UpBiotics Advanced Probiotic Formula

Well, after being out of town for a week, I'm back and catching up on my Blog Reviews. So much great stuff to check out! 

You can purchase this product at
http://bit.ly/upbioticsprobiotic

First to be reviewed is a Probiotic supplement by UpBiotics. This little pill is packed with 11.5 billion organisms, which is a pretty hefty dose of these wonderful little guys. I generally don't do lots of supplements, and when I do take them, it's to either fill a gap in my diet (like when I'm traveling and know I am not likely going to eat right), or for a particular purpose (ie, to see if I can lose weight via increased metabolism.... so far, that one hasn't been too successful! My body is VERY efficient and doesn't respond much to anything I've tried so far, but that's another blog post!). 

However, the ONE supplement I would recommend that people take on a regular basis is a probiotic. For one thing, you can't really "overdose" on it and the majority of people likely have imbalances in their gut thanks to stress, processed foods, and the like. Given that modern medicine is FINALLY starting to agree with us alternative medicine folks that true health begins in the gut, and that probiotic cultures are a great way to help to keep things in balance, I would say that pretty much everyone would benefit from taking a daily probiotic. 

Some of the benefits of taking a Probiotic:

• Daily relief from allergies, gas, bloating and constipation;
• Helps to balance vaginal flora like Candida  
• Improved digestive health; 
• Strengthens the immune system; 
• Helps with weight Control; 

The problem is, there are SO MANY companies out there selling these things. 

So... how do you choose which one is right for you? Lets start with what I like with the Upbiotics supplement, because they definitely are on the right track. 

First, look at the cultures present. Cheap probiotics will likely just have Acidophilus and nothing else. While that's not a "bad" thing (hell, any of the cultures are better than nothing at all!), there are many different cultures, and each tends to have different "positives" that may help your digestion. Upbiotics has SEVEN different cultures: 

 Four more "common" cultures: 

• lactobacillus rhamnosus - used to treat or prevent diarrhea caused by viral infections as well as antibiotic-induced loose stools 
• lactobacillus acidophilus - a bacteria that exists naturally in the body, primarily in the intestines and the vagina. Acidophilus helps maintain an acidic environment in the body, which can prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
• bividobacterium longus - helps to ferment a wide variety of carbohydrates, including lactose and the sugars in cruciferous vegetables, dried beans and some cereal grains that humans cannot digest. It also has enzymes to digest proteins so that they don’t putrefy in the colon.
• bividobacterium breve - helps with ailments such as antibiotic-associated diarrhea, allergies, gas, and irritable bowel syndrome, as well as vaginal yeast infections. This one is found in most breast fed babies intestines, which may help to strengthen their immune system. 

 and three less common ones: 

• bacillus subtilis - Survives passage through the GI tract (many cultures don't make it past the stomach) and is believed to ncrease immune reaction of intestinal cells which is helpful against pathogens
• lactobacillus casei - helps protect the human body from disease and illness by restricting the growth of various types of harmful bacteria that cause infection and be detrimental to an individual's health. Some strains of the bacteria help control diarrhea, while other strains have an anti-inflammatory effect on the gut. Other advantageous effects include reducing lactose intolerance, alleviating constipation, and even modulation of the immune system
• lactobacillus plantarum - has been shown to be an effective treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s disease, and colitis. It has the ability to destroy pathogens and to preserve critical nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants. It has also shown the rare ability to produce L. lysine, a beneficial amino acid. One of the most exciting uses for Lactobacillus plantarum involves using it to deliver therapeutic compounds and proteins to the body.

There are many other probiotic cultures out there that have other benefits.... and one thing that makes it even more confusing is that there are different STRAINS of each of these cultures, some of which are more beneficial than others.... and as consumers we just can't keep track of all that, so to some extent we have to trust that the supplement manufacturers have done the appropriate homework and are using the most relevant and potent strains to elicit the health benefits that we are looking for.

The second, and just as important property of a good probiotic supplement is the ability of the strains to survive long enough in the gut to do their job, as well as the ability to survive "on the shelf". Regarding the latter, it's very important to keep your supplements in a cool dry area and to make sure they are well within their sell by date when you purchase them. This is one of the reasons that you don't want to buy probiotics in the supermarket or from sources that are not invested/trained in the handling of supplements, because they often have product on the shelf for far too long.

"Gut Life" is a whole conversation that I can't go into here, but suffice it to say that Upbiotics claims that their cultures are "biologically stable enough to go though the tough GI track environment and reach the destination to be effectively absorbed via a Controlled Release Capsule to ensure consistent supply of probiotic bacteria to the target destination even with once a day intake." The capsules are made in USA by an FDA registered cGMP certified facility with 100% natural ingredients and are backed with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. 

I have just received this bottle and will be giving it a full trial, and will be back if I have any major comments (positive or negative) to add to this, but suffice it to say that I believe this particular probiotic supplement would be a good choice for the majority of people thanks to the broad range of cultures present.

You can purchase this product at: http://bit.ly/upbioticsprobiotic

Sources for info on the different cultures:

http://www.powerofprobiotics.com

http://www.probiotic.org

http://www.drugs.com/

I received this product in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are mine alone.