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Probiotics are live microorganisms that can provide health benefits, generally by improving or restoring the gut flora.
They live in the stomach, mouth, vagina, and skin and provide several health advantages. Probiotics are often used to aid with digestive disorders, improve immunity, and promote vaginal health.
- Probiotics are available as dietary supplements, such as capsules, powders, liquids, and more, in a wide range of strains and quantities.
- Instead of a single strain, these supplements usually contain mixed cultures of living microorganisms.
According to a National Institute of Health (NIH) research released in 2018, probiotics help with immune function, digestion, and nutrient absorption. Another NIH study from 2018 found that probiotics help reduce the incidence or duration of common illnesses, such as respiratory tract and stomach issues.
6 best dietary probiotic supplements for women
Many commercial products containing probiotics are not researched, so it could be difficult to understand whether products are evidence-based and safe to consume.
However, some organizations have thoroughly analyzed the existing information and created recommendations on certain probiotics to use to prevent or treat several health issues.
- ProBiology Gut plus
- ProBiology Gut plus is a good probiotic supplement designed specifically to promote a woman's gut health, vaginal health, and overall well-being.
- It is a great alternative for women of all ages, but it is especially beneficial for women older than 50 years who need a probiotic boost.
- It is available as capsules and each capsule contains four crucial strains of probiotic bacteria that are necessary for women’s gut health and prebiotics.
- Prebiotic fibers act as food for probiotics and help strengthen them. Prebiotic fiber allows probiotics to multiply and improve the gut microbiome (community of microorganisms).
- Gut Feelings Probiotics
- Gut Feelings Probiotics’ pre-and-postbiotic combination boosts immunity and supports the complete gut bacteria's life cycle.
- Daily consumption of this probiotic will help build your gut lining and balance the gut.
- Momotaro Apotheca
- Momotaro Apotheca is a clinically proven probiotic with 25 billion active strains and 10 types of helpful bacteria to regulate the stomach, immune system, and vaginal microbiota.
- Complete probiotic formula by Sakara
- Doctors have formulated this with a combination of 11 distinct strains of probiotics, digestive and systemic enzymes, and prebiotic fiber.
- It focuses on both gut health and immunity.
- Regular usage regulates hormone balance and decreases inflammation.
- Digestive Daily Probiotic by Culturelle
- Culturelle Women's Healthy Balance is designed to support digestive functions and other systems.
- It includes 5 clinically validated strains to safeguard the natural balance of beneficial bacteria and yeast in a woman's body.
- Once Daily Women’s Probiotics by Garden of life
- This probiotic is designed particularly to assist women's health, with a high count and different strains of lactobacilli.
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SLIDESHOW
Foods That Aren't as Healthy as You Think See SlideshowWhat are probiotics?
Probiotics are pills or foods that contain living microorganisms mostly bacteria and yeasts.
- Most of the bacteria included in probiotic supplements are similar to beneficial microorganisms found in the human stomach, which help in digestion and improve health in many ways.
- Most probiotics used today are obtained from fermented foods or from the bacteria that colonize a healthy individual.
- Many microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, viruses, fungus, and protozoa, populate the human gastrointestinal system.
The activity and makeup of gut bacteria are also called microbiota, microbiome, or intestinal microflora that can impact human health and illness. Foods, such as yogurt, nutritional supplements, and goods that are not consumed orally, such as suppositories and skin lotions, are all advertised as probiotics.
Normal gut bacteria, for example, digest food, eliminate disease-causing germs, and generate vitamins. Many microbes exist in and in the body. Microbes outnumber human cells by a factor of 100 to 1.
3 different categories of microorganisms in probiotics
There are several probiotic families, however, most of them fall into one of three categories:
- Lactobacillus
- Lactobacillus is one of the two primary species of bacteria found in probiotics, and it is typically found in fermented foods.
- The vaginal microbiota is similarly dominated by lactobacillus species and strains.
- Bifidobacterium
- Bifidobacterium is an often used probiotic that has been found to survive well in the digestive tract, making it an excellent oral supplement.
- Saccharomyces boulardii
- This strain is more of yeast than a bacterium.
- It is often found in kombucha.
Best Probiotics for Women Over 50: Menopausal Women’s Probiotic Supplements. https://sundial.csun.edu/169140/sundialbrandstudio/sundial-marketplace/best-probiotics-for-women-over-50-menopausal-womens-probiotic-supplements/
What’s the deal with probiotics? https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/whats-the-deal-with-probiotics
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