Why do we love “Opti-biotic”?

Optibiotic = Vitacare’s custom, signature probiotics!

I remember years ago, a friend complaining that his renters had more power than he did in the eyes of the law. Well, each of us have trillions of “renters” that also wield tremendous power, power over our health. They are called probiotics and they reside (among other places) in our large intestines.

The bacteria that live on and in us vastly outnumber our human cells. It has been estimated that there are anywhere from 30 to 40 trillion in our microbiome. Some of them are disease causing, some are neither harmful nor helpful, and some are definitely beneficial to our health. Our goal should be to cultivate lots of friendly or probiotic bacteria.

The following is a short list of their benefits (there are ample):

• manufacturing essential fatty acids and key vitamins,

• having a regulatory function on the immune system,

• assisting with digestion and normalization of gut function,

• having a positive impact on cholesterol and triglyceride levels,

• affecting weight and metabolism,

• mood stabilization,

• and more…

One simple way to amass a great variety of natural probiotics is to eat a variety of fermented foods - recall that these were our ancestors’ original source of friendly bacteria. Every culture has their own twist on fermented foods, and the can include:

• Traditionally fermented vegetables

  • * remember that regular pickles contain vinegar and are not fermented. 

• Kefir or Yogurt (dairy or non dairy) with live culture

  • * note that most commercial forms are heat killed during preservation

• Kombucha

  • avoiding the ones with excessive sugars/fruit juices will ensure you’re not drinking just a sugary drink

• Miso and Tempeh

• Sauerkraut and Kimchee

  • again, raw forms will ensure the good bacteria are not heat killed

So, what do you do if you do not like any of these foods or have had one or more antibiotics and want to quickly repopulate your gut? Take a good probiotic product!

Our clinic uses a product called Opti-biotic. In the past, I couldn’t decide on a good probiotic product so I decided to formulate my own.

Here are some of the reasons we love Opti-biotic above many other formulations:

• This product has eight strains of Lactobacillus, four strains of Bifidobacterum, Lactococcus lacti, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Saccharomyces boulardii. Each of the strains have been selected for specific functions and health benefits and are the ones found in the human digestive tract.

• Each capsule is guaranteed to have at least 25 billion organisms at the expiry date of the product. This is achieved by starting with a much higher amount when the product is first encapsulated.

• This product does not need to be refrigerated, so it can be kept with your other supplements where you are more likely to see it and remember to take it.

  • As we all know, some people forget to take their probiotic because it has to be stored in the refrigerator.

• Our product has a very low chance of causing bloating or gas because it is grown on a specific substrate that is free of dairy, grains, or legumes, which are common food allergens. Additionally, there is no inulin which is a prebiotic. This is a food source for bacteria/probiotics but can cause problems in sensitive individuals. Opti-biotic does not use inulin but a fibre from the larch tree. This fibre can be broken down by friendly bacteria as a food source, but tends to be way less gas producing than inulin.

  • This helps to ensure lower potential for adverse reactions like bloating when consuming Opti-biotic ome individuals get gassy when they take a probiotic.

Writing about this amazing product has reminded me that I haven’t taken my Opti-biotic today. I’m off to add to my gut buddies!