How to Pick the Right Probiotics

Got probiotics?

You know they’re vital to health — they’re good bacteria essential to our immune systems and digestion, and even play a role in our mood.

Fermented foods like kimchi and kefir naturally provide these good gut bugs, and “getting your probiotics from food is great for maintenance [of your microbiome] and keeping the ‘bad guys’ in check,” says functional medicine doctor Robin Berzin, MD, the founder of Parsley Health, referring to “bad” gut bacteria that could lead to symptoms such as constipation and even autoimmune problems.

However, if a person clearly has a microbial imbalance (what is called “dysbiosis”), then supplementation with a more potent, good-quality, broad-spectrum probiotic becomes necessary to get the “good bacteria” to crowd out the “bad bacteria,” she says.

Your best bet if you’re in the market for an effective probiotic? Berzin says you should ask your doctor instead of trying to navigate the health food aisles yourself. “Supplements sold straight to consumers, like the ones we get at ‘health stores,’ are self-regulated, which makes it easier for them to get away with false claims (lower doses than stated, containing allergens/irritants that are not stated, containing fillers,etc),” Berzin tells Yahoo Health. Meanwhile, doctors have access to (and knowledge about) probiotics that have undergone the appropriate testing.

For more info on how to choose the right probiotics — including Berzin’s favorite formula — watch the video.

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