the gut microbiome. These bacteria can be categorized as either good or bad. In order to keep your body as healthy as possible, it’s important to make sure that those good bacteria outnumber the bad ones. This is where probiotics come into play—they help maintain this balance by giving the colonies of good bacteria a boost.
What Are Probiotics?
In simple terms, probiotics are living good bacteria that promote a healthy gut microbiome. These beneficial bacteria are similar to those found naturally in your body and can help improve and restore the balance of bacteria in your gut microbiome.
Probiotics have been around since the early 19th century, but it’s only within recent years that they have started to gain a lot of attention. In fact, the use of probiotics in America has grown substantially in the last decade. Research has shown that between the years 2012 and 2022, the number of Americans using some form of probiotics grew from 1.4 percent to 22 percent!
Why are so many people including probiotics in their routines? Largely because of their various health benefits.
The Health Benefits of Probiotics
We know. The thought of consuming bacteria, even if it is good bacteria, is unappealing. But when you look at it from the perspective of your health, it becomes a lot easier to understand why probiotics continue to grow in popularity. So, what health benefits do probiotics have to offer? Here are just a few.
- They promote gut health. Believe it or not, your gut impacts nearly every other aspect of your health, from your immune system to your mood, and almost everything in between. Probiotics are known to have a number of positive effects on your gut health. For starters, they help to seed your gut with good bacteria to help keep your ever-important gut microbiome in balance. In addition to that, probiotics help with digestion by assisting with the creation of enzymes and other compounds that your body needs to break down food and absorb nutrients.
- They boost immune function. Your immune system is responsible for the production of antibodies that help protect your health when harmful pathogens enter your body. When you expose your body to the bacteria in probiotics, you are giving your immune system a blueprint to use when creating antibodies. When you are exposed to harmful bacteria or fungi, your immune system can react more quickly, since it already has antibodies it can assign to the case.
- They prevent the overgrowth of harmful bacteria. Just like with your gut, probiotics are an ally against harmful bacteria all over your body. These good bacteria need the same resources to thrive as pathogens do. Because of this, when probiotics are there to consume resources, they are able to effectively crowd out the bad guys. This helps keep the colonies of bad bacteria in your body under control before they can grow in size and affect your health.
- They improve skin appearance. Your skin is your largest organ, and it is your body’s first line of defense against harmful pathogens. What many people don’t realize is that the health of your skin isn’t determined solely by external factors, it’s also a reflection of what is going on inside your body. Problems with your skin can be caused by hormonal imbalances, nutrient deficiencies, or immune system disruption, which are all issues that usually start due to an unhealthy gut.
The Different Types of Probiotics
Before you start adding just any probiotic to your daily routine, it’s important to understand that there are hundreds of different strains out there. From a scientific and naming standpoint, these strains are categorized into different groups, known as families. Let’s take a closer look at two of the most commonly used groups of probiotics, some of the strains within those families, and their specific health benefits.
Bifidobacterium
Bifidobacterium is used in a large variety of foods and supplements. It is even present in breastmilk, which means you have likely been exposed to it since birth.
The most common strains of bifidobacterium include Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium lactis, and Bifidobacterium longum. All of these strains work to support your immune system and limit the growth of harmful bacteria in your digestive system.
Lactobacillus
Lactobacillus is arguably the most prominent strain of probiotics. It can be found all throughout the human body, from your mouth to your intestines. When it comes to food, Lactobacillus can be found in fermented foods as well as dairy items like cheese and yogurt.
Lactobacillus is responsible for regulating the pH levels throughout your body to keep all your systems functioning optimally. It also benefits your digestive system by aiding with the creation of digestive enzymes that are needed to break down food. Common strains of Lactobacillus include Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS-1, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Lactobacillus bulgaricus.
Getting Enough Probiotics
If you’re looking to embrace the health benefits of probiotics, you are likely wondering how to go about adding them to your diet. There are two ways you can go about it–with probiotic-rich foods or with a probiotic supplement.
As far as food goes, we’ve already mentioned some options like dairy products and fermented foods. In addition to those, kimchi, kombucha, and sauerkraut are also great sources of probiotics. Additionally, these good bacteria can also be found in sourdough bread, pickles, miso soup, and tempeh.
If you would rather, you can also get your daily dose of probiotics through supplements. Don’t just go and grab any bottle of probiotics off the store shelf though. As with any other supplement, quality and safety are of utmost importance here. To ensure the product you are buying is of the highest quality, and as safe as possible, be sure to look for third-party certifications. These will let you know that you are getting exactly what is on the label, nothing more and nothing less.
Meet Spectrabiotic: Your Go-To Probiotic Supplement
When it comes to your health, you deserve only the best. That’s true for the food you eat as well as the supplements you consume. That’s why we created Spectrabiotic with 12 of the best strains of probiotics available. These probiotics are combined with the prebiotic inulin and the superfood organic Wild Microalgae™ which both provide ideal nourishment for the live probiotic cells. This powerful combination of ingredients work together to promote vibrant health from the inside out, starting in your gut.
What’s more? Just like all New Earth products, Spectrabiotic is manufactured in an NSF registered facility to the FDA’s Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and the NSF’s GMP for Sport. So you can rest assured that you are getting a safe, high-quality product.
The best part is you can put it to the test risk-free with our 60-day money-back guarantee.