(BPT) – According to super bug warrior and probiotic guru Heather Holmes, the human body naturally contains trillions of both good and bad bacteria that must stay in balance for optimal health; but this balance is fragile and often disrupted by changes in environment and/or routine, diet, oral antibiotics, a woman’s period or sex. Good probiotic bacteria, however, introduced through foods, supplements and environmental cleaning products, can keep your digestive tract and everything around you truly clean, healthy and safe. In other words, probiotics are beneficial both inside the body (internal) and outside the body (external).
External probiotics: Healthy for you, your home, your baby and your pets
Did you know that there are now natural probiotic cleaning solutions to keep bad bacteria in check? P2 Probiotic Power is a line of food-grade, non-GMO, chemical-free probiotic products that create a barrier against bad bacteria, killing germy invaders and keeping them away permanently by safely cleaning and protecting teeth, skin, hands, air, kitchen and bathroom surfaces, hotel rooms, airplane trays, air vents and pets. Countertops, cutting boards, washing machines, your pet’s water bowl, and baby rattles all harbor loads of bad bacteria. Failing to add beneficial probiotics into your home environment can leave you and your household vulnerable to bad bacteria that can cause illness. Bleach, disinfectants and anti-bacterial products can actually cause bad bacteria to strengthen and multiply!
Internal probiotics
The two most common strains of internal probiotics, lactobacillus and bifodobacterium, live in the digestive system, urinary system and genitalia. They help send food through your gut, absorb nutrients, and protect the body against potentially harmful invasions by bad bacteria. These beneficial probiotic strains can be found in fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kombucha, kimchi and pickles, to name a few. While probiotics are often prescribed for problems or the overall health of the digestive system, they’re capable of much more – benefiting other areas of the body and our external environment.
Digestion
More than 100 million Americans suffer from issues related to their gut or GI tract, such as constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating, nausea or abdominal discomfort. In fact, overgrowth of bad bacteria in your gut has also been linked to obesity and even depression. Actually, most of your body’s immune cells (70 to 80 percent) are located in your gut, so it’s to your benefit to consider probiotic options that may help you ease a particular condition. Since gut health plays an important role in our overall wellness, taking a supplement like vitafusion Probiotic helps to provide good bacteria to the digestive tract.
Digestive health for kids
There are even probiotics to help support your little one’s digestive system. One serving of L’il Critters Probiotic combines 1 billion CFUs (colony-forming units) with a prebiotic to support digestive health by delivering good bacteria to the digestive tract – in a gummy that you will have no problem getting kids to enjoy.
Vaginal health
Women have tried various lactobacillus supplements (i.e. acidophilus) and even yogurt in an effort to help with vaginal issues. But the bacteria found in yogurt for digestion and immunity will not help maintain good vaginal health. RepHresh Pro-B is a tiny, once-daily supplement that balances yeast and bacteria and maintains healthy vaginal flora by delivering two of the most beneficial and clinically documented probiotic strains specific to the vagina, Rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus Reuteri RC-14. When yeast and bacteria are in balance, beneficial bacteria thrive, and yeast and harmful bacteria are unable to take control. A vaginal probiotic like Pro-B keeps the vaginal flora healthy every day.
There are many new probiotic options, so remember, good probiotic bacteria play an important role in your health, both internally and externally.
Entrepreneur and Healthcare Expert, Heather Holmes, is dedicated to microbiome and probiotic research.
