natasha

Probiotic intervention was better than placebo in reducing the number of participants experiencing episodes of acute upper respiratory tract infections," says review co-author Qiukui Hao, A student from Sichuan University in China. "Limited information from three of the 14 studies we included in our analysis also showed that probiotics can help reduce the prescription of antibiotics.

In the study, researchers examined 20 different brands of probiotic supplements from Seattle area stores to analyze reliability and safety. Supplements were cultured for viability, and then isolated microorganisms were identified by genus and species using DNA analysis.

As mentioned in my last posting, dietary supplements in the U.S. had a voluntary compliance mandate overseen by the National Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA) to ensure that manufacturers meet certain truth in labeling requirements to belong to the True Label program.

The certificate requirements used to ensure Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) of supplement manufacturers vary greatly by entity. Most supplement manufacturers in the U.S. choose to work with an entity which performs a system-type audit. Unfortunately, the scope and depth of this type of audit varies greatly with the individual auditor, and many auditors do not have expertise in the stricter regulations recently introduced by the FDA. This is the one problem in backing up product guarantees

We all hear about the benefits of fiber in a healthy diet, but increasing it through diet or supplements can sometimes cause problems. When we explore some of the top reasons why people try fiber supplements (flatulence, bloating, feeling too full, stools too hard or too loose, supporting a healthy cholesterol ratio), we find that supplementing probiotics may be a much better choice for long term benefits (and without the side effects.)

When choosing the best probiotic product, there are five important factors to consider