probiotics page

[primalrob]

i'm about to run out of acidophilus at home, so i went out today to get some more. normally, i just pick up something at a drug store, but today i went to a heath store and saw that there are tons of options for probiotics. i picked up something called PB 8 by Nutrition Now, and spend about $20, which seemed to the low end of prices.
so, i was wondering what kind of probiotics others are taking, if brand matters, and if anyone knows about some more affordable options.

[Jadebb1]

I really like Garden of Life Primal Defense and Dr. Ohira's (Im not sure I spelled that right). They are quite expensive (both) but quality IS everything in your probiotics. I have taken some that do not work at all (Phillip's Colon Health (pooey!). You should rotate your probiotics, as you want to get the most strains you can. I tried PB8, didn't notice much of a difference but do with the above (everybody's different).

My husband usually gets sick this time of year and everyone - EVERYONE - I have been in contact with has been sick. It's a miracle neither of us has come down with anything at all - we work with people everyday. I give credit to the probiotics!

I notice a difference digestive wise too (that's pretty much my big way to tell if they are working or not, not just by not getting sick).

Good luck - hope this helps.

Last thing I want to say - even though they are expensive, it costs a lot less than a doctor's visit.....right?.....food for thought.

[AndreaReina]

What exactly do you mean by seeing a difference in your digestion? I'm trying to figure out a way to (like you) judge the efficacy of probiotics (and other supplements). I don't often get sick though, so that metric won't exactly work.

[john_e_turner_ii]

Yes, what do probiotics really do for you? I have heard a lot about them, but wasn't sure if they were worth taking.

[AndreaReina]

The idea is that they help repopulate the gut's stock of "good" bacteria so that they can out-compete the "bad" bacteria. Our natural balance can get thrown out of whack by eating the wrong foods, antibiotics (either doctor-prescribed or in our meat), stress, food poisoning, etc.

[john_e_turner_ii]

What is an ideal dosage? My wife recently bought PB8, by Nutrition Now, which says it has 14 billion good bacteria.

[Balance]

I take Jarrow Dophilus. It has 5 billion live organisms. 1 pill per day for me but I hear some people take more depending on how unhealthy their gut is. I believe that 5 bil per day is more of a maintenance level. I do much better with the Jarrow Dophilus (bought it from Whole Foods) compared to the other ones I have tried before by Nature Made and Origin. I haven't had any gut issues for about a year so I am pretty happy with it.

[Suse]

I take probiotics intermittently but definitely kick up the levels if I've had to have antibiotics, or if I've had a stomach upset, and always if I've been naughty and indulged in too much bread Am currently trialling Healthy Origins with has 30billion CFU's, with 8 different probiotic strains...

[breadsauce]

I don't take any probiotics. When I first started primal, I bought into this and took loads - no difference to my IBS so after a few months I stopped. And - no difference. I will try to make sauerkraut when the weather improves a little (cold kitchen syndrome!)

Also - the Jack Lallane saying "if man made it, don't eat it". Someone sure made the probiotic pills - and is getting rich flogging them. I'm sure Grok didn't pop pills.

[john_e_turner_ii]

I don't take any probiotics. When I first started primal, I bought into this and took loads - no difference to my IBS so after a few months I stopped. And - no difference. I will try to make sauerkraut when the weather improves a little (cold kitchen syndrome!)

Also - the Jack Lallane saying "if man made it, don't eat it". Someone sure made the probiotic pills - and is getting rich flogging them. I'm sure Grok didn't pop pills.

Very true about what Jack said. We PB followers seem to take a lot of supplements even though Grok didn't, nor did most of our grandparents or ancestors going back past about 100 years. I am starting to wonder if it's all just placebo effect. I don't think there have been many studies to show with any direct conclusion that they lengthen or lives or improve them. Still, here I go this morning popping my fish oil caps, vitamin D, B12, mutlivitamin, etc... I am programmed to believe it must help.