Today, I wanted to share with you myths about probiotics and how our family incorporates Just Thrive probiotic into our life.
It excites me that the concept of gut health and having good bacteria in your gut is becoming more mainstream, but with that comes a lot of questions, confusion and product washing. Unfortunately, most companies are pulling the ‘kitchen sink method’ and ‘the more is better method’ and throwing all sorts of stuff into their products and not really testing its effectiveness.
I know I personally was also confused but my answer to that is always to dive in and LEARN. Some of the common considerations people make when choosing a probiotic are the number of strains included, the CFU count, and maybe if it is organic or raw. The bottom line for me is, is there clinical data supporting the product? I know no one wants to waste their money! Let’s start out walking through some common beliefs people have about probiotics.
Myths busted
- Refrigeration doesn’t indicate good quality. If the probiotic can’t survive room temperature, how do you expect it to survive body and digestive tract?
- The more CFUs the better is only accurate if clinical evidence confirms all CFUs survive and arrive to intestines alive (most studies indicate 99% of strains don’t survive digestion).
- Quality of strain is more important than quantity. Formulations need to be tested and verified with valid studies. More doesn’t equal better!
Our families journey
My family consumes fermented foods daily. One thing I was always told is fermented foods are full of probiotics and good bacteria. While this is true, the same philosophy that these probiotics face is likely true for fermented foods – they arrive dead. In fact what I have learned is it is the organic acids and enzymes and other byproducts of the actual fermentation process that are benefiting the gut by feeding your microbiome and reducing inflammation. The bacteria itself is actually not alive when it meets the intestines. So don’t stop eating your fermented foods, but adding a probiotic like Just Thrive also will help recognition your gut by increase the diversity of your microbiome and increasing the growth of these really important, protective strains of bacteria.
While we don’t take a probiotic daily, this is a very important aspect of our ongoing supplement routine.
With that said, I had a curve ball thrown at me at the end of my 3rd pregnancy.
At 37 weeks, I had an unfavorable Group B Strep diagnosis that devastated me. (Yes I understand there are significantly worse things that can happen during pregnancy, labor or post delivery, but still I was disappointed to say the least). In this country, a GBS positive test result buys you 1-2 rounds of antibiotics at delivery. Antibiotics don’t discriminate and wipe not only the bad bacteria but also the good bacteria. I have worked so hard on my gut health the past few years and the thought of my newborn’s gut health starting out wiped out also devastated me. So what that meant for me is I would be needing to focus on gut health for myself and my newborn immediately after delivery and more than I probably ever have before. I contacted Just Thrive because their current protocol was for children 3 and over. I also wondered if they had any evidence on effectiveness of helping with this type of situation.
Here is what I was told:
The strains in Just Thrive have the ability to read the microbial environment and if they sense pathogenic organisms, have the ability to produce up to 25 specific (not broad spectrum) antibiotics to kill off those pathogenic organisms. Just Thrive should absolutely aid in combating the excessive growth of Group B strep.These strains are perfectly safe for healthy newborns as well.
They also shared a protocol for both me and my baby.
For mama:
- Continue 1 capsule daily.
- At week 39 start taking 2 capsules daily.
- An hour before each antibiotic dose, take 1 more (up to 4 a day is fine).
For baby:
- Quarter of a capsule for a newborn to 6 months old as long as it’s ok with your doctor. (my doctor was fine with this)
- If the child is older than 6 months, a half a capsule is a good dosage.
- Children 3 and older, a full capsule is the ideal dosage.(Minimum age on bottle is 3 for choking hazards precautions)
Additionally, I breastfeed which helps and will continue to keep my diet in great shape: nutrient rich, high in fermented foods and low in sugar.
When else should you take this probiotic:
- Absolute must: if you are on an antibiotic!! I cannot emphasize this enough.
- Holidays or maybe a time when food choices aren’t their best.
- Unfavorable symptoms of any kind (remember gut issues can display in many ways, not just GI).
- Helpful to combat any illness.
- If your baby isn’t exposed to good bacteria from a vaginal delivery and / or you aren’t able to provide breastmilk.
- Of course, for general health and wellness, whether that is daily or a few bottles a year.
How to take:
- Once a day with largest meal
- Illness – can take 3-4 a day
Just Thrive covers a lot of great questions on their FAQ page and Blog. Check those out to learn more. And as always, comment below if you have any questions. I am happy to help!
If you would like to try this amazing product, use the code embrace for 15% off
They offer a 30 day 100% satisfaction guarantee, even if you finished the entire bottle.
What is holding you back from feeling the difference?
Did you miss PART ONE? Check that out here.
**Some of the content in this post was provided by Just Thrive. I do however, always do my own research and only endorse products we use and love. Please consult a doctor with any questions you have.
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