What Are the Benefits of Probiotics?

Hippocrates, the Father of Modern Medicine, was wise beyond his years for many reasons, including when he proclaimed that health begins with the gut. Along those lines, there’s no question that probiotics are the talk of the town, and for good reason: When it comes to overall health and wellness, one of the single most important things you can do is nourish and support your gut health by supporting a healthy balance of gut bacteria.

No wonder a probiotic supplement is consistently ranked as one of the top five most popular among all dietary supplements. Despite the fact that the term “probiotics” is part of our everyday vocabulary and many people use a probiotic supplement daily (and we think you should), you may be wondering what are probiotics, what do probiotics do, and what are some common probiotics benefits?

Simply put, probiotics are friendly, living microbes that can confer health benefits when we consume enough. Since most (but not all) probiotics are bacteria (such as lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacterium), you’ll often hear people refer to probiotics and probiotic supplements as “good bacteria.”

Did you know you carry about 4 pounds of microbes (bacteria, yeasts, fungi, etc.) in your gut? It’s true; your digestive tract houses between 10 and 100 trillion microbes. Considering there's about 30 - 40 trillion cells in the human body, that means you could make the case that you’re just as much of a “host” as you are human, especially when you consider that the genes of these microbes exceed our human DNA by a factor of 100!

When it comes to probiotics benefits, the most widely accepted core benefit of probiotics is that they support a healthy balance of gut bacteria (also referred to as the gut microbiome, microbiota, and microflora).^{Footnote †} Why is this so important? While each of us has both “good” and “bad” bacteria and other microbes, maintaining a healthy balance is critical. Yet, the gut microbiome can be challenged by many everyday factors, including:

• Occasional stress
• Not eating as healthy as we should
• Artificial sweeteners
• Traveling
• Aging
• And more

On top of that, there are two common and highly regarded probiotics benefits:

• Probiotics support a healthy digestive tract. For example, probiotics can help aid in digestion and absorption, and they can help provide support for occasional issues with regularity.^{Footnote †}
• Probiotics support a healthy immune system. For instance, probiotics help support gut barrier function.^{Footnote †}

What’s more, research has shown a few more potential probiotics benefits, such as supporting a healthy mood, balancing stress, supporting recovery after exercise, and more.^{Footnote †}

Unfortunately, the common probiotic-rich foods are fermented foods, which are not all that common in most people’s diets. On the flipside, the laundry list of factors that can disrupt the gut microbiome are overwhelmingly common. That can contribute to an imbalance of gut bacteria, and that makes a probiotic supplement an obvious top choice for getting more probiotics into your body and for supporting a healthy balance of gut bacteria.

Prebiotics vs. Probiotics: What’s the Difference?

In addition to probiotics, you may have also heard the term prebiotics. What’s the difference between a prebiotic vs. probiotic? Should you be looking for a probiotic supplement that also contains prebiotics?

In scientific speak, a prebiotic is “a substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit,” such as beneficially changing “the composition and/or activity in the gastrointestinal microflora.”^{Footnote †} In other words, prebiotics are indigestible compounds (like fibers and polyphenols) that are fermented by gut bacteria and help support the growth of healthy gut bacteria.

Say what?! In simple terms, prebiotics are like fuel for healthy gut bacteria and serve as food for probiotics. In a nutshell, prebiotics help support a healthy balance of gut bacteria.^{Footnote †}

So, when it comes to a prebiotic vs. probiotic supplement, what’s more important? They BOTH are! In fact, when you combine prebiotics with probiotics, your probiotic supplement becomes what’s referred to as a synbiotic.

What Makes Pro-X10 the Right Probiotic Supplement for You?

This is a GREAT question. As you might have guessed, not all probiotic supplements are created equal…

For starters, by definition, probiotics must be alive when you take them. Unfortunately, depending on factors like poor manufacturing practices, shipping and storage conditions and the type of probiotic strains being used, you could be buying a product with a large percentage of probiotics that are DEAD before you take them. On top of that, because probiotics are extremely sensitive to stomach acid and bile, research shows that, on average, as little as 10 – 25% of probiotics may actually reach the gut—which is where they need to be to flex their figurative muscle.^{Footnote †}

Along those lines, you want a probiotic supplement that contains probiotics that are protected by acid-resistant technology (to protect them from stomach and bile acids). For example, Microencapsulation Technology, which wraps probiotics in an acid-resistant coating, has been shown to significantly increase the viability and activity of probiotics.^{Footnote †} Also, certain probiotics (such as strains from the Bacillus family) are naturally heat-stable and acid-resistant, making them great options as well.

What’s more, not all probiotics are the same, and along those lines, you have to match the benefit you want to a specific probiotic. Having said that, many people who are looking for broad-spectrum support (supporting a healthy balance of gut bacteria, a healthy digestive tract, and a healthy immune system) will be best off using a multi-strain probiotic.^{Footnote †}

Also, the total amount of probiotics matters (measured in colony forming units, or CFU). According to the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics, a minimum of 1 billion CFU (per probiotic) is a good starting point, and in some cases, more may be better.^{Footnote †}

You’ll be delighted to know Pro-X10 advanced probiotic supplement meets all these criteria and more. For starters, it features the acid-resistant Microencapsulation Technology, which has been shown to significantly improve viability and delivery of live probiotics.^{Footnote †} It also features Bacillus subtilis (DE111^®), a heat- and acid-resistant soil-based (SBO) probiotic, as well as several other research-backed probiotics:

• Bifidobacterium breve
• Bifidobacterium lactis
• Lactobacillus acidophilus
• Lactobacillus plantarum
• Lactobacillus rhamnosus

That’s right, Pro-X10 advanced probiotic supplement contains 10 billion CFU (at the time of manufacture) of SIX strains of probiotics, which help balance the gut microbiome, support digestion, and support a healthy immune system.^{Footnote †} But there’s more…

Pro-X10 advanced probiotic also features PreforPro^®, a next generation prebiotic that is unlike other prebiotics that require large servings and several days to begin working. PreforPro^® is a non-fiber prebiotic that works in small amounts (15 mg/day) to help support the growth of a broad spectrum of probiotics.^{Footnote †}

We truly believe Pro-X10 is the best probiotic supplement available and sets the bar for probiotics, and we’re confident you’ll agree!

Pro-X10 Nutrition & Ingredients

Pro-X10 is an advanced probiotic supplement that promotes a healthy balance of gut bacteria, supports a healthy digestive tract, and supports a healthy immune system.^{Footnote †} This synbiotic formula combines probiotics and prebiotics for advanced gut health support.^{Footnote †}

Here are some of the key ingredients in Pro-X10:

• Bacillus subtilis (DE111^®)—A shelf-stable, heat- and acid-resistant soil-based (SBO) probiotic that supports the growth of good bacteria in the gut and supports regularity.^{Footnote †}
• Bifidobacterium breve—This friendly bacteria helps support a healthy balance of gut bacteria.^{Footnote †}
• Bifidobacterium lactis—Research-backed probiotic that has been shown to support immune system health, digestion and absorption.^{Footnote †}
• Lactobacillus acidophilus—One of the most researched probiotics that supports digestion.^{Footnote †}
• Lactobacillus plantarum—A key probiotic that is regarded for supporting digestion, a healthy balance of gut bacteria and immune system health.^{Footnote †}
• Lactobacillus rhamnosus—A well-researched probiotic that supports a healthy balance of gut bacteria, a healthy immune system and digestive health.^{Footnote †}
• PreforPro^®—A non-fiber prebiotic that works in small amounts (15 mg/day), and within hours, to help support the growth of a broad spectrum of probiotics.^{Footnote †}