History provides us a few clues on how different cultures promoted their intestinal health before modern times. Years ago, people used fermented foods like yogurt and sauerkraut – as food preservatives and as support for intestinal and overall health.

Here are a few examples...

The interesting thing was most of these dietary habits were born from tradition... at the time, no one really knew or understood why they were so healthy to your digestive system.*

Well, things changed in the early 1900s, when Russian scientist Elie Metchnikoff (Nobel Prize 1908) proposed that the Balkan population enjoyed excellent health due to consumption of large quantities of fermented milks containing beneficial bacteria.*

These "good" bacteria were later defined as probiotics, which comes from Greek terminology meaning "for life."

In the 1950s, the USDA licensed a probiotic formula for use in the digestive tract of pigs. Later on in the 1970s, the effectiveness of the probiotics in that role in pigs was discovered. Probiotics were later pioneered for human use.

So, what took so long to bring probiotics to the forefront in supplements?*

I believe that the mere fact that large pharmaceutical companies were able to leverage millions of dollars to market their products pushed probiotics out of the way... relegated them to the back-burner.

But today, the health trend has clearly begun to shift toward nutrition. And that has allowed probiotics to resurface and gain the attention they deserve.

And that's why I spend so much of my time researching factual data on probiotic formula.

All this is well and good, but...

From the very first breath you take, you're exposed to probiotics.

How so?

On the way through the birth canal during a normal delivery, a newborn gets dosed with bacteria from their mother. This event starts colonization in the infant's gastrointestinal (GI) tract of "good" bacteria. Compelling new research now shows many caesarean-section infants have less-than-optimal health after birth. This is most likely because they are not exposed to the mother's healthy bacteria in the birth canal which would then serve to populate its own GI tract.

As you mature, you're faced with many threats to the beneficial bacteria in your gut... from chlorinated drinking water... to overly-processed foods.

The "good" bacteria in your gastrointestinal system can only provide you with optimum health if the proper balance of different types of bacteria is maintained in your gut.*

This is where probiotics can have a profound effect... not just on your GI health, but on your overall health as well.* Keep in mind, 80% of your immune system actually lives in your gut.

Probiotic formulas are available with many different types of bacterial strains... with the most common being Lactobacillus acidophilus. But as you'll find out shortly, not all probiotics are created equal... and not all probiotic formulas are properly produced to provide optimal benefits.*

In general, if formulated properly, the major benefits of a high-quality probiotic are to...

And more...

I strongly believe the key to an optimal probiotic formula is through science-backed research by a qualified non-biased laboratory... and through a manufacturer with rigorous high-quality process standards in place.

You'll see more evidence of this unwavering belief I have coming up...

You are probably wondering why using nearly any commercial yogurt might not be as beneficial as a probiotic supplement. After all, traditional cultures have been consuming cultured, fermented foods like yogurt for years for digestive health promotion.

The problem arises because...

So what, in my opinion, is wrong with pasteurization?

Well, it basically kills or sterilizes most of the beneficial and other bacteria during the heat processing. And some yogurts (particularly the frozen ones), don't contain any live bacteria at all.

So, as great-tasting as many of them are, don't be fooled by yogurt products advertising live cultures beneficial to your digestive system... many have likely had the beneficial bacteria already reduced or wiped out by heat-intensive pasteurization processes.

To me, this is one of those cases where it appears that in our collective zeal to rid ourselves of every trace of infectious agents in our food supply and homes, we may have outdone ourselves.

As a whole, we're less exposed to bacteria now than in the past, including beneficial bacteria. Antibacterial products, hand sanitizers, and the like have made for a world that's a whole lot cleaner, but is it really that much healthier?

Due to strict food safety regulations, less bacteria (including the "good" ones) survive the manufacturing process. Many overly-processed products, just like yogurt, undergo pasteurization or sterilization, which may destroy beneficial bacteria.

While this may be helpful in some ill-health prevention, it also means we are exposed to less beneficial bacteria.*

And with helpful bacteria less available in our food, I'm even more convinced how crucial it is to consider supplementation with high-quality probiotics.

But, I first must raise the caution flag and give you fair...

So, how do you go about finding a high-quality probiotic supplement?

First of all, before we're through, I'll help dispel some of your guess-work with my findings on some of the latest probiotic discoveries... and provide my recommendations as well.

But before I do that, there are some key factors I feel differentiate the good probiotic formulas from those that are questionable... and may even be a waste of your money.

Basically, without the following key factors, any probiotic formula can be suspect at best, unless it...

This complicates the world of probiotics a bit because there are so many manufacturers out there making claims on digestive health promotion.

But you don't need to fall for any of the misconceptions... I'll help you dig through the maze and minutia as we go.

One of the key formulation factors in a probiotic supplement that I already mentioned, is it must contain effective bacterial strains.* Now, as you can imagine, this is a rather complex issue.

This strain has the distinction of being one of the few bacterial species for which probiotic attributes have been shown to be effective.*

So what is this strain?

Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS-1 is the name of this highly effective strain of beneficial bacteria*... and the "DDS-1" is really important. There are other strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus out there, but without the DDS-1 specificity, your potential health benefits could come up short.*

It has been found that this specific probiotic strain possesses vital properties important to human health.* Research at a major Midwestern university showed how DDS-1 enhanced human health because it colonized well in the human gut.*

Research and studies suggest DDS-1 can be effective toward enhancing human health because it...

I'm convinced Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS-1 is one of the important and necessary strains in an effective probiotic supplement.* Without it, I believe you're not maximizing the potential of using this type of supplement.

But it's one thing to just explain how DDS-1 potentially supports your health*... it's another to provide examples of studies and research that provide compelling evidence...

Over the years, several studies have demonstrated the diverse effectiveness of DDS-1 and help validate its potential use as a probiotic.* Here are a few examples...

These are but a few examples why I believe DDS-1 plays a key role in optimal health when you use a probiotic supplement.*

One controversial area of discussion involving probiotic supplements involves survivability.

By survivability, I mean the ability of the "good" bacteria released by the supplement to survive and reproduce in your intestinal tract.

Why is this so important?

Well, if the beneficial bacteria are destroyed by your stomach acid and intestinal bile, your GI tract won't be able to take advantage of the potential health benefits.*

Many theories abound on how to solve this... many I believe are not necessary and just waste your money. This gets back to the value perception issue once again.

Many probiotic manufacturers want you to believe that a special type of coating, called enteric coating, is necessary for the beneficial bacteria to survive. Basically, enteric coating is a type of layer put on the capsule itself to supposedly ensure survival of the beneficial bacteria in your GI tract.

I have several issues with enteric coating that can be summed up as follows...

And what about raw, unpasteurized yogurt, sauerkraut, fermented milk, and kefir consumed as traditional foods for generations to support digestive health? The beneficial probiotic bacteria within these foods have not had difficulties surviving stomach acid and intestinal bile.

So, why would a high-quality probiotic supplement require some sort of coating to enhance the survivability of the contents?

Well, in my opinion, it doesn't. And I believe the added cost is not only an unnecessary expense to you, but may be an added health detriment as well... if the coating is synthetic.

Many probiotic manufacturers have created a perception of greater value to justify the higher cost of their enteric coated probiotics. Guess what? In my opinion, the value is not there so you can simply just avoid them.

I'll show you what I consider to be a much more robust and less costly solution coming up...

With much of the attention focused on probiotics, there is a little known complement to probiotics called prebiotics that play an important role in your digestion.*

So, what are prebiotics?

Prebiotics help keep beneficial bacteria healthy.* They basically are non-digestible foods that end up in your digestive system to help beneficial bacteria (probiotics) grow and flourish.*

The prebiotics that feed the "good" bacteria in your GI tract primarily come from carbohydrate fibers called oligosaccharides that you don't digest.* They remain in your digestive system to help boost the growth of beneficial bacteria.*

Natural sources of prebiotics include…

I believe adding prebiotics to a high-quality probiotic benefits the entire formula.* But this is a complex process and not easily produced at an economically feasible cost... until now.

More coming up on how my probiotic solution provider has found a solution for this. But first...

Here's my list of "must-haves" in a probiotic formula.

See, as time goes on, research and technology are creating moving targets of improvement in probiotics... and I want to make sure you have every opportunity to take advantage of newly uncovered properties.*

Now, to the demanding list... my 'must-haves' in a probiotic formula...

Now, you can use these rigorous criteria to find a probiotic formula that matches up... but you'll probably have a difficult time.

Why is that?

Well, I set the bar about as high as I could base on new data my team and I uncovered. I really didn't expect to find any formula satisfying all of the requirements. At this point, you probably agree how challenging this is as well.

But, all I can say is I was pleasantly surprised when I found a formula that not only nailed my requirements, but exceeded them as well.

Here's what I found...

Complete Probiotics has become part of my personal daily regimen... a rare occasion at best.

In fact, I view high-quality probiotics as more important than a multi-vitamin.

I'm even more excited to introduce our new glass bottles in 180 ct. quantity, offering you premium packaging and greater sustainability against any kind of extreme weather conditions, and therefore, greater peace of mind. Now, your Complete Probiotics will truly go anywhere you do... comfortably, setting you at ease when you travel, if you happen to leave them out on the counter, or in a hot or cold car. Glass is also better for the environment!

Here's a breakdown of the 10 specific beneficial bacteria strains in Complete Probiotics...*

Plus, Complete Probiotics now has beneficial prebiotics in the form of Fructooligosaccharide (FOS).* This was not an easy task. But the chosen manufacturer already recognized the importance and health benefits when complementing probiotics with prebiotics... a total win-win scenario for you.*

Here's more on how the Complete Probiotics totally shines...

Another area my new Complete Probiotics proves its weight in gold is in acid and bile tolerance.

You already know my feelings on enteric coating and how I believe it's a waste of your time and money. Well, the chart below shows you how well the strains that make up the Complete Probiotics formula resist and survive stomach acid and intestinal bile.

Very few manufacturers I looked at could actually provide testing info on the survivability of the specific strains in their formulas. If they could not demonstrate results, I passed them up.

Keep in mind, without these strains adequately resisting stomach acid and intestinal bile, your health benefits from the probiotic will likely be severely lacking.

Through testing, some Complete Probiotics strains demonstrated gastrointestinal acid and bile tolerances over 90%. So, don't waste your money on enteric-coated formulas.

Here's the test results...

Note: "Complete Probiotics" contains 80% probiotics strains that are >90% acid- and bile-resistant.

When it comes to probiotics, I've always taken my favorite formula along whenever I travel... particularly, when I travel outside the US.

Why?

Well, when you visit other countries, there's always a chance your digestive system can be sensitive to different foods (e.g., spices) that you are not used to. This can cause not only occasional digestive discomfort, but may stress you out as well.

Who wants to be in another country either on business or vacation, and have to deal with occasional digestive discomfort? Well, I certainly don't... and that's why I take along a high-quality probiotic to help make sure my GI tract is in optimal shape.*

And with Complete Probiotics you have what my team and I consider to be the best probiotic formula we could find and it's perfect for traveling because it...

With the Complete Probiotics formula and all of its distinct health advantages, I plan to never travel without it.* I recommend you consider doing the same.

If you want to learn more about how probiotics help with hypothyroidism then click the button below...