Small Steps, Sensible Choices, Superior Health.
Do you know when to take probiotics?
Many of us don't recognize the signs and symptoms indicating the need for probiotics.
Here are some possible reasons to help you figure out when to take probiotics:
You might now be thinking, not sure that helped....I'm so confused on when to take probiotics? I understand how you feel, read on and I'll try to clear things up a bit.
Some basic probiotic facts:
Did you know that about 85% of your immune system is determined by the health of your intestinal system?
I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. Staying healthy depends on how well your body maintains that delicate balance of good to bad bacteria.
When we eat too much of the wrong foods, like sugar, it feeds the bad bacteria. This then alters that delicate balance of flora in the gut.
This can cause all kinds of symptoms like rashes, itching, fungal nails, yeast infections.
Certain medications also upset the balance causing any number of symptoms.
Quite frankly, so many things, even stress can cause problems in the gut.
If you're still confused on when to take probiotics? Don't be, the answer for most people is to simply take them everyday.
It's best to get your probiotics in foods. Below I will have some links to help you find or make probiotic rich foods.
It's good to start your children off on these foods. Probiotics are generally not harmful to babies or children.
Until you get to that point, you might want to take a good quality probiotic supplement daily.
Specifically, it is best to take them on an empty stomach, either at night or in between meals.
To make things simple, I've included a short questionnaire (below)developed by Steven Horne, an expert in natural health. It should help you decide when to take probiotics.
To find out if you need a probiotic supplement to rebuild your friendly flora, answer this short questionnaire.
Check the answer that best applies to you for each of the following questions.
Then, score the total number of points for each answer at the bottom of the page.
Have you ever taken antibiotics?
How many bowel movements do you generally have?
How often do you eat foods that contain probiotics with live bacterial cultures, or fermented foods with live bacterial cultures?
Do you suffer from yeast or fungal infections of any kind (athlete’s foot, toenail fungus, vaginal yeast infections, etc.)?
Do you primarily drink chlorinated (tap) water?
Total Your Points Here _____
Interpreting Your Results:
If you do need to take probiotics, there are a number of links below (Additional Resources) that can help you get further information on the right for you.
How to Choose and Take Probiotics
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