Here we’re going to discuss how some probiotics can help ward off common colds as well as give the immune system and overall boost.

First it’s worth mentioning that the immune system is extremely complex. It literally takes years of intense study to really appreciate how it works. However, it is still worthwhile to simplify things to give a general understanding to how the immune system works, so that you can take steps to improve your health.

A large percentage of our immune system lies within our gut. We have a lot of our lymph nodes in there. We need to have a healthy gut, so that when we’re faced with foreign invaders like unwanted bacteria and viruses, our immune system can destroy these invaders quickly and keep us healthy.

A lot of us have a very unhealthy gut. This basically means that we have a lot more unhealthy or “bad bacteria” living there, and not enough healthy or “good bacteria” living there. This results in chronic inflammation and makes our immune response weak and slow. This general state of chronic inflammation in the gut gives rise to a whole host of issues, such as some allergies, IBS, mood disorders, and increased susceptibility to common colds and the flu.

A beneficial type of probiotics can produce the “right” kind of lactic acid (L+) which helps to control the PH level in the gut. If the PH in the gut becomes out of whack, harmful viruses and bacteria can proliferate and make us sick. Also, these probiotics produce bacteriocins, a substance which kills unwanted bacteria and can help to deactivate viruses. The probiotics also help “good” bacteria proliferate in the gut. The good bacteria can help line the gut and make it less permeable to intruding bacteria and viruses, thus making it harder for unwanted bacteria and viruses to enter the bloodstream.

There are a lot of probiotics on the market and they differ widely. A lot of probiotics may work in a lab type situation, but are ineffective when taken as a supplement. The reason is that they die before even getting into the GI tract. There is a promising exception called bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 which is stable at room temperate. It easily makes its way into the gut and not only survives in that environment, but also thrives. It is a great general probiotic to take for many reasons because it works so well.

You can buy the Bacillus Coagulans Probiotic on our estore.

There have been more and more promising studies done on probiotics to show how they not only make healthy people get fewer common colds, but also help to reduce the duration and intensity of the colds for those who get them.

It is important to understand that these studies will look at a specific type of probiotic and compare that to a placebo. They don’t compare them to other types of probiotics in general.

One double blind study was done in New Zealand on professional rugby players. 30 players took either a probiotic supplement or a placebo for 4 weeks. 80% of the people in the placebo group got a cold in that time period, and only 53% did in the probiotic group. 53% sounds high, but it’s significantly lower than 80%. So it seemed to really help in that way. Also, the placebo group had longer lasting colds (5.8 days) on average, as opposed to 3.4 days for the probiotic group. This is all very promising for probiotics and immune health. There are many more studies underway.

We are excited to offer a premium form of bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 in veggie caps with no unhealthy fillers like magnesium stearate. It has a lot of science behind it and many customers from all over the world are experience great results from it.

In this article we’re going to discuss which probiotic strain is the most effective for people with IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome). We’re going to look at the science behind this, what real people are experiencing, and why some probiotics work so much better than others.

There are so many different types of probiotics on the market that it can be a daunting task to try to choose the best one. There are also many different types of IBS – from having diarrhea, constipation, bloating, pain, excess gas, etc. Let’s try to understand what is really going on.

First of all, a lot of probiotics don’t work very well because they die as soon as they are ingested. Even if you see a certain type of probiotic has a lot of CFU, 25 billion for example, that doesn’t mean they will reach the gut alive. The stomach acids kill most of them immediately, and once they are dead they are ineffective. You can read in more detail about this in our article about bacillus coagulans.

The good news is there is a very promising strain of probiotics called bacillus coagulans. It is a spore forming probiotic that is stable at room temperature, and it is very robust. It not only survives, but actually thrives and proliferates once inside the gut. The bacillus coagulans produces the right type of lactic acid (The L+ form) and other essential fatty acids. These help to increase the levels of “good bacteria” and decrease the levels of “bad bacteria” in the gut. Once you have a healthy balance of these types of bacteria, or a healthy gut microbiome, then some major improvements result in not only your IBS symptoms, but also your overall health and immunity in general. This is a great general probiotic to take for overall health as well.

Note** This article is again referring to the specific strain of bacillus coagulans called MTCC 5856 (there are multiple different strains, so it is important to ensure you are looking at MTCC 5856 (Also known as Lactospore®)

The scientific results illustrating bacillus coagulans helping with IBS are impressive. It is the only probiotic in Canada to allow the health claim of helping to manage pain and symptoms of IBS. Many patients from all over the world have been appreciating the benefits of bacillus coagulans in managing their IBS symptoms.

The Science behind bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 and IBS

There was a famous double blind study done where 36 patients who were recently diagnosed with IBS put the claims to the test. The subjects were considered “diarrhea predominant”, but they exhibited a range of IBS symptoms.

Bacillus Coagulans MTCC 5856 and IBS

18 subjects received a 2 billion CFU dose of bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856, and the other 18 received a placebo. This went on for 90 days.
Clinical IBS symptoms like diarrhea, gas, pain, and constipation, were considered “primary” measures. These were evaluated with a questionnaire. Pain was measured using VAS (visual analog scale), which is essentially a visual diagram where patients can select which level of pain on the diagram they are experiencing. “Secondary” measures were the physician’s global assessment, as well as IBS “quality of life” scores. Those were also measured using questionnaires.

The conclusion was the patients who received bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 (2 billion CFU/day) reported a significant decrease in their clinical symptoms like bloating, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and also stool frequency compared with the placebo group.

So to summarize:

Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 (Lactospore®) was shown to help with IBS in the following ways:

• Reduce abdominal pain
• Decrease bloating
• Reduce diarrhea
• Reduce stool frequency
• Reduce vomiting

In other studies bacillus coagulans has been shown to help IBS patients with constipation. So by improving the ratio of “good” to “bad” bacteria and improving the overall gut health and gut environment, bacillus coagulans is able to help with both diarrhea and constipation, in addition to the other wide range of benefits mentioned above.

We offer a premium form of bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 with no magnesium stearate or other unhealthy fillers. We have thousands of happy customers all over the world using and recommending our products.

Here is the IBS Pain Relief Probiotic

In this article we’re going to investigate using probiotics to help alleviate diarrhea. The good news is that using a certain probiotic strain has been scientifically shown to help with several different causes of diarrhea – from IBS-D (irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea), traveler’s diarrhea, from rotovirus in children, and diarrhea as a side effect of taking common antibiotics.

The probiotic called bacillus coagulans has been scientifically shown to help with the various types of diarrhea listed above. We are specifically discussing the strain bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 (Lactospore®). It is a spore-forming probiotic and it is stable at room temperature. A little known fact is that most probiotics don’t work because they are destroyed (hence useless) before they even enter the gut. This strain of bacillus coagulans however “survives and thrives” in the harsh gut environment.

It works by producing the superior form of lactic acid (L+), which alters the gut PH level so that more “good bacteria” are able to live and reproduce, while crowding out and killing the “bad bacteria”. Bacillus coagulans also produces “bacteriocins”. Bacteriocins are powerful proteins that will kill unwanted bacteria in the gut (the “bad bacteria”). Once the gut environment returns to a healthy balance, the diarrhea subsides and healthy bowel movements return. There are thousands of people all over the world who have dramatically improved their diarrhea symptoms from taking this specific form of bacillus coagulans.

The science behind this is also impressive. In fact, bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 was given the green light by Health Canada to make health claims pertaining to managing IBS diarrhea, as well as helping with other IBS symptoms (gas, bloating, pain, constipation). This article on bacillus coagulans discusses the actual study and provides a link to the study. Basically, it was a double blind study showing that patients with diarrhea-dominant IBS got significantly better across many symptoms (including much less diarrhea), than the control group.

It is ok if you take this bacillus coagulans along with other probiotics if you choose, but it’s definitely strong and effective enough on its own.

We are excited to provide a premium form of bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 (Lactospore®) in a vegetarian capsule with no magnesium stearate or unhealthy fillers or additives.

This is an important guide to understanding bacillus coagulans, the powerful and effective probiotic strain (formerly known as bacillus sporenges)

Bacillus coagulans is unique and effective in many ways. If you are considering taking probiotics, this is a great place to start.

Important Note: Not all bacillus coagulan strains are the same. The foundation of this article and the research in here pertains primarily to the strain bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 (Trade name Lactospore®). There are many other forms on the market so it is very important to know the difference. From this point forward, when we say “bacillus coagulans”, we are specifically referring to the MTCC 5856 strain (Lactospore®).

How and why does bacillus coagulans work so well compared with other probiotics?

First, bacillus coagulans is extremely robust. One major concern with a lot of probiotic strains is they become instantly destroyed, and hence ineffective, when going into the harsh environment of the stomach. Bacillus coagulans is “shelf stable”, which means it can survive at room temperature and in a wide variety of conditions. A lot of probiotics need to be refrigerated to stay alive, and they die quickly when entering the stomach. On the other hand, bacillus coagulans survives and even thrives when in the gut. That is one major reason it is so effective. A lot of people are unaware of this important information and become confused or disappointed when other probiotics don’t seem to work for them.

It is also a vegan probiotic because it is a spore, as opposed to a probiotic from dairy. As mentioned above, these spores are very robust and really thrive once in the gut. Some spore-forming bacteria are extremely dangerous and can cause food poisoning, but bacillus coagulans is a major exception.

Bacillus coagulans is a very well-studied probiotic. It has the only approved health claim for helping with IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome) pain management and associated symptoms. It has been shown to help with both diarrhea and constipation associated with IBS. When the spores are ingested and set up shop in the gut, they improve the ratio of “good bacteria” to “bad bacteria”, thus helping to normalize bowel movements and reduce IBS pain. The spores do this by producing lactic acid and secreting fatty acids, both of which are beneficial to the good bacteria. The good bacteria then “crowd out” and starve the bad bacteria in the gut. Once this ratio of good to bad bacteria tips in favor of a healthy balance, a whole host of other health benefits follow suit. It is worth noting that bacillus coagulans also produces the “L+” isomer of lactic acid, which is the preferred form of lactic acid. This leads to some of the other impressive health benefits.

What are the health benefits of bacillus coagulans?

• IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome): Bacillus coagulans has been shown to help manage the pain and discomfort associated with IBS, such as gas and bloating. It also helps relieve both constipation and especially diarrhea associated with IBS. It has shown this in double blind studies. Health Canada has even approved the health claim for “IBS pain management” for the patented form of bacillus coagulans called Lactospore®.

• General Health: More and more research is coming to light which illustrate the positive overall health benefits of the right kinds of probiotics. Bacillus coagulans has a general overall health benefit because it improves the gut health – increasing the good bacteria and decreasing the bad bacteria. The “gut microbiome”, which is essentially all the various microorganisms living inside the gut, is essential to our health, and bacillus coagulans improves the entire gut microbiome. It also helps with our digestion.

• Immune System: Bacillus coagulans has been shown in a 30 day clinical trial to significantly improve the immune response to both the influenza virus (the flu) and adenovirus. More scientists are realizing that the health of our immune system depends on us having a healthy gut. Also, after you take antibiotics, your gut microbiome will have been compromised. Bacillus coagulans can help jumpstart the process of getting your beneficial bacteria back and working for you again.

• Arthritis: There have been a couple of clinical trials showing how bacillus coagulans can help with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The subjects who took bacillus coagulans showed lower levels of inflammation than the subjects who took a placebo. They also had less pain and a greater ability to walk 2 miles than those who were taking the placebo.

There are more and more studies coming up which will show us even more health benefits. Some other potential benefits of bacillus coagulans may include helping to improve mood, reducing muscle stiffness and aiding recovery after exercise, and decreasing overall inflammation.

What is a proper dose of bacillus coagulans?

One important point to understand is that probiotics are often marketed by touting the number of CFU’s (colony forming units) in a single dose. That number is basically the estimated number of “viable bacteria” or fungal cells in a single dose of a given probiotic. The thinking then goes that it would be “the more the better” essentially. This is why you will see large printing of “15 billion CFU”, or “25 billion CFU”, etc on various labels of different probiotics trying to stand out from the crowd.
The important thing to realize is that this is not even close to the whole story on dosing or potency. Remember, a lot of probiotics die immediately after being ingested. So it doesn’t really matter how many CFU’s you have if most, or all, of them die when you take them. With bacillus coagulans this is very different because the spores will not only survive the harsh environment of the stomach, but actually thrive there. The typical, and well-studied, effective dose of bacillus coagulans is 2 billion CFU.

Where can I buy bacillus coagulans?

We have searched long and hard for the best and most well-studied form of bacillus coagulans we could find. We are using a patented strain called “bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 (Trade name is Lactospore®). We offer it in premium veggie caps and we don’t use any magnesium stearate or unwanted fillers.

Even for us coffee lovers, the nervous and jittery feeling we get from consuming too much caffeine is horrible.

This article is a simple one, and its purpose is to give you the single best way to overcome caffeine jitters.  There is a lot written online about this topic, but I was surprised by how ineffective most of the advice out there is.  Some of the most popular suggestions are to drink more water and to exercise more.  Or eat a banana, things like that.

Don’t get me wrong, you should definitely drink more water.  Exercising is fine too.  And go ahead, eat that banana.  But here is the thing – anyone who has experienced the awful and nervous feeling from excess caffeine knows that these suggestions will barely do anything to reverse the feeling quickly.  Caffeine stays in the system for a long time no matter what.

Here is what you should try:  Take our premium grade L-Theanine.  It’s a natural amino acid found in green tea.  It’s what makes tea feel less jittery than coffee.  Our L Theanine is 250 mg per capsule, whereas tea only contains about 15-25 mg of L Theanine per cup.  L Theanine is very well studied and there are few side effects. We use no fillers at all, and we use quick dissolving veggie capsules.

L Theanine works very quickly.  It won’t make you drowsy, and it has been shown to work synergistically with caffeine.  It provides a very calm and pleasant feeling, and will take the “edge” off of caffeine in a noticeable way.  You will still have the energy from the caffeine, but the nervousness, the excess worry, and the shaky feeling will subside dramatically.

L Theanine is not only for when you have too much caffeine (although that is a great time to have some), but it’s also effective on its own, and it’s great with even a “normal” amount of caffeine.  It will help you focus better and also improve your mood.  And even though it is non drowsy when taken during the day, it can also help give you a deep and restorative sleep when taken before bed.

I hate cranky people.  More accurately, I like them a lot better when they are in a good mood.

Even one poor night’s sleep makes us all feel and act like total garbage.  When we string several sleepless nights together it gets even worse.  We become a pathetic version of ourselves.

Of course, this doesn’t even mention the long-term health consequences of insomnia, and it doesn’t talk about the low productivity and the lack of brain power we experience when we’re walking around like a zombie all day either.

Sleep is important.

It is important for you – and for the people around you too.  I’ve dealt with my own sleep problems as well as witnessed them from a lot of other people.  Let me share with you what I’ve found that works.

Before diving into a list of something obvious, let’s first consider what would be the absolute worst advice possible for a good night’s sleep.  It’s a fun exercise, and it can illustrate what is going wrong.  Then we can look to the polar opposite ideas to help us.

Natural Ways to Ensure you WON’T Fall Asleep

 

1. Drink a huge cup of coffee before bed.

2. Watch a horror movie or a thriller.

3. Leave the door unlocked and imagine people lurking around downstairs.

4. Make a list of all the stressful things in your life and focus on them. Focus specifically on what you are dreading about the next day.

5. Pick a fight with your spouse or someone else in your house. Make sure you are both really upset.

6. Wear some really tight and uncomfortable clothes.

7. Set the temperature of your room to a really hot and uncomfortable temperature. Hopefully it’s humid in there too.

8. Keep all the bedroom lights on.

9. Turn on the brightest lights and stare at your bright computer screen.

What a ridiculous list right?  If you do even one of those things ‘properly’ it’s quite likely you will be tossing and turning all night.  The ‘amazing’ thing is, this list isn’t necessarily too far off what people actually do!  Then they wonder why they are having trouble falling asleep.

The above list will get us in the wrong physiological state to fall asleep.  It will activate all the wrong neurotransmitters and hormones.  We need to almost do the opposite of what is on that list, and therefore get the right hormones and neurotransmitters flowing.  Then falling asleep naturally should be almost as easy as just lying down and closing our eyes.

Let’s try this instead:

 

1. Avoid caffeine after 12 noon. Some people are more sensitive than others to caffeine, but if you are having trouble sleeping, then pay attention to this. The effects of caffeine are still present between 8-14 hours after you had any. This is true even if you don’t “notice” it.

2. Don’t watch any TV or use the internet right before bed. I know, this can be annoying because it’s fun to do that! So if you must, then at least watch some funny show where you don’t need to think much, or read some simple blog that puts you in a good mood. Don’t get all bent out of shape over political stuff. Don’t watch or read anything that makes you excited or nervous or anything like that. Forget about news. Forget about email too. Because just one slightly annoying email from work or someone can ruin the entire night’s sleep. If you can shut off TV and internet, then reading a book or playing some simple game is even better. If you think too much or get too excited about anything, you’ll release more of the stress hormone cortisol. We need corsitol levels to be very low when we’re trying to fall asleep. See ashwagandha below in the supplements.

3. If you do choose to use your computer before bed (I confess, I often do), then you need to download some free software to block the blue light that lights up the screen. Blue light at night from screens negatively impact melatonin and cortisol levels. The newer iphones and ipads already come with “Night Shift”. If you are using a PC then you can download “Flux”. Just “Google it” and you’ll see it. Android has many free aps you can find. Night shift on iphone and twilight on android. When you install this software (very easy to do) then you’ll notice that after sunset, your screen will look “redish”. It’s sort of weird at first but you’ll get used to it after a few hours (at most a few days). It will then seem normal and you’ll find the old bright “blueish” looking screen to seem really intense and annoying. This one trick has helped me significantly getting to bed earlier, and waking up refreshed. The blue light interferes with our melatonin production. We want melatonin levels high when we’re falling asleep. Make sure you try this.

4. Say something nice to your spouse or the other people in your house, and don’t bother saying much at all. Don’t argue about anything. You need your sleep and so do they. Discuss anything bothering you the next day. If you wake up and forget what you were mad about, then great!

5. Do whatever you need to do before you sleep like brush your teeth, use the washroom, get into your most comfy pj’s. Even get a few simple things ready for the next day like picking out your clothes or making breakfast plans. You’ll feel less overwhelmed because you’re taking action. This simple task can help you drift off to sleep feeling like you are already ahead of the game!

6. Set the temperature to a cool and comfortable setting (This can take some negotiation if you have a spouse!) but don’t worry, you’ll figure something out!

7. Try not to think about anything. The day is finished and there is nothing you can do until the next morning anyway. And you’ll need to be fresh then. So the best way to solve anything is to think happy thoughts no matter what situation you are in.

8. Turn off the lights and get the room to as close to total darkness as possible.

9. Try our natural supplement combination (Below)

Yes, I know it’s not always easy to relax and think about nothing.  We’re stressed and we have a lot of things going on in our racing minds.  Shutting our minds off doesn’t seem to be as easy as switching off a light.  I’ve been there and I know exactly what you mean.

It’s also why we have developed some very effective natural supplements to help with sleep.  We have many people from all over the world who take them regularly with great results.

 

I recommend the following combination to try.

 

Ashwagandha – This is a powerful natural herb from India.  It helps to reduce stress and anxiety.  It also lowers the stress hormone cortisol.  Many customers absolutely love this for a deep sleep.  We have an organic, non-GMO, and highly standardized ashwagandha

L-Theanine – This is the relaxing amino acid found in green tea.  It helps relax a racing mind and helps us get a deeper and more peaceful sleep.  It works quickly and it feels very pleasant and peaceful.

Magnesium Bisglycinate – Magnesium is well known to be the “relaxing mineral”. The form of magnesium matters a lot because many do not absorb very well at all.  We use a non-buffered and very pure magnesium bisglycinate, which is great to both boost magnesium levels and for sleep.

SleepX – our popular sleep combo formula. It contains melatonin, l theanine, 5 HTP, l tryptophan, magnesium bisglycinate, passionflower, and vitamin B3 (niacinamide).  It’s great on its own, and even more powerful with the other supplements listed above.

Rhodiola rosea is one of my favorite supplements for reducing stress and anxiety. This is because rhodiola is one of the few non-drowsy anxiety supplements out there. If you have social anxiety, general anxiety disorder (GAD), panic attacks, or you just feel nervous in general, then you’ll often need a supplement that will make you feel calm but not sleepy.

Rhodiola reduces the stress hormone cortisol significantly, and it makes a lot of people feel very relaxed, focused, and terrific because it also stimulates the production of dopamine and serotonin – the body’s “happy” or “feel good” neurotransmitters.

One word of caution here is that the dose of is very important. High quality standardized rhodiola is extremely potent. While you may feel great from 200mg, you may also find that 400mg is way too much and could even cause your anxiety to worsen. This really depends on the type of rhodiola and the person (People vary quite a bit with their individual responses.) Where you buy the supplement matters a lot too. The strains are all different, the potencies are different too. We use an organic rhodiola from Tibet, which is standardized to 3.5% rosavins and 2.5% salidrosides (the 2 main groups of active ingredients) We have a lot of repeat customers all over the world who swear by it for both stress and anxiety.

Rhodiola has been used successfully for thousands of years for people looking to reduce both physical and mental stress, as well as increase their stamina. It is well known for giving Russian athletes a huge edge over their American counterparts in the past, as well as helping stressed out university students during their exams.

There have been more and more studies coming out recently about the positive effects rhodiola has on reducing anxiety.

Here is one study where the participants who took rhodiola extract for 10 weeks showed significantly lower anxiety levels on the HARS test (Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale)

Here is another study done in 2015 where the participants who took rhodiola noticed less anxiety, less stress, less anger, and even less confusion and depression.

Rhodiola is also great to “stack” or combine with other calming or anxiety reducing supplements. Here is a very interesting article on the combination with ashwagandha. It goes into even more detail on how both herbs work individually and in combination with regards to stress, stamina, and anxiety (and a long list of other health benefits) It works great with L-Theanine as well.

We have a lot of customers who take our rhodiola, ashwagandha, and L-Theanine during the day, and then take ashwagandha and SleepX together at night. This daytime blend makes them less stressed, less anxious, more confident, and gives them a better mood. It also gives them energy and doesn’t put them to sleep.

The ashwagandha and SleepX combo helps them fall asleep and stay asleep. It also helps them wake up the following day feeling refreshed and less anxious. You may also be interested in our daytime anxiety blend Zen+. It contains our rhodiola, KSM-66 ashwagandha, and l-theanine along with other calming herbs and aminos.

Magnesium is a great supplement, but there are so many to choose from it can make your head spin.

Many forms of magnesium cause diarrhea, loose stools, gas, cramping, and bloating as unwanted side effects. The reason is that many magnesium supplements do not absorb well enough.

When magnesium doesn’t absorb into the body, it passes into the colon and draws a lot of water along with it. All this extra water in the colon results in diarrhea and the other digestive side effects mentioned above.

The best form of magnesium for highest absorption (ie. won’t cause diarrhea) is non-buffered magnesium bisglycinate.

The “non-buffered” is key. A lot of magnesium bisglyinate (or glycinate) is “buffered”, even though many companies won’t specifically tell you this. If magnesium is “buffered” it means that magnesium oxide has been added and mixed in with it. So even though you may see “magnesium bisglycinate” on the front of a label, you won’t know its “buffered” until you dig a little deeper.

The way to tell is you need to look at the ratio of magnesium bisglycinate to the “elemental” magnesium. If the elemental magnesium is only 10% of the magnesium bisglycinate, then it’s non-buffered (aka Pure). If the elemental magnesium is over 10%, then it has been buffered with oxide.

The reason buffering exists in the first place is that it allows for more elemental magnesium to be in each capsule because magnesium oxide is very high in elemental magnesium.

Check out this article for a comprehensive overview of magnesium bisglycinate.

The issue is that magnesium oxide absorbs very poorly and causes loose stools. Many people actually take pure magnesium oxide or magnesium citrate for the purpose of helping with their constipation. So if you are looking to avoid diarrhea, you really need to get the non-buffered magnesium bisglycinate.

We offer a very pure, non-buffered, magnesium bisglycinate. There are no fillers at all, and it’s in a pure vegetarian capsule. The capsules are also easy to swallow and the magnesium absorbs very well.

A lot of magnesium supplements are in large “horse pills” and very difficult to swallow for many people. Ours are small and very easy.

You may also want to try taking your magnesium on an empty stomach because it will absorb better that way. When magnesium is mixed with a lot of food and specifically fiber, then it can pass into the colon and absorb water and cause gas, bloating, and watery stools. Also, remember to check the labels and take your magnesium within the recommended doses.

5-HTP for Weight Loss, Appetite Suppression, Reduced Sugar Cravings

5-HTP (5-Hydroxy-Tryptophan) is a naturally occurring amino acid with a wide range of health benefits. Here we are going to look at the facts on using 5-HTP to lose weight.

5-HTP works on a different mechanism than do many of the natural weight loss supplements on the market.

What 5-HTP does is naturally suppress your appetite – especially for the unhealthy sugar and fat cravings we get. When we get cravings to “pig out”, we’re often doing it for emotional and hormonal reasons rather than any real need for food.

5-HTP increases serotonin in the brain, our natural “happy hormone”. When we crave sweet food, we are really craving the higher levels of serotonin. Eating junk food dramatically increases our serotonin, but it also adds a bunch of unnecessary calories and inches to our waistlines.

“5-HTP will increase our serotonin, but without any calories. And when our serotonin levels are higher, our moods are better, and our cravings are dramatically reduced.”

It’s a very simple and effective natural way to lose weight and reduce belly fat (because excess belly fat is largely from the unwanted insulin spikes we get when we overeat on sweets)

There have been many double blind studies showing that 5-HTP is effective in reducing body weight, reducing appetite, and lowering caloric intake.

Different studies use different doses of 5-HTP. One study had the participants take 300 mg of 5-HTP before meals. Another study had participants take 750 mg of 5-HTP per day. Both of those are relatively high doses of 5-HTP. A lot of people find 5-HTP to be quite powerful and really want to control their own dose. For that reason we use 100 mg per cap, so that individual people can take different amounts and control their intake. It’s best to start with a low dose and work up.

5-HTP Weight Loss Studies

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1384305
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2468734

Some people love to take 5-HTP during the day, and others use it as a sleep aid at night. Both are fine, so it’s up to you. If you find it makes you drowsy, then using it at night is great to help you fall into a peaceful sleep, rather than staying up with your head in the fridge. If you like the feeling during the day, it can put you in a better mood in addition to helping your waistline.

Our 5-HTP is a pure, naturally sourced, and pharmaceutical grade. We use vegetarian capsules and no magnesium stearate. The quality is excellent. You might consider trying our 5-HTP here

If you are stressed out in addition to having issues with weight, cravings, and overeating, you may also wish to try our organic ashwagandha It reduces the stress hormone cortisol, which will lower your cravings for fat and sugar even more. Read more about ashwagandha and weight loss here.

**Caution. Check with your health care practitioner if you are already taking SSRI’s or other antidepressant or serotonergic medications. People need to be careful to avoid having too much serotonin in the brain in order to avoid serotonin syndrome.**