Supporting your gut health can be the key to fighting off skin conditions, boosting your immune system, improving mood disorders, and even losing weight. Eating foods high in probiotics and taking probiotic supplements can improve your gut health, and may reverse some health problems associated with bacterial imbalances in the GI tract.
The presence of “good” bacteria in the gut is necessary to keep harmful bacteria under control, promote good digestion, and keep the immune system strong. Probiotics help your body absorb essential vitamins and minerals more efficiently, and can even help balance neurotransmitters in your brain that are responsible for controlling your mood — which is why a healthy gut can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.
People who are lacking healthy gut bacteria often struggle with asthma, skin disorders, infections, irritable bowel syndrome, and many other problems that can stem from poor gut health. Could you benefit from probiotics? Here are six signs you may have an intestinal bacterial imbalance.
Leaky gut syndrome is often the root cause of food allergies, which can be treated by improving the amount of beneficial bacteria in the gut. Clinical trials have found that probiotics can even reduce the severity of asthma symptoms, along with medication use. If you suffer from allergies or asthma, try taking probiotics to see if help reduce the severity of your symptoms.
Depression, anxiety, irritability, and other mood disorders can stem from bad gut bacteria, since your gut flora interacts with brain neurotransmitters that control your mood. If you suffer from one or more mood disorders, try taking probiotics along with essential B vitamins that help improve your kidney health, as the kidney also plays a role in mood regulation.
Any bad gut bacteria left behind from a case of food poisoning can grow and overtake your good gut bacteria. Think back to when you last had food poisoning, and ask yourself if you’ve been having digestive problems ever since. If you’ve been suffering constipation, diarrhea, and other bowel-related issues, try taking probiotics to kill off any leftover damaging gut flora.
Antibiotics are the opposite of probiotics, and are designed to kill off all bacteria in the body regardless if it’s “good” or “bad.” If you’ve taken antibiotics, chances are you may need to increase and rebalance the amount of beneficial bacteria in your gut. When taking antibiotics in the future, have probiotics on hand to take afterward so you can rebalance your gut flora immediately.
Lack of healthy gut bacteria can weaken your immune system and make you more susceptible to viruses, infections, and illnesses like the flu, the common cold, and urinary infections. If it seems like you’re always coming down with something or running out of sick days at work, it’s possible you may need probiotics to restore your immune system.
Flushing waste from your body helps you maintain clear, healthy-looking skin, which is why digestive problems are commonly linked to skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis, eczema, hives, and rashes. If you’re having problems managing one or more skin conditions, and topical remedies aren’t working, you may need to work on clearing your skin from the inside out with help from probiotics.
Autism, Candida, and yeast infections are cited as other common health problems linked to poor gut health. If you think you may need probiotics, talk to your doctor about nutrition therapy using probiotics, or try our Suprema Dophilus — a high potency probiotic that contains five billion viable cells per capsule with eight different probiotic strains. This probiotic formula helps support long-term digestive health and may help reduce symptoms of related conditions.
Looking for high-quality vitamins and supplements to help you meet your health goals? Visit the Garcia Weight Loss & Wellness Centers online store to view our selection of diet supplements, easy exchange foods, and skin care formulated with natural mineral and botanical ingredients.