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I know youve heard ofprobioticsthose microorganisms that add to or restore beneficial bacteria to your digestive tract.
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When it comes to probiotics, whats worth trying, and what should you take a pass on?
Gut bacteria and the environment they live in are known as your microbiome.
You may have taken probiotics to make things right again in your gut, as is usually recommended.
When this happens, you might have diarrhea, bloating, or constipation, among other symptoms.
Its pretty clear that probiotics can improve gut health.
Aside from GI issues, however, the research is still in its early stages.
To get a healthy gut, you better feed your microbiome and add more good bacteria to the mix!
To do that, lots of people rely on probiotic supplements or probiotic foods.
But other brands require eight to 20 servings!
“The issue isdoes that do anything beneficial?
As far as I am aware there are no properly controlled studies that demonstrate their effectiveness.”
Check out thislist of foods rich in probiotics.
Always remember, if you heat probiotic food, it kills the active cultures, rendering them useless.
So keep this in mind when yourecookingwith probiotic foods or choosing a probiotic-fortified food.
The research into probiotic supplements is still very limited.
They may also help with symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
However, benefits have not been conclusively demonstrated, and not all probiotics have the same effects."
If youd like to try taking a probiotic supplement, it probably wont hurt you.
The NCCAM says that probiotics are generally safe for healthy people.
Side effects are rare, and are usually limited to mild problems such as gas.
When considering a probiotic supplement, its always important to know your purpose for taking it.
Certain probiotics are effective at treating certain issues.
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