If you’ve been present on this planet for the past few years chances are you’ve heard
the buzz about probiotics. As a Certified Nutritionist, probiotics and gut health have been on my radar for years...
So what’s the big deal anyway?
What exactly is gut health, how might it correlate with weight-loss, and why the heck is it so darn important?
These questions got my inner science nerd going and I knew I just had to do some research.
But before we get into what probiotics are and what they do, let’s chat a little bit about your gut.
Gut Health = What It Means
We’ve all heard the term “gut health” but do you understand what that even means or why it should matter to us?
Our bodies are full of trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi known collectively as our microbiome. Many of our bodily microbes are found inside our skin and intestines. We have up to 1,000 different species of bacteria in our gut alone! Each of these species of bacteria play a specific roll in our overall health.
Our microbiome has been found to affect our mood, mental health, skin health and immune system. It has also been linked to preventing autoimmune diseases, endocrine disorders and cancer. And, the impact of our microbiome on our overall health starts at birth!
Texas Children’s Hospital, The School of Microbiology at the University College Cork in Ireland and The Wallenberg Laboratory in Sweden all conducted studies that investigated the effects of gut microbiome during pregnancy.
Each study concluded that our bodies are exposed to microbes as we pass through the birth canal as well as inside the womb. So – to my mamas out there – You will pass on your gut health to your little ones!
Gut Health And Weight Loss
Now that we know a little more about our gut microbiome, let's talk about how our gut health affects weight-loss.
Although we have thousands of healthy bacteria in our guts, we can also have just as many (if not more) unhealthy bacteria.
Having an unhealthy balance between the good and bad bacteria, where the bad bacteria outweighs the good (a condition known as gut dysbiosis), can cause a number of health challenges, including suboptimal weight management.
Case in point: Individuals that are overweight have been found to have completely different gut bacteria than those who are lean.
A study conducted by the Center for Genome Sciences at Washington University School of
Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri researched the gut microbiome of identical twins – one
who was obese and one who had a healthy body fat index.
The study found that, although the microbiomes of each twin looked different, those differences were not a result of anything genetic. Translation: Obesity is a result of lifestyle..
In the second part of the study, the gut microbiome from the obese twin and the lean twin were transferred to two separate groups of mice. The mice with the obese gut microbiome gained significantly more weight than the mice who received the lean twin’s microbiome, despite both groups having the exact same diet!
Supporting Your Gut Health
Without a diverse and healthy amount of good bacteria in your gut, you’re vulnerable to a whole host of health challenges.
Fortunately, probiotics – supplements that supply different variations (strains) of beneficial bacteria – have long been touted as one of the best tools we have to help balance our gut microbiome and support our immune system.
But not all probiotics are created equal.
In fact, over 99% of probiotic products on the market, including yogurts and kombucha, have one conspicuously glaring issue: They’re completely ineffective.
You see, for a probiotic to work, it has to survive the journey from your mouth to your intestines.
The vast majority of probiotic products aren’t built for this journey. They’re “dead on arrival” when they hit your gut, making it all but impossible for them to have any impact
Even the “live” probiotics in the refrigerated section are ineffective. Think about it… if your probiotic needs to be refrigerated, how can it possibly survive your body heat, let alone the harsh acid inside your digestive tract?... It can’t.
With so many ineffective probiotics on the market, one can only wonder:
How can I spot a truly effective probiotic supplement?
Here’s a pro tip:
Look on the label for BACILLUS strains!
Bacillus is a spore-based probiotic uniquely designed (by nature) to survive the harsh environment of your digestive system and arrive 100% alive in your intestines.
One very important Bacillus strain that absolutely needs to be included in your probiotic is Bacillus Indicus HU36®.
When this bacterial powerhouse arrives fully intact in your intestines, one of its chief functions is to produce antioxidants.
Antioxidants are critical to your overall well being as they protect the body from the daily onslaught of harmful and toxic chemicals and compounds.
Bacillus Indicus HU36® helps turn your gut into a super-antioxidant factory. And your digestive system is the site where these important nutrients are most needed (and most absorbed!)
This is incredibly beneficial because maintaining high levels of antioxidants in the body has been linked to lower incidences of major health issues.
My Favorite Probiotic Supplement
Over the years I’ve personally tried many different probiotics, from the most expensive brands to the cheap stuff. After years of searching I came across Just Thrive Probiotic and decided to do some research and give them a try.
While researching I discovered that the Just Thrive Probiotic contains a proprietary strain of the Bacillus Indicus HU36®. The spores in this probiotic have successfully enhanced digestive health for over 50 years!
And check this out:
Just Thrive Probiotic spore strains have even been clinically proven to start heal leaky gut within
a 30 day period! (check out the study here)
The benefits of taking Just Thrive Probiotic is second to none. For several years I struggled with
my weight loss after competing in bodybuilding due to having an unaligned gut. It wasn’t until I
strengthened my gut microbiome through the use of probiotics that I started to see and feel the
benefits of my healthy and active lifestyle.
Now, as a mama to be, I am taking extra care of my gut health in order to pass a healthy microbiome to my little one. Our guts do more than just help us digest food. They lay deep roots across every aspect of our overall health. At the end of the day, in order to be the happiest, healthiest version of yourself, you have to take charge of your gut health.
