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Probiotics are all the rage today. These beneficial bacteria are live organisms linked to a number of health benefits including great gut and digestive health, mental clarity, weight loss, and better skin. If you are thinking of using these bacteria to improve your own health and functioning, it is essential to ensure that you are taking the right probiotic supplements that cater to your specific needs. Not all probiotic strains offer the same benefits. Use this handy guide to make your quest easy and effective so you get the results you are looking for, minus the guesswork.

What are probiotics?

Basically, your gut system already has a colony of bacteria at birth. Most of the bacteria in your gut are friendly and beneficial, while some of them do not affect your functioning at all. The beneficial bacteria serve a number of functions such as improving and bolstering your immune system, producing specific vitamins, and converting the fiber content you consume. Taking quality probiotics in the right amounts confers a number of health benefits on you. Different strains of probiotics offer different benefits. Maintaining a healthy gut flora means being in the pink of health and wellbeing. Probiotics can help you get there. However, when you are looking for a probiotic supplement, there are many different options to choose from. There are many brands that offer different ingredients and strains, and come in formats like pills, capsules, powders, and liquids. Know more about your options so you can get the right probiotic to boost your health quickly and effectively.

• • Lactobacillus Acidophilus

Best for: Acne problems, diarrhea, digestive health, vaginal health One of the most widely researched and effective probiotics, L. Acidophilus has been recommended by physicians since the 1920s. This resilient bacterial strain is strong enough to survive passing through the stomach acids so as to colonize in the intestinal area. Studies show that this strain reduces issues pertaining to lactose intolerance and may even reduce the risk of colon cancer. Other than digestive problems, this probiotic strain was found to be particularly effective in cases of inflammatory acne.

• • Lactobacillus Casei

Best for: Gastro-intestinal tract health, improved brain function Studies show that the L. Casei strain is effective in regulating the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, providing digestive support, and reducing the incidence of diarrhea. This strain is also useful for combating the symptoms of mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, thereby improving brain function. Studies also show that along with a significant reduction in depression symptoms, L. Casei caused reduced insulin levels and inflammation.

• • Bifidobacterium Bifidum

Best for: Improved immunity, gastro-intestinal health While your body already has B. Bifidum probiotics, there are multiple things that can reduce the body’s supply, including a bad diet, stress, old age, and antibiotic consumption. Research has found that B. Bifidum helps regulate the immune system and boosts its functioning against infections. After a course of antibiotics, your gut flora deteriorates. Probiotics that have the B. Bifidum strain help in restoring the bacterial balance in your gut, reducing IBS symptoms and the incidence of chronic inflammatory bowel disease.

• • Bifidobacterium Breve

Best for: Anti-aging properties, digestive health Breve is a promising strain as studies have shown its efficacy in combating digestive woes as well as skin ailments. This probiotic strain has immense potential when it comes to preventing sun damage and aging due to UV exposure ensuring that your skin stays happy, healthy, and younger for longer.

• • Lactobacillus Rhamnosus

Best for: Traveler’s diarrhea, antibiotic-related diarrhea, eczema, skin ailments One of the most extensively researched probiotic strains, studies show that this strain is particularly efficient at treating traveler’s diarrhea and diarrhea caused by use of antibiotics. Other studies have found that this strain helps in preventing eczema, especially in children whose mothers take supplemental L. Rhamnosus during pregnancy.

• • Lactobacillus Gasseri

Best for: Weight loss, targeted fat reduction Along with several other Lactobacillus strains, L. Gasseri probiotics have been found to have anti-obesity and weight loss effects. This strain is particularly effective in reducing belly fat, waist and hip size, BMI, and fat around organs. One study showed that supplements with L. Gasseri probiotics boosted belly fat reduction by 8.5%.

• • Maximizing the Effectiveness of Your Probiotic

Probiotic supplements are packed in different formats, and have a variety of delivery methods. It is important to remember that a supplement that is full of inactive probiotics or unprotected strains that simply dissolve in stomach acid will be of no use to you. It is essential to choose a supplement with a delivery system designed to ensure that a higher percentage of bacteria will actually reach your intestines alive and ready to get to work.

• • The LoveBug Advantage

From probiotics designed to battle yeast infections, boost weight loss, improve digestive health, and ensure the good gut flora of expectant mothers to those designed to meet the specific needs of newborns and kids, LoveBug Probiotics offer efficient supplements for people of all ages. Not only do LoveBug Probiotics’ supplements have efficacious and proven strains of beneficial bacteria, they also offer maximum effectiveness, thanks to the patented BIO-tract technology that protects the organisms in the tablet so 60% of them survive the sea of stomach acids as compared to a mere 4% assured by other delivery systems. Other than 10 billion live cultures in each tablet, LoveBug Probiotics have no unnecessary additives like gluten, soy, GMOs, or sugar.

References

Al-Ghazzewi, F.H. and Tester, R.F., 2014. Impact of prebiotics and probiotics on skin health. Beneficial Microbes 5: 99-107. Bowe, W. P., & Logan, A. C. (2011). Acne vulgaris, probiotics and the gut-brain-skin axis - back to the future? Gut Pathogens, 3, 1. http://doi.org/10.1186/1757-4749-3-1. Hanifin JM. Evolving concepts of pathogenesis in atopic dermatitis and other eczemas. J Invest Dermatol. 2009 Feb; 129(2):320-2. Epub 2008 Aug 21. Nutrition. 2016 Mar;32(3):315-20. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2015.09.003. Epub 2015 Sep 28. O'Sullivan DJ. J Agric Food Chem. 2001 Apr; 49(4):1751-60. Reid, G. (1999). The Scientific Basis for Probiotic Strains of Lactobacillus. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 65(9), 3763–3766. Rao, A.V., Bested, A.C., Beaulne, T.M. et al. Gut Pathog (2009) 1: 6. https://doi.org/10.1186/1757-4749-1-6. Wine E, Gareau MG, Johnson-Henry K, Sherman PM. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2009 Nov; 300(1):146-52. Epub 2009 Sep 4.