atozmom Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 I am looking for a really good probiotic for myself and the kids (12 and 20). Any recommendations? Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Peregrine Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 Florastor. Costco has the best price I've found. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matrips Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 We've always used florastor. Not as a daily though, just when someone is on antibiotics or has stomach issues Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmseB Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 This is second hand information and I am not a doctor, but a family member has had extensive GI issues over the years and her GI doc has recommended Kefir as the best absorbable source of probiotics, even recommending it over supplements. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasperstone Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 http://www.natren.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=N This is the best, I have found. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 My rheumatologist specifically recommends Align. According to her, many probiotic pills contain strains that actually "fight" or "eat" each other. Align apparently has only probiotic strains that work well together. (FWIW she also recommended that I take s boulardii for post-C diff health, but to take it at a different time of day than I take Align.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 I think it depends on the individual situation. For example, my understanding is that Florastor (the yeast S. boulardii, which isn't a bacteria) does not really colonize the gut. It is good for killing certain types of bacteria, notably c. diff, and good for situations involving diarrhea. Perhaps it helps certain people create the right environment for other microbes to do well. (S. boulardii exacerbated gut problems for my ds. He tends toward constipation.) Culturelle may be better for individuals tending toward constipation. Align may be better for those with anxiety issues. Some people may do better with higher dose probiotics (e.g. VSL) or with a mixture. Some people may do better with more lactobacillus species, others with more bifido species, and others with an even mixture. Some people do worse with acidophilus specifically. Some people may do best by rotating different ones on different days. One of my more recent purchases is L. plantarum - it might be one of those types that does not colonize in the long term but helps other microbes (I can't remember off-hand). For me personally, I prefer kefir; the kids like the Lifeway flavored stuff. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonsong Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 Garden of life raw probiotic It has 34 strains and it is 100 billion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atozmom Posted November 15, 2015 Author Share Posted November 15, 2015 Thank you ladies! I will look into all of the suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 We've got kombucha going at the moment. Made with the Dilmah Rose and French Vanilla, it's reallllly good! :drool5: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Align may be better for those with anxiety issues. Do you know why? Can you suggest a website (or book) for reading about how the different types of probiotics work for different situations? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 I've been told it needs to be refrigerated to be of any utility. So when we need it, we get the jarrow from Whole Foods. But my kids eat yogurt everyday, I drink a kefir drink I concoct for myself everyday and I sneak kefir into DHs diet via a smoothie or cream soup or some such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderfilled Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 The probiotic that I've seen the best results from is ProBio5. It contains a lot of great ingredients including enzymes to help break down yeast and grape seed extract which is a potent anti-viral and anti-bacterial. The "friendly bacteria" in them is packaged in such a way to reach their intended destination in the digestive tract where they can do the most good, so even if the potency isn't as high as some others they really work. I have really seen a lot of family members helped through it with various issues, including my husband (cleared up issues with milk allergies and ear infections). The price is pretty reasonable, too. I'd be happy to provide additional information about the ingredients, what each of them do, and why I think it's the best if anyone would like. You can buy it here http://shopmyplexus.com/paulk/products/probio5.html. (I am an ambassador for Plexus, but the reason I am is that I truly believe in their products and we use them ourselves.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 Do you know why? Can you suggest a website (or book) for reading about how the different types of probiotics work for different situations? Thanks. Sorry I just saw this... I wish I had a resource for you. Mostly, I picked up those ideas from our various doctors (including some naturopathic ones) and random anecdotes. The widely-available brand name ones that are sold by major chains are more likely to have studies associated with them, though it helps to have an idea of the strain(s) in the brand name (e.g. Align is a particular type of B. infantis); if there's a particular issue you're dealing with, it might be worth a pubmed search. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 I'm really intrigued by a possible link between gut and anxiety. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laundrycrisis Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 Schiff Digestive Advantage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 I am looking for a really good probiotic for myself and the kids (12 and 20). Any recommendations? Thanks!! I would avoid any drugstore or widely advertised brand. I like UltraFlora Balance. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderfilled Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 I'm really intrigued by a possible link between gut and anxiety. You might be interested in this article about gut health and anxiety. I didn't realize there was a connection either, but I know some friends that have been helped by a good pro-biotic. http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/21/4595712/gut-feelings-the-future-of-psychiatry-may-be-inside-your-stomach 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 You might be interested in this article about gut health and anxiety. I didn't realize there was a connection either, but I know some friends that have been helped by a good pro-biotic. http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/21/4595712/gut-feelings-the-future-of-psychiatry-may-be-inside-your-stomach Thanks for the link! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarfoot Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 Has anyone seen a probiotic that doesn't contain lactobacillus? After some extensive testing, I need to make a few changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 (edited) Has anyone seen a probiotic that doesn't contain lactobacillus? After some extensive testing, I need to make a few changes. There are some with individual bifido strains such as Align (B. infantis). You might poke around at Klaire and at your local natural food/vitamin store. There are also SBOs (soil-based probiotics) such as this. Edited November 25, 2015 by wapiti 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 You might be interested in this article about gut health and anxiety. I didn't realize there was a connection either, but I know some friends that have been helped by a good pro-biotic. http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/21/4595712/gut-feelings-the-future-of-psychiatry-may-be-inside-your-stomach I wound up in the hospital in 2004, mostly because they didn't know what was wrong with me and kept me there for tests. While it turned out to be not serious, I was diagnosed with both GERD and IBS. It was around the time my panic attacks were happening as well and I was put on anxiety meds. The Gastroenterologist I saw at that time (a well respected one in my city) said he often sees gut problems come with anxiety and vice versa. Once I was diagnosed I realized I probably had some form of anxiety most of my life. As a kid I would get stomach problems when stressed. If something was going on at school I'd complain of a stomach ache, which the adults in my life thought was my way of trying to get out of school. Back then they used to call it a "nervous stomach". It's not quite clear what the connection is between gut issues and anxiety, but more and more studies are showing that a connection exists. I've been unofficially following this thread because I can't bring myself to eat yogurt every day, don't like kefir (it tastes like buttermilk to me, which I don't like except when used in cooking), won't touch kombucha, and just don't like enough fermented foods to get probiotics through my diet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 I've had good results with Probonix. It has 12 different strains, undergoes a lot of laboratory testing, and claims to have a secret for getting the good bacteria past the stomach juices and into the intestines. It seems to live up to it's claims as I noticed a difference within a few days (and haven't had that type of positive response from other probiotics). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarfoot Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 There are some with individual bifido strains such as Align (B. infantis). You might poke around at Klaire and at your local natural food/vitamin store. There are also SBOs (soil-based probiotics) such as this. Thank you! I've been trying for the last few days, and every single one I've come across has had several strains of lactobacillus as the first ingredients. You're awesome! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 I've been unofficially following this thread because I can't bring myself to eat yogurt every day, don't like kefir (it tastes like buttermilk to me, which I don't like except when used in cooking), won't touch kombucha, and just don't like enough fermented foods to get probiotics through my diet. DH cannot abide kefir or yogurt either (and owing to an inflammatory disease, he needs them even more than the rest of us)--but he will take them in smoothies and various "cream" soups (leek potato soup is the favorite here, but any cream soups really). I feel like kefir blends in well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atozmom Posted December 2, 2015 Author Share Posted December 2, 2015 Thank you again to all who posted in response to my question and to those that asked additional questions. So much good information here. I have a lot more to research now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderfilled Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 (edited) NM Edited June 19, 2019 by wonderfilled Changed my mind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.