The state of our gut health can say a lot about us. Everything we do impacts how our gut functions, from how much sleep we get and how stressed we are to how clean and diverse our diets are and whether we exercise enough.
We can do many things to heal and keep our guts healthy. An excellent place to start is ensuring that the environment inside our stomachs and intestines is prepared to digest what we eat and drink efficiently. And that’s where probiotics come into play!
What Are Probiotics?
Probiotics are alive! Yes, you read that right. Probiotics are viable (i.e., live) bacteria and yeasts and, in appropriate amounts, offer certain health benefits. Clinical data shows that probiotics have demonstrated effectiveness in managing and preventing conditions such as:
- Obesity
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
- Hypercholesterolemia
- Atopic Dermatitis (eczema)
- Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea
What Are Prebiotics?
Unlike probiotics, which are living microorganisms, prebiotics are dietary fiber the human body cannot digest. Prebiotics serve as food for helpful gut bacteria and maintain a hospitable environment for probiotics to flourish.
Food sources of prebiotics include:
- Whole Grains
- Soybeans
- Onions
- Leafy Greens
- Garlic
- Bananas
- Artichokes
Food sources containing a combination of prebiotics and probiotics are known as a “symbiotic.” Examples of a symbiotic include:
- Types of Yogurts
- Kefir
- Cheese
What Is the Gut Microbiome?
The insides of your gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) comprise your gut microbiome, an environment housing trillions of microorganisms (i.e., microbes)—a significant range of various bacteria, fungi, and viruses. These microbes, mostly comprised of bacteria, primarily live inside the large intestine.
No two gut microbiomes are the same. Like our genetics, everyone’s gut-microbiome makeup is unique.
Having a diverse and healthy gut microbiome helps our bodies:
- Protect against pathogens
- Gather energy from digested food
- Regulate an efficient immune system
- Enhance our natural protection of the organs in the GI tract
The Importance of the Gut Microbiota Important
The gut microbiota directly and indirectly impacts various bodily functions and conditions. An imbalance between good and bad bacteria has links to conditions such as:
- Celiac Disease,
- Diabetes,
- Malnutrition,
- Obesity, and
- More.
The Link Between Gut Bacteria and Obesity
Generally, a healthy gut microbiome has a diverse population of bacteria. Research indicates a link between a less diverse bacteria population in the gut and a dysfunctional metabolism in overweight and obese bodily measurements.
Excess weight can alter the bacteria in your gut and vice versa. When the bacteria in your gut lack diversity, it can impact various processes and systems in your body, such as:
- Healthy Immune System Functioning
- Energy Regulation (blood sugar regulation)
- Gut Hormone Regulation
Low bacterial diversity can also promote inflammatory responses, further exacerbating health conditions and dysfunctional processes in the body.
Why are Probiotics Important for Bariatric Patients?
Bariatric surgery improves patients’ inflammation and metabolism by altering the GI tract. However, a 2018 clinical trial found that bariatric surgery does not fully recover the decrease in a bariatric patient’s gut bacteria diversity. These results led researchers to conclude that “additional strategies” are needed to improve bariatric patients’ gut microbiome.
More recently, a 2023 meta-analysis concluded that patients undergoing bariatric surgery who take probiotics experienced improvements in their weight, vitamin b12 levels, and food intake, validating the findings from the 2018 clinical trial (aforementioned).
Considerations When Shopping for Probiotics Supplements
When shopping for probiotic supplements, you may notice an unfamiliar unit of measurement: CFUs (i.e., colony-forming units). This measurement tells you the number of viable bacteria cells. Many probiotic supplements contain at least 10 billion CFU per dose.
It’s essential to remember that bacteria are living organisms with lifespans, meaning a probiotic’s CFU count declines over the product's shelf life. The World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO) recommends consumers:
- Select probiotic supplements with labels indicating the total number of CFUs by the expiration or use-by dates. Other brands may also use the language “shelf stable.”
ProCare Health Makes It Easy to Get Your Daily Probiotics
ProCare Health’s once-daily bariatric multivitamins offer a safe, easy, and effective way to supplement your nutritional needs. Our multivitamins are available in several variations, including the:
- Multivitamin + Probiotics | 45mg Iron | Capsule | 60 Count
- Multivitamin + Probiotics | 45mg Iron | Capsule | 180 Count
In addition to providing vital nutrients and vitamins, The Multivitamin + Probiotics capsules contain 15 Billion CFU/gm of shelf-stable probiotics and 25mg of prebiotics, helping bariatric patients avoid malnutrition and vitamin deficiency.
We also offer a stand-alone ProCare Health probiotic.
The Proprietary ProCare Health Probiotic
The 50 Billion CFU Probiotic | Capsule | 30 Count is our patented, 15-strain live culture probiotic that contains a proprietary prebiotic blend, enhancing your gut microbiome and nourishing the product’s live microorganisms.
Using scientific and medical-backed research, we have engineered the ProCare Health probiotic into a delayed-release capsule, ensuring that the 15-strain live culture probiotic reaches your intestines for optimal benefits.
Please watch this informative YouTube video to learn more: ProCare Health’s Probiotic Bariatric Multivitamin.
Keep Your Gut Happy and Healthy with Premium Supplements
An unhappy gut can make life uncomfortable and difficult. That is why healing and preventing damage to the GI tract is crucial.
At ProCare Health, we are dedicated to helping members of the bariatric community achieve their goals. Our safe and effective vitamins and supplements, comprehensive educational resources, and bariatric support group can help individuals from all walks of life find solutions to their daily questions and obstacles.
To learn more about ProCare Health’s products and resources, please visit https://procarenow.com/.
