Probiotics have been getting a lot of attention in the media these days.  Billed as the supplement to help “keep you regular” and boost immune function, celebrities like Jamie Lee Curtis and Erin Andrews have been touting the benefits of probiotics for a while now.  So what exactly is a “probiotic” and why do we need them?

In short, probiotics are the beneficial microflora (bacteria) that reside in our GI tracts.  They are important for many reasons, including:

• Displacement of potential pathogenic bacteria like E. coli, H. pylori and C. difficile
• Provide fuel for the cells that line our digestive tracts;
• Help to regulate the pH in the gut;
• Manufacture essential vitamins like B & K;
• Help maintain gut integrity to prevent digested food and proteins from “leaking” into the bloodstream;
• Regulation of immune function to help suppress excessive inflammation;
• Preventative therapy for colon cancer.

Ok, you get the idea: probiotics are pretty darned important for your health…and not just in the GI tract.  That being said, I want to introduce you to one of my favorite probiotic formulations on the market: ProSynbiotic by Standard Process.

ProSynbiotic is a brilliant formulation that contains several different strains of probiotics as well as a “prebiotic” – the food that probiotics like to eat so they can multiply.  This is a supplement that I take on a daily basis and in my experience, it has been effective at treating issues like loose stool, undigested food in the stool, constipation, mood swings, allergies and skin rashes.  For more information on this amazing probiotic supplement, check out the product detail sheet by clicking here.