It is that time of the year once again – time to buy a new planner, and get started on your long list of resolutions. Even with the best of ‘New Year, New You’ intentions, most of these resolutions are likely to end up losing steam within the first few weeks of the New Year. A standard resolution on pretty much every person’s list is a variation of ‘lose weight and get healthier.’ Going to the gym five times a week or following a strict diet might be a tall order, but you can add a simple no-fuss resolution to your list – taking a daily probiotic supplement. This easy addition could help you keep your weight loss goals on track with minimal effort. If you are already taking probiotics, it is now time to determine whether or not your probiotic is right for you. After all, taking a supplement daily will not count for much if you have chosen the wrong strains or an inadequate brand.

Find your probiotic today.

Reimagine Your Health With the Right Probiotic

Before you figure out whether or not your probiotic is right for you, you need to know how probiotics work. Similar to the ecosystem of a tropical forest with diverse plant life, your gut system has a large number of varied species of bacteria that work hard to absorb nutrients from the food you eat, bolster your immune system, and keep toxic elements from hurting your health. For your gut to perform properly, a gut bacterial balance of 85% good and 15% other bacteria needs to be maintained. Thanks to busy lives, bad lifestyle choices, and binge-eating over the holidays, maintaining this balanced ratio is easier said than done. Quality probiotic supplements aid your gut ecosystem in a hassle-free way by infusing probiotics or friendly bacteria into your gastrointestinal tract. From supporting your immune and digestive systems, to promoting mental clarity, the benefits of probiotics are likely to make it your best friend in the New Year. That is, of course, as long as your chosen probiotic is working well for you. Here is a quick New Year’s checklist to determine if your probiotic is doing its intended job or it is time to switch to a better supplement.

Does your probiotic choice offer enough friendly bacteria?

According to the Natural Yogurt Association (NYA), frozen yogurt needs to have at least 10 million live microbes per gram at the time of manufacturing. However, if you are relying only on natural probiotic-rich food items, you may not be getting enough friendly bacteria on a daily basis. This is where probiotic supplements can help. It is recommended to use a supplement that supplies at least a billion colony-forming units or CFUs per dose. Depending on the brand you have chosen, your probiotic supplement is likely to have between 1 to 10 billion CFUs per dose (for adults). Check the label on your supplement – the higher the CFUs the better for your health.

Are the strains in your probiotic supplement alive?

The bacterial strains in probiotics are sensitive to temperature changes and other factors that may lead to the death of the microbes. Most supplements need to be refrigerated all the way from manufacturing stations and transit cars to store shelves and your home. Ensuring that the supplement is handled and transported securely is a tall order. It is a better idea to switch your current refrigeration-mandatory supplement for one that does not require it at all. Not only will this ensure that you get the maximum number of live cultures, it also makes the supplements portable and perfect to carry along with you when you travel in the New Year.

Are the live bacteria reaching the target area?

If you want to see results from taking probiotics, the live cultures within them have to reach the target area, i.e. your gastrointestinal tract. Look for an acid-resistant tag on your supplement which indicates that the delivery system is equipped to handle the journey through your stomach acids. Research indicates that approximately 96% of live microbes die upon contact with stomach acids. Instead of vegetable-shield capsules, switch to a sturdier probiotic tablet with an effective delivery system.

Are there multiple strains in your supplement?

Some of the common strains of probiotics come from families like Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Streptococcus, Escherichia, and Enterococcus. If your supplement has just one or two strains of probiotics, it is time to switch to one that offers much more. Quality probiotic supplements have multiple strains. Ensure that these strains are the ones you need to meet your goals as some strains work well for weight loss, while others are best suited for boosting immunity, heart or vaginal health, or mental clarity.

Rate Your Probiotic and Choose The Best One In The New Year

Choosing the right supplement is the first and most important step toward getting the results you desire. LoveBug Probiotics’ premium supplements have proprietary blends of multiple strains of probiotics, and offer 5-10 billion CFUs per tablet. Instead of just dumping the live bacteria into your body which reduces the chances of its survival, LoveBug Probiotics supplements come equipped with the patented BIO-tract technology that has a slow-release mechanism. Thanks to BIO-tract, the live microbes are released in a time-delayed manner over a period of 8-10 hours. This technology also ensures that these tablets are 15 times more effective than capsules because a significantly higher amount of bacteria actually reach the target area safely. These non-GMO tablets are free from sugar, soy, and gluten, and they are your best companion while traveling since they do not need to be refrigerated. Taking LoveBug’s specialized probiotic supplements daily is your New Year’s gift that keeps giving. References Degnan FH. The US Food and Drug Administration and probiotics: regulatory categorization. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2008;46(Suppl 2):S133–S136. Didari T, Solki S, Mozaffari S, et al. A systematic review of the safety of probiotics. Expert Opinion on Drug Safety. 2014;13(2):227–239. Govender, M., Choonara, Y. E., Kumar, P., du Toit, L. C., van Vuuren, S., & Pillay, V. (2013). A review of the advancements in probiotic delivery: Conventional vs. non-conventional formulations for intestinal flora supplementation. AAPS PharmSciTech, 15(1), 29-43. National Yogurt Association