Probiotics: Food or Supplements?

Probiotics are living organisms that can be beneficial to our health when they’re obtained through food or supplements. Some “pros” include fighting off harmful bacteria in the gut, aiding digestion, boosting your immune system, and even reducing symptoms of anxiety!

Many people receive necessary probiotics such as fermented foods with active live cultures, like yogurt or sauerkraut. So how do you know if you are getting enough in your food or if you need to take a probiotic supplement?

While research shows that both probiotic supplements and probiotic foods are beneficial, there are a few reasons someone might choose pill form over changing up their diet:

1. Most Probiotics Are Allergen-Free
   1. Many probiotic-rich foods contain dairy or soy-based ingredients that not everyone can fit into their diet. With many probiotics being free of common allergens, almost everyone can fit this into their diet.

2. Targeted Delivery of Probiotics
   1. If you have a specific health concern you are struggling with, you might want to intake a specific probiotic strain to help you. Research shows that targeted delivery assists in effective delivery at the targeted site¹. This can be determined by proper microbiome testing. 

3. Strain Diversification
   1. The number of strands in a supplement can make all the difference. Foods might only be able to offer up 1-2 whereas some probiotics have many more, sometimes as much as 20 or 30!

4. Lifestyle
   1. Not everyone can say that they eat a variety of probiotic-rich foods every day. If that is you, too, probiotics might be a good choice for you to ensure you’re not missing out!

Supplements should not replace a healthy diet but there are times when it is required. If you’re feeling confused about which probiotic is right for you or are interested in microbiome testing to find out exactly what your gut needs, we can help!

CLICK HERE – https://vwanc.com/discovery-call/ – to schedule a Discovery Call with me! This is a 30-minute no-strings-attached call to get to know each other a bit more. 

¹ Yoha KS, Nida S, Dutta S, Moses JA, Anandharamakrishnan C. Targeted Delivery of Probiotics: Perspectives on Research and Commercialization. Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins. 2022;14(1):15-48. doi:10.1007/s12602-021-09791-7