Probiotic Supplements: Which Are The Best?

Stress, bad food, and just the every day rat race of life can really throw your digestive system into an uproar and cause no end of health related issues. Gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, flare up of IBS symptoms, Crohn's disease, and a host of other gastrointestinal upsets. When the flora of your intestinal tract is disturbed and the balance upset, then disease happens. In order to make sure that the flora in your colon and intestines stays healthy and happy you need to add probiotic supplements and/or probiotic foods to your diet. The word "probiotic" means "for life." Simply put, Probiotics are good bacteria that are designed by nature to provide a multitude of health benefits and are essential for a great many body functions, not just healthy digestion. As a child most of the bacteria in your digestive system were good bacteria called Bifidobacteria. As one grows up and matures most of these good bacteria become diminished or disappear entirely from the body, which is where supplements come in.

Probiotic supplements are an easy, and in many cases, more favored way of getting and keeping your digestive tract happy and healthy. With the upswing in health awareness, many companies have found a rather lucrative niche by making probiotic supplements available in a variety of forms-everything from “pearls” to wafers and powders. With hundreds of brands on the market, finding a form that suits anyone is easy. However, with so many brands out there, it might be a bit more difficult to decide which brand is right for you. While some brands offer only one or two types of probiotics in the design of their product others offer several types of probiotics all in one easy to take capsule, “pearl”, powder, etc. Here are several brands that have the highest consumer rating in the field.

One of the most popular of these probiotic supplements is Align. Align puts back the good bacteria into your digestive system. One of these most beneficial bacterium is called Bifantis. Align offers this much needed bacterium into your system to help get your digestive tract back on track. Align has been a quite consistent top ten ranking product with consumers for performance and reliability often coming in at number 1 or 2 position in site polls.

Align Digestive Care Probiotic Supplement, 28-Count List Price: $30.03 Sale Price: $19.89 Average Rating:

Enzymatic Therapy's acidophilus Pearls have also received a number 1 or 2 standing in site polls and consumer testing. The easy to use and swallow pearl form offers the strain of beneficial bacterium called acidophilus, the type usually found in yogurt. In this form the acidophilus Pearls deliver nearly a 1000% more intact flora to the intestines because the “pearl” container protects the beneficial bacteria against light, oxygen and lack of moisture--all of which will kill the bacterium. Enzymatic Therapy's unique method of delivery is the only supplement out of hundreds on the market to have much larger numbers of probiotic bacteria still left alive after going through testing to exposure to an environment similar to that of the stomach and the digestive acids.

Enzymatic Therapy Acidophilus Pearls (90 Pearls) List Price: $39.95 Sale Price: $12.99 Average Rating:

Garden of Life Primal Defense Ultra Ultimate Probiotics Formula is another high ranking consumer favorite for helping keep your internal equipment in fine working order. Garden of Life makes their easy to swallow capsules with 13 types of beneficial probiotic bacteria including soil-based probiotics called homeostatic soil organisms, HSOs for short. Promotes healthy intestinal comfort and function. Vegetarian friendly as there is no dairy or animal products used; nor any artificial colors, flavors or fillers.

Garden of Life Primal Defense Ultra Ultimate Probiotics Formula, Capsules, 90-Count Bottle List Price: $49.95 Sale Price: $20.95 Average Rating:

Jarro-Dophilus EPS has gotten good reviews from consumers for helping to restore their intestinal and immune system health after many years of wasted hours spent in doctors offices and hundreds of dollars wasted on prescription meds that have nasty side effects. Jarro-Dopholis' enhanced probiotic system delivers a higher potency of no less than 4.4 Billion organisms per capsule. No refrigeration required, however some consumers preferred to keep refrigerated in order to keep safe from any exposure to heat.

Jarrow Formulas Jarro-Dophilus EPS Probiotics Supplement, Vegetarian Capsules, 60-Count Boxes (Pack of 2) List Price: $33.90 Sale Price: $25.26 Average Rating:

Culturelle boasts a clinically proven probiotic called Lactobacillus GG, that is designed just to help the good bacteria to adhere to the lining of your digestive tract to keep every thing moving along smoothly. Culturelle is a natural probiotic supplement that is in an easy to swallow capsule. Lactobacillus GG helps good bacteria cling to the intestinal walls, where they can grow and thrive to continue to promote proper digestive function and help eliminate gas, bloating and discomfort caused by too much stress, improper diet, and other things that upset the balance of the flora of your intestines. Culturelle will help to boost your immune system and reduce bowel and stomach discomfort--including diarrhea and constipation.

Culturelle W/lactobacillus GG, 30-Count Package List Price: $19.99 Sale Price: $12.59 Average Rating:

Phillips' is a name that has been a trusted brand in households for nearly a century with Phillips' Milk of Magnesia. Now you can go a step further and use Phillips' Colon Health Probiotic Supplements to help keep your guts working as smooth as well-oiled machine. Phillips' Colon Health Probiotic Supplement replenishes the good bacteria to help promote good overall digestive health while boosting your immune system to ward off bad bacteria and other causes of disease. By taking Phillips' Colon Health supplements in their easy to swallow capsules you help to eliminate or reduce painful bouts of gas, cramping, bloating, diarrhea, and other intestinal issues. Safe to give children as young as 3 years of age and no refrigeration is required.

Phillips' Colon Health Probiotic Capsules, 30-Count Bottle List Price: $14.99 Sale Price: $11.40 Average Rating:

Natrol offers their unique BioBeads Probiotic Acidophilus in 30, 60, or 90 bead packs. Natrol also guarantees that each of their easy to swallow beads contains one billion live acidophilus cultures. This means that your body's natural immune defenses are getting a big boost while your intestinal tract is kept in fine working order. Natrol's unique bead design is triple layered to make sure most of the live cultures make it into your digestive tract intact and still kicking. As the 3 layers break down in turns as the bead processes through the digestive system till finally when the bead reaches the colon the live cultures are released into the colon itself to help maintain a happy and healthy environment.

Natrol BioBeads Probiotic Acidophilus Complex, Dietary Supplement, Beads, Value Size , 90 beads List Price: $28.69 Sale Price: $10.99 Average Rating:

As one can see, there a numerous types and brands of probiotic supplements available out there on the market. The aforementioned few are but just some of the top selling brands as listed in consumer market tests. Try on or try several to see which ones may work best for you.