To Probiotic or Not Probiotic, that is the Question

I get asked all the time about probiotics, if you should take them, and if so, which one is best.

Here’s what I usually recommend, if you eat a diversified diet, meaning plenty of fruits, vegetables with plenty of fiber (think eating the rainbow of fruits and vegetables) you really don’t need a probiotic.

But if you are like, I really want to take one, then I recommend this:

• A Probiotic with at least 15 billion CFUs

• Bifidobacterium Probiotic Strains with at least 10 billion CFUs

• Saccharomyces boulardii with at least 5 billion CFUs

 – Saccharomyces boulardii > nonpathogenic, probiotic yeast; protects the intestinal epithelial cells and supports intestinal barrier function and directly inhibits colonization of harmful bacteria. I recommend this probiotic whenever anyone is put on an antibiotic to prevent killing off all the good bacteria and leaving room for overgrowth of yeast.

Don’t forget about prebiotics, again you can get these from foods as well, some examples include onions, garlic, and bananas.

If you would like a more specific high-quality probiotic recommendation, reach out to me I can send you a recommendation from my Full Script Dispensary where you will save 10% on all supplement recommendations.

In most cases, I prefer to test and not guess. Recommending probiotics and certain strains can make existing GI issues worse, so it’s best to work closely with a healthcare professional like myself, if you have underlying GI issues or disorders. We can run a stool analysis which is a useful functional test to determine what is going on and which probiotic strains would be most beneficial in your case.

Disclaimer: Always to speak with a healthcare provider before taking any supplements to make sure they’re safe for you and your health conditions and they don’t interact with any prescription medications you may be on.