The Digestive Health Benefits Of Probiotic Supplements

Discover how your body will benefit from supplementing with probiotics

The beneficial bacteria contained within a good probiotic supplement will aid digestion and nutrient absorption, keep your digestive system healthy, and even enhance overall health by:

• Stimulating the digestive process and making it more efficient.
• Enhancing lactose digestion and utilization.
• Breaking down undigested foods, including carbohydrates, in the intestines.
• Aiding absorption of nutrients, including B vitamins and vitamin K.
• Neutralizing some of the toxic products produced during digestion and everyday toxins we encounter.
• Promoting optimal bowel pH, which helps to balance the delicate flora.
• Promoting regular bowel movements.
• Boosting immune function.

If you've never taken a probiotic supplement before, however, you will probably notice some changes in your body when you start. For example, you may experience:

• Minor bloating, flatulence, intestinal gas, or rumbling. This is normal, temporary, and nothing to be alarmed about. These symptoms are a sign that the pH of your bowel is undergoing a change. As the beneficial bacteria become established, they will begin to eliminate undesirable strains of bacteria—which naturally changes the pH in the colon and results in a more healthy environment. This change often takes place over a couple of weeks.
• Easier and more frequent bowel movements. This is one of the greatest side benefits of probiotics. Constipation problems often become a thing of the past.
• An increase in overall energy. This may not happen overnight, but as the colon gradually becomes more efficient at removing waste material (and the toxins the waste carries), producing vitamins, and keeping pathogenic bacteria in check, an increase in energy is a natural consequence.

More Dr. Williams Advice on Digestive Health and Probiotics

• Choosing the right probiotic supplement
• The types of beneficial bacteria you want in your probiotic supplement
• How probiotic bacteria help ensure good digestion