What Are Probiotics & 6 Ways They Can Help You

You’ve seen them on yogurt containers. You’ve heard about them on your favorite Instagram health profiles. You’ve seen them on the shelves near other supplements. You might have even heard about them from your doctor – and if those clues led you to probiotics, you’re right! In the last few years, probiotics have soared in popularity and with good reason: they are a key component of digestive health. If you’re wondering exactly what they are and how they work, read on to get your questions answered – then find out some of the surprising things they do that you might not know about yet.

What are probiotics? 

Probiotics are living microorganisms with health benefits, such as bacteria and yeasts. 

Although many of us associate the word “bacteria” with something bad, your body contains trillions of good bacteria that are essential to health. Probiotics live inside of the gut microbiome – or “the forgotten organ” as some call it – which is a whole ecosystem of bacteria that perform many important functions in your digestive tract. 

There is not one kind of bacteria that make up probiotics, but many. These bacteria are totally personalized to you based on many factors that start from birth and evolve as you grow up – and as an adult, you can maintain their presence with food, supplements, and your lifestyle. 

Six benefits of probiotics 

Probiotics are a diverse community, and their main job is to keep your body in balance. They don’t accomplish this through one action, but many actions that target many systems throughout your body. Here are some of the main benefits of probiotics and what they do. 

Probiotics balance digestive system bacteria – An imbalance of this bacteria occurs when the impact of bad bacteria outweighs good bacteria. This can happen due to several factors, such as taking certain medications, certain conditions, or lifestyle factors. Probiotics can help restore levels of good bacteria in the gut. 

Probiotics can help inhibit gastrointestinal discomfort – Let’s just say it… Nobody likes to talk about diarrhea, but it happens, especially while traveling or taking antibiotics. Many studies have shown that probiotics help reduce diarrhea induced by antibiotics and other events. 

Probiotics support immune response – Many immune system cells are located in your gut. The microbes in your gut train help the immune system to know if incoming organisms are harmful or friendly. Because of this, your immune system can also work to ward off bad bacteria. 

Probiotics may improve mental outlook – Recent research is showing a promising link between probiotics, gut health, and mental health.   

Similarly, probiotics may also assist with skin health – Although most of this research is very new and still developing, promising research connecting probiotics and skin issues has been published. 

Probiotics may increase nutrient absorption – Gut bacteria help break down substances your body cannot. They also help break down nutrients that are difficult, such as protein. This process assists with improving protein absorption.

How to use probiotics

Probiotics can be taken like other supplements, but because they are living organisms, there are a few more precautions necessary to help maintain their integrity. 

Take probiotics with filtered water and avoid mixing probiotics with chlorinated water. Chlorine is added to many public water systems and could impact the efficiency of your probiotic. 

Choose a probiotic supplement with multiple bacteria strains to increase efficiency. 

Know that more is not necessarily better when it comes to CFUs, or colony forming units. The average adult usually only requires 10-20 billion CFUs to maintain gut health; however, you should always speak to your doctor before trying any supplement. 

Store probiotics in a cool, dry place away from heat and moisture. Heat and moisture kill living microorganisms quickly, reducing the effectiveness of probiotics, or even making them completely ineffective. Refrigerating probiotics can help maintain their integrity. 

Make sure your probiotic supplement does not contain unnecessary added ingredients, like sugar, fillers, and preservatives. 

How long does it take for probiotics to work?

The bottom line: you may feel the benefits of probiotics anywhere from a few days to several months. It all depends on why you are taking probiotics and the current condition of your digestive system and overall health. However, your personal physician might be able to pinpoint an accurate time period for results and help you create a plan for taking your probiotics effectively. 

Give yourself some Gut Love!

Want to try probiotics? Try Teami Gut Love! Our powder supplement contains prebiotics and probiotics – 20 billion probiotics in seven different strains! Most other supplement formulas only contain one or two strains. 

How to use Gut Love: 

• Choose your flavor: Unflavored or Triple Berry
• Mix one scoop into your Teami Tumbler or into your smoothie
• Take with a meal as suggested, or when it’s convenient for you 

Gut Love is made with everyone in mind – it’s vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, dairy/soy-free, sugar-free, corn-free, and contains NO binders. And since it’s a powder, you never have to worry about swallowing bulky pills that don’t taste good! 

If you didn’t already know it, your gut is pretty incredible! If you can imagine an entire community working hard to keep you vibrant daily, that is exactly what the bacteria in your gut are doing right now. Now, we want to see Gut Love in action. Grab your tub of Gut Love, and show us how you’re using it on Instagram! And don’t forget to tag us with the hashtag #thankyouteami when you show off that happy selfie!