If probiotics have such potentially strong benefits, why is there so much mixed information on the internet?
One day you may hear about how effective probiotics are in optimizing digestion, and the next day you’re reading a warning about the dangers of probiotics.
For instance, recently people have asked us about soil-based probiotics’ side effects. We’re happy to address this question, because the answer is a reflection of everything we believe about the benefits of - and problems with - probiotics.
A primary difference between benefitting from probiotics and causing harm to yourself or your family is a critical question: it comes down to quality and safety.
Regulation of Probiotics by the FDA
You may expect that since products have oversight by the government, that if you see a supplement on the shelf, it has been deemed safe by a trustworthy body.
But let’s look at the problem with that assumption. The FDA - or Food and Drug Administration - is responsible for monitoring many items from groceries to pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
Some of their oversight is particularly strict, and other parts are limited. Probiotics fall under the dietary supplement category, and this is loosely regulated by the FDA.
The danger of this laxity is that it makes it much easier for unsafe and unverified products to get into the hands of well-meaning consumers.
Without the FDA strictly monitoring what goes into probiotics, how they’re manufactured, and how they are shipped - it is almost impossible to be sure you are getting safe and effective probiotics.
Soil Based Probiotics & Side Effects
It may be hard to imagine that one of the issues with dangerous probiotics involves soil. We usually think of soil as a foundation of gardening, not something we would ingest for our health.
The issue is that there are some bacteria spores, often soil bacteria, that certain probiotic companies include in their supplements.
Why would they use soil-based bacteria? They tout health benefits - something we all hope to get from our probiotics. While that may sound good, our Founder and her team of highly experienced scientists warn of major concerns. Soil-based bacteria, they say, have dubious safety records for human consumption.
A primary concern with soil-based probiotics, and the reasons for soil-based probiotic side effects, are that these bacteria are not naturally found in the human body.
Introducing bacteria that are not meant to be in the human body, into probiotic supplements, is a very risky proposition.
At Natren, we prioritize the highest level of safety for every member of your family, and we would never put your health at risk with soil-based probiotics.
Soil Based Probiotic Side Effect: Competition with our Good Bacteria
There is a certain amount of room in your digestive tract where bacteria can live. This means that any space taken up by potentially harmful bacteria is also taking away from room for good bacteria to live.
By consuming supplements with soil-based probiotics, you allow those bacteria to take up residence in your gut.
Instead, you are far better off by introducing and sustaining bacteria that are known for their health and safety profiles.
At Natren, we choose our bacteria with the utmost of care, and we guarantee the amount of every strain of good bacteria in each of our products.
A great place to start learning about what sets apart Natren probiotics is this article about 10 reasons you can feel good about choosing our products.
The Danger of Probiotic Cocktail Mixes
One concern we have at Natren, related to soil-based probiotics as well as a range of other probiotics, is the concept of probiotic cocktail mixes. There is a time and a place for putting together ‘a little bit of this’ and ‘a little bit of that’.
For instance, when we’re cooking, sometimes the best recipes come out of experimentation with seasoning. However, this is absolutely not a good idea when it comes to probiotics. Probiotics, in the wrong hands, can have incredibly serious side effects. There is no room for lack of rigor and exact science with any probiotics.
When you take a mix of probiotic species and strains, you risk ingesting a wide variation of products. Companies advertising these probiotic cocktail mixes are not required to have consistency from one batch of probiotics to the next - which is far too risky when we’re talking about a product that can have a profound effect on your health.
Probiotic side effects from unsafe and inconsistent products can include serious illness and the potential to interfere with the medications you take.
Probiotics That Are Safe and Effective
After hearing about the side effects of soil-based probiotics, the dangers of ‘cocktails’ of probiotics, and the lack of oversight, it’s easy to want to give up on probiotics altogether.
What’s important to know is that you CAN get safe and effective probiotics for yourself, your children, and even your pets. The most essential choice you can make when buying probiotics is what company to trust.
Our Founder and her team are proud to say that for over 37 years, Natren probiotics have served the health of thousands of people, and we have no evidence that our products have ever had an undesired effect on anyone. From inception until today, our team has relentlessly pursued - and attained - excellence in probiotics.
Good probiotics can help optimize digestion and have the potential to strengthen the gut microbiome, which is recognized as the foundation of our immune systems. Many people find that trusted probiotics are central to their healthy routines. However, untrusted probiotics are inconsistent, untrustworthy, dangerous, and have many potential side effects.
Natren researches, formulates and manufactures its own probiotic bacteria in a pharmaceutical grade facility to ensure safety and efficacy for each bottle of probiotic bacteria we sell.
As our Founder, Natasha Trenev says, “Buyer beware! Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to choosing a probiotic supplement you can trust.” You can learn more about our probiotics and our commitment to safety and excellence at natren.myshopify.com
