I took probiotics for 4 days and you won’t believe what it did to my stomach.

A few months ago, I got an email from my favorite health and wellness site, Well & Good. It was a sponsored email by a company called Hyperbiotics, which claimed to be 15x more effective than the probiotic capsules on the market. Needless to say, I was intrigued.

The email started off with the line: 

These probiotics may just change your life.

Quite the claim, but, knowing how our microbiome influences just about everything when it comes to our health, including our weight, skin, mood, and immunity, if the products actually did what they said they could do…well, then yea, they could actually change your life.

But, the thing is, even though the diversity and balance of flora in our microbiome are the key to our overall health, while probiotic pills are supposed to positively influence our microbiome, unfortunately, the truth is, most are ineffective and don’t work.

Here is what you need to know about probiotics and finding an effective one.

Why Take Probiotics?

Research has shown that probiotics work to keep you healthy by:

• Aiding in digestion by promoting daily relief from gas, bloating, and irregularity
• Helping you properly absorb nutrients from your food and vitamins
• Strengthening your immune system
• Maintaining healthy levels of yeast in body
• Increasing energy levels
• Supporting brain function and mental clarity
• Promoting optimal body weight

What Can Alter Your Microbiome?

All of the following can alter your microbiome (aka gut flora or bacteria) for the worse, which can lead to digestive and other health issues:

• A western diet high in processed foods and low in plant-based fibers
• The overuse of antibiotics, both as medicine and in our food supply– did you know the livestock industry is the biggest user of antibiotics, and that if you consume conventional meat or chicken, you’re being exposed to those antibiotics? AND It’s the number one reason antibiotic resistant bacteria are on the rise. In fact, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has acknowledged that the livestock industry is a significant contributor to this issue, and the UN’s World Health Organization has called it the biggest health threat globally. (Read more about the how, why, and why antibiotic resistant bacteria is being called the greatest health threat by the top health organizations in The Real Food Grocery Guide)
• Sugar, artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols (erythritol, xylitol, etc.), emulsifiers and GMO foods
• Tap water (chlorine and fluoride)
• Excessive hygiene, antibacterials and antimicrobials
• Certain medications (birth control, acid suppressants -PPIs-, antacids, steroids, hormone replacement therapy and NSAIDs, etc.)
• Not enough time outdoors
• Emotional stress
• Exposure to toxins, pollution and pesticides
• The aging process

A.K.A. LIFE alters your microbiome. No matter how healthy your diet, modern life can easily knock your delicate microbiome off balance.

Taking a daily probiotic can help repopulate your gut with good bacteria that lead to better digestion and overall health. But, the problem is, many probiotic pills are ineffective.

Why Don’t Probiotic Pills Always Work?

Many probiotics don’t work because:

• They’re dead on arrival: Many probiotics don’t work, because the live bacteria they are supposed to be delivering to your gut get killed sometime between manufacture and meeting your stomach acid after you swallow them.

Most probiotics need to be refrigerated to maintain efficacy, yet, often these products break the refrigeration chain multiple times between manufacture and your home. Additionally, they need to be protected in order to survive the harsh acidic environment of your stomach. Traditional synthetic capsules, even the delayed release ones, only offer about 45 minutes of protection before allowing your stomach acid to devour your probiotics before they get to your intestines. The veggie capsules, which seem like a healthier choice, give in even sooner.

Unlike most brands, Hyperbiotics uses a patented time-release delivery method to keep the beneficial bacteria alive and kicking from manufacture, all the way through to your intestines, where they can take up residence and deliver the benefits you’re taking them for. What’s more, because of the way they are manufactured, they don’t need to be refrigerated. (Which is a major plus).

• There are not enough (or the right) strains: Some probiotic pills only offer one, or a few strains. The truth is, our gut is home to hundreds of strains, each with slightly different roles and benefits, and research indicates that multi-strain probiotics are more effective than single strain.

A meta-analysis published in the European Journal of Nutrition in 2011 found that of 16 studies comparing the efficacy of multi-strain probiotics to their component strains individually, 75% showed the blends to be more effective. (1)

Because each strain provides different benefits, a blend of several high quality strains will provide a wider range of health benefits – including digestive, immune, skin, and more.

Hyperbiotics provides 15 different strains of bacteria which are resident of the human gut (not the soil, like some probiotics provide), and that are easily depleted due to common lifestyle factors, like stress, aging, a processed Standard American Diet, and the overuse of antibiotics.

• You Don’t Take Them Often Enough: Depending on the current state of your gut flora and eating habits, you generally have to probiotics for 3-4 weeks to see the full benefits.

That doesn’t mean you won’t see any benefits or changes before then, especially if you’re taking a powerfully effective one like Hyperbiotics. (You’ll see what happened to me in just 4 days, below). However, to see the full extent of their power, you need to take them daily for at least the better part of a month.

Just like you can’t expect to shower once and smell good forever, you can’t expect to take a probiotic once and have perfect digestion forever.  

My Hyperbiotics Review

After taking the quiz on Hyperbiotics website (linked to below), I was intrigued. They asked smart questions, like was I breastfed as a baby (sadly, no), do I spend time in the outdoors (as often as possible!), and what type of water do I drink (filtered).

Their 24 questions suggested they had done their homework, and weren’t just hopping on the probiotic bandwagon. They also made diet and lifestyle recommendations, beyond just taking their probiotic pill, which made me trust them more, because they understand that optimal health is a result of a multi-pronged diet and lifestyle approach.

What impressed me most was that:

• Hyperbiotics PRO-15 contains 15 beneficial probiotic strains, all of which are naturally found in the human gut and have been found to improve digestive and overall health and counter the effects of overuse of antibiotics and other lifestyle factors that deplete the microbiome.
• They use a patented time–release, which not only allows the probiotics to make it alive to where they need to be (aka my intestines), it means I only have to take it once a day to get the benefits throughout the day.
• No need for refrigeration, because if it is not on my desk or counter, I will forget to take it. Also, refrigeration-required probiotics are difficult to travel with (when you often need probiotics most!).
• Economically priced. With all of Hyperbiotics innovations and superiority (they have been shown to be 15x more effective than traditional capsule probiotics), I was pleasantly surprised to learn that they were very affordably priced. ($25 for 60 PRO-15 tablets, or $28 for 30 PRO-15 Advanced Tablets – but you can use the discount code below for extra savings).  Either way, less than $1/day for better gut and overall health.    

I ordered Hyperbiotics PRO-15. When the package arrived, I immediately popped open the bottle and took one. You only need to take one a day, but it is advised that you can take up to 3 a day, so I decided to take 3 daily initially (which is about the equivalent of one PRO-15 Advanced Strength).

Before and After Hyperbiotics

TMI ALERT: When I started Hyperbiotics, and indeed the reason I wanted to try them, was because I was going through a round when my digestion was “off.” I was bloated and constipated, despite the fact that I was eating a healthy and fiber-rich diet. It may have been stress, now that I think of it, since that was right around the time of my book launch.

As you can see in the photo above, on June 8th, my stomach is sticking out from the bloat. On June 10th, I received my first bottle of PRO-15 from Hyperbiotics. Within 2 days, not only were my pipes working, ahem, smoothly, my stomach was flat again, and it stayed that way. You can see in the photo on June 14th, I’m wearing the same skirt, but my stomach is flat, just 4 days after i started taking them. (I don’t have any photos from the 10th or 12th, so these were next closest!)

When I saw how quickly PRO-15 eliminated my bloating and improved my digestion, I understood why it is the #1 Best-selling Probiotic on Amazon with over 6,800 reviews, earning it an average 4.5 star rating!

I bought a bottle for both my mom (who noticed less bloating and digestive issues after meals shortly after starting to take them) and boyfriend (who found they diminished bloating and the stomach pains he sometimes gets).

Because I am obsessed with these probiotics, I asked them if they would give my clients and readers a discount code, and they said yes!

It currently sells for $24.46 on Amazon, but you get a better deal when you purchase it direct from their site, www.hyperbiotics.com and use the discount code below.

Hyperbiotics Discount Code

If you experience bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, food sensitivities, or other digestive issues on the regular, you may benefit from trying Hyperbiotics!

You can take the quiz I mentioned here, for recommendations on which strength or types of Hyperbiotics products that may most benefit you.

(I am also a fan of their dental probiotic, and if you have little ones, their kids probiotic, which I’ve been giving to my nephews.)

Use the Hyperbiotics discount code HYPERMARIA to get 25% percent off your entire first order.

That makes it less than $20 per bottle for regular strength (which will last you up to 2 months, if you take once per day), and about $21 for Advanced Strength (for a 30-day supply). 

Here’s to a healthier, happier, flatter gut!

xx

Maria

P.S. If you try them, please come back here and leave a comment, and let me know how they worked for you!

Disclosure: Although this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own. I initially discovered and purchased Hyperbiotics on my own, and because I found them so effective, reached out to the company to offer a discount code for my readers. If you use the discount code on hyperbiotics.com, I will receive compensation.