You’ve likely heard that probiotics can be beneficial to your health, but finding the right one can be intimidating. A simple google search brings up thousands of options, and there’s so much to consider when trying to find a probiotic that checks all your boxes. It gets even more complicated if you’re looking for organic and vegan probiotics. To be sure you have all the information you need to find the best probiotic for you, let’s dive into some of the basics.
What Exactly Are Probiotics?
Generally speaking, probiotic is a term used to refer to any number of friendly microorganisms inside our bodies that may provide various health benefits. These microorganisms are primarily made up of good bacteria. Good bacteria are already present in our bodies, but it’s essential to replace the bacteria that die off through our diets or supplements.
While you may think of bacteria as a bad thing or something that makes you sick, the overwhelming majority of bacteria in our bodies are good. We live in symbiosis with these good bacteria. Their presence helps to keep harmful bacteria, the kind that can make you sick, from flourishing.
Probiotics consist of several types of good bacteria and certain types of yeast. Probiotic supplements are designed to replace and promote these good bacteria and other beneficial microorganisms.
Why Take A Probiotics Supplement?
Probiotic supplements are generally formulated to promote the growth of good bacteria in our guts. By taking a supplement, the aim is to deposit these friendly microorganisms into our digestive tracts.
By ingesting certain good bacteria and yeast, you encourage a balanced microbiome. Our gastrointestinal microbiomes play an essential role in several vital bodily functions. They can affect much more than you’d think. Good bacteria in our stomach and intestines help optimize everything from our digestion and bowel movements to our immune function and mental health.
While probiotics are present in some foods, it can be exceedingly difficult to maintain a healthy gut balance through diet alone. As dairy products are one of the leading sources of probiotic bacteria in modern diets, it can be even more difficult for vegans to maintain a balanced gut through just food sources.
Some vegan foods are high in good bacteria and yeast. Vegans who want to add more probiotic-rich foods into their diets should try adding fermented products such as Kombucha, Kimchi, and Miso. However, it’s still true that a supplement is the fastest and easiest way to help increase the amount, variety, and quality of probiotics we intake daily.
What Should I Look for in a Probiotic Supplement?
There are several factors to consider when trying to find an organic and vegan probiotic that’s right for you. The most common microorganisms used in probiotic supplements are Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces boulardii. The first two being good bacteria, and the latter a type of beneficial yeast.
Look for brands that use these organisms’ raw live strains from organic sources, listing individual strains on their labels. Be sure any supplement you order is certified vegan and that the strains aren’t sourced from dairy products.
Another thing to bear in mind when choosing a probiotic is that they are meant to be delivering live organisms. So it’s very important to read labels for information on stability carefully. Some probiotics need to be refrigerated at all times, leading to short shelf life and making them incompatible with travel.
You may also wish to consider the delivery method. Like most liquid supplements, liquid probiotics have increased bioavailability. That means their easier for our bodies to process. Additionally, pills are often heat-treated during the production process, which can kill off some of the good bacteria before it even gets to your gut.
Now that you understand the benefits of a probiotic supplement and know what you’re looking for, you can find organic and vegan liquid probiotics online directly through a company or third-party retailers like Amazon. Just be sure to do your homework and find a probiotic that’s right for you.