Review of Viva Labs Probiotics, 25 Billion CFU

Viva Labs Probiotics is the first probiotic supplement I've tried. As my diet is friendly to good bacteria (very unusual for an American) and has been so for decades, I probably don't need this supplement. But I can't know for sure that something has not defeated my best efforts. Taking this supplement gives me the assurance I need.

The typical American diet is downright hostile to health. Among other things, it creates a poor environment for beneficial bacteria in the human body. It's worth noting that in the human body bacteria are believed to outnumber human cells by an order of magnitude (that is, by 10:1). There's a symbiotic relationship between those little critters and ourselves.

People on the grain diet or on other unhealthy diets damaging to beneficial bacteria suffer from a wide range of symptoms including excessive flatulence, headaches, problems adding muscle mass, problems controlling or reducing body fat, elimination issues, and fatigue. A change of diet to something compatible with the human body should, over time, restore the bacterial balance and cause these symptoms to abate. But only if the missing beneficial bacteria are obtained. Some will come from fermented foods, some will come from other sources. A great source is a probiotic supplement.

Even if your diet has been good for a long time, things can happen to trigger the need for a probiotic. Many medications, and nearly all antibiotics wreak havoc with your microbiota. Stress can cause things to go out of whack. So can inadvertently eating something that you didn't know was in or on the food, such as a pesticide or herbicide. Exposure to the results of the "bacteria wipe" people's OCD can result in your ingesting chemicals that should not go into your body. If your water isn't filtered, the chemicals in municipally treated water can cause problems. And on and on the list goes.

So is this stuff any good? Before answering that, it might be more important to address the other side of that particular coin. You're ingesting a selection of bacteria. Will doing so give adverse effects? In my case, no noticeable problems after four days of using this supplement. No tummy aches, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, etc. Now, that is my own experience. I don't have complicating issues such as a bad diet, poor colon health, and so on. If you have a bad diet, and the odds are extremely high that you do, ease into this. Take one capsule every other day for a couple of weeks and let your body adjust.

I'm not a microbiologist, so when I saw the names of the 6 strains of bacteria I didn't know one from the other. Bing is great and letting you find answers online, so I "binged" each one:

1. Bifidobacterium lactis. Among other benefits, they enhance immunity, fight tumor growth, improve digestion, and can lower cholesterol.
2. Lactobacillus acidophilus. They are noted for creating a hostile environment for the "bad" bacteria. Doctors will often recommend them to patients taking antibiotics.
3. Lactobacillus plantarum. They have significant cancer-fighting abilities, help the intestines function better, and may help fight depresesion.
4. Bifidobacterium bifidum. They  help the body use B vitamins and vitamin K.
5. Bifidobacterium breve. They help prevent cancer (by depressing procarcinogenic enzymes) and help the body utilize vitamins.
6. Lactobacillus rhamnosus. Among other benefits, these help protect the urogenital tract and improve the health of the intestines. They also are potent in fighting various allergies.

And it's not just the bacteria in the capsule that make or break a probiotic. The capsule itself is critical. This capsule prevents early disintegration in the stomach, else gastric acid would kill most of the good guys in the capsule. This one is designed to release in the lower GI, exactly where you want those little fellas to set up shop.

I highly recommend this supplement.

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