There are so many choices when it comes to probiotics, so you likely have questions about anything from which products are best for you and your family, what brand you should trust most, and what are the best probiotic strains.
The question of finding the healthiest probiotic strains is one we are passionate about. When we talk about a “strain” of probiotics, we mean a specific bacteria type. It can be intimidating to read a probiotic label and try to interpret what you are seeing.
Even when the probiotics are clearly identified, how can you know which are the healthiest probiotic strains?
Let’s review some of the most popular probiotic strains, and why people benefit from these ones.
One of our biggest recommendations for best probiotic strains has the technical-sounding name of Lactobacillus acidophilus, NAS super strain.
This type of healthy bacteria likes to live on the walls of the small intestine. The benefit to this is that so much of your immune system is controlled by your digestive tract.
Whether your small intestines is lined with good bacteria or bad bacteria can have a significant effect on many aspects of your health. You can find Lactobacillus acidophilus, NAS super strain in our Healthy Trinity, where we guarantee 5 billion colony forming units (cfu) in every capsule.
In addition to living in your small intestine where much of your digestion takes place, Lactobacillus acidophilus can also live in parts of the oral cavity, vaginal tract, and urinary system.
While women are sometimes surprised to learn this, probiotics have the potential to help promote vaginal and urinary health. This is why Lactobacillus acidophilus is also found in Gy-na-Tren. Natren’s Gy-na-Tren is a two-part product that is used as treatment for female health. It includes Lactobacillus acidophilus NAS super strain for oral use, as well as a homeopathic preparation for vaginal insertion.
Megadophilus® is also a great product where you can get access to Lactobacillus acidophilus. Megadophilus is the first step in our custom 3 step process of optimizing your health with Natren products.
Another strain in the same genus as Lactobacillus acidophilus is Lactobacillus bulgaricus. This is also found in our Healthy Trinity, where you get 5 billion cfu of Lactobacillus bulgaricus, LB-51 super strain in each capsule.
Yogurt, which many people think of as a primary source of probiotics, is generally made with bulgaricus. While it is true that yogurt can have health benefits, it is not likely that you can get as many active probiotic bacteria as you want from just eating foods. That is why many of our clients eat yogurt, but also supplement that with products like our Healthy Trinity.
Another great source of Lactobacillus bulgaricus is Digesta-Lac®. This product actually travels through the digestive system with the food you’re eating.
Did you know that you need to continuously replace good bacteria in your digestive tract? Every time your body eliminates waste, you are also losing a vast amount of good bacteria. That’s why it’s so important to find a probiotic routine that allows you to keep the good colonies of bacteria replenished.
We talked about how Lactobacillus acidophilus lives primarily in the small intestine, so let’s look at one of the healthiest probiotic strains that lives in the large intestine: Bifidobacterium bifidum Malyoth super strain.
The bifido bacteria is the second most prominent bacteria group in humans, and according to some researchers, is the most beneficial bacteria we can have in our digestive tracts.
Our large intestine is important for our digestion and overall health because this organ is basically our waste management and disposal system. Digesting food properly to ensure your body stays regular, and getting the most nutrients out of your food, are essential components to feeling healthy.
To optimize the health of the large intestine, you can boost it with specific flora like that in Bifidobacterium bifidum.
One of the best ways to get Bifidobacterium bifidum is through Bifido Factor. This probiotic product is the second step in our custom probiotic system.
Additionally, many clients say their favorite option for its ease and effectiveness is Natren’s Healthy Trinity. The bifidum bacteria plays an important role in the Healthy Trinity supplement, of which you receive 20 billion live, active bifidum bacteria in each serving.
Bifidobacterium is not only good for adults. The best probiotic for healthy infants is called Bifidobacterium infantis.
This delivers good bacteria that is so safe that it can be used on baby’s first day of life. Babies born via a C Section are at particular risk for not having the good bacteria they need.
This is because the birth canal is often a baby’s first source of healthy bacteria from its mom. When a baby is born with a C Section, they are at a disadvantage regarding their bacteria make-up.
Babies have another chance to get healthy bacteria: from breast milk. For newborns who are not breastfed, Bifidobacterium infantis can give them the advantages they are missing out on, in terms of building up a community of healthy bacteria strains.
All healthy babies have the potential to benefit from probiotics, but those who were born with surgery, or who are not breastfed, are even more likely to need this boost. The best probiotic strains for a baby can be found in our Life Start product. Every serving of this supplement gives your baby at least 1 billion colony forming units of Bifidobacterium infantis, NLS super strain.
Beyond understanding the best probiotic strains, a critical decision when choosing probiotics is to find a brand you trust. While many companies say they deliver safe and effective probiotics, Natren’s standards are far higher than others.
Our probiotic strains are microbiologically pure and free from dangerous contaminants. In addition to our excellence in manufacturing our products, we follow rigorous temperature control standards. While this may not seem like a big deal, it is essential for protecting the healthy probiotic strains you are purchasing.
Just as you would never want to buy meat or milk that had been left in a room-temperature environment for days, you would not want probiotics that do not remain in the correct temperature range.
We guarantee the potency of every strain of probiotics at Natren, and are confident you will appreciate the quality and benefit you will get from our products. Learn more here or shop for the best strains of probiotics here.