Okay, so at the end of August last year I was *sent a box of probiotics by this company called lovebug to try out. Now, when it comes to MY health I'm hardly ever up to speed on supplements. I know, I know. I always forget to take my vitamins, and I usually put off doctor visits to the very last minute. My idea of research is usually to send a text to my sister-in-law asking "Hey, will this kill me?" or "So, do the ingredients in this look sketchy?" If she says "You're good to go." I proceed. If she says "Yea...maybe you shouldn't...some of those ingredients I've never even heard of." Well, I still give it a go if it's a fitness supplement (because fatburners aren't technically good for you anyway), but if it's anything else I put it back. This box was no different. And guess what, y'all? I was given the green light.
First let me just give you a brief overview of what probiotics do for you. There are a lot of people out there that suffer from digestive issues. You know, that cramping pain, or frequent constipation? And other times it seems like you get sick basically every month, or maybe start to have persistent headaches that feel like they came out of nowhere. Sometimes the problem is as simple as you having had one too many tacos. Or maybe you just aren't eating that well overall and it's catching up to you? However, it can also be the cause of a bacteria imbalance in your gut. Weird right? We have over 100 trillion bacteria in our bodies. Both the good kind, and the bad ones. And having too much of the bad bacteria can send your immunity system down the drain, and cause you lot of discomfort. So, a probiotic is taken to introduce good bacteria back into your gut which then makes you feel a hell of a lot better. If you want to get more information on the scientific side there are a lot of articles that lovebug publishes, and even doing a simple Google search will bring up a lot of information for you to peruse through at your convenience.
Now, I know you're probably thinking "What's the difference between this probiotic compared to lets say any other probiotic that you'd find at your local Wal-Mart or Target?" Right? Well, the three major differences that lovebug claim to offer are that they're pills are 15x more effective, consist of a blend of bacteria strains rather than just a single strain, and they don't include any unnecessary ingredients. So basically, what they're saying is that their pills will make it all the way down into your gut despite all of the stomach acids it will have to travel through. They call this "BIO-tract technology". And they're going to be delivering several strains that total to 3 billion good bacteria in a single dose (one pill). AND they aren't going to throw anything else into the mix. They are gluten-free, non-gmo, and they don't add unnecessary additives. They offer four adult probiotic supplements, two of those specifically for women, and then four others that are for children (by age group). When you order through their website you get to choose the number of bottles you would like to have delivered each month, and shipping is on them. Prices vary depending on which product you choose. However, if a subscription isn't your thing (or maybe you just aren't into long term commitments) then they also offer their products over on Amazon that gives you a "one time purchase" option. They don't hike up the prices either. All of these probiotics range between $26-$32 bucks in both buying options for a one month supply.
Finally lets talk about what I actually thought about them. I tried all of these supplements over the course of five months. I'm bad at this remember? I'll start by saying that I really loved the packaging. As you can see they came in bright blue, glass, bottles. All of the ingredients, and directions were listed on the back. The size of these pills weren't what I would normally call "horse pills", BUT I did have a little trouble there at first. Once I got that down, everything was smooth sailing. After the first two weeks I was able to notice some subtle differences. I started with "Here's The Skinny", followed it up with "Yeast is a Beast", and finished up with "Colds Suck". Now, all of these helped keep my digestive system, ahem, on track. Every morning. However, after the first week of being on "Yeast is a Beast" there was something a little unusual (for me) happening. If you're a guy reading this, skip ahead, or don't. Your choice. Now, vaginal discharge is just a part of a woman's body. Unless it's a pretty weird color, accompanied by itching/burning, and has a nasty odor there isn't much to worry about. I noticed after taking "Yeast is a Beast" that mine became really stringy. This kind of discharge can be normal during your menstrual cycle, ovulation, or during pregnancy. And I had actually experienced this before, however, while taking this probiotic mine was extra stringy the entire time. Once I stopped it went back to normal. Again, it wasn't a huge deal, but it was a difference that I noticed. "Colds Suck" was taken all through the month of December. With the flu going around, and being worse than ever, I didn't want to chance it. Whether it worked or not, all I can say is that I didn't get sick. Even when people in my workplace were dropping like flies. That alone made me feel like taking this probably helped.
So, overall I found these to be pretty great. You guys know that I wouldn't recommend anything that I didn't feel was worth trying. I'm also going to be completely honest about anything that I get, or try out. Whether I paid for it myself, or it was sent to me for a review. That said, as all of you know, financially things have been pretty tight for me. So, I budget everything, and these didn't make the cut. They are definitely on the pricier side. Instead I opted for daily vitamins, and I take them when I remember to. But in all honesty, if I could afford to buy these again, I totally would. I really want to look into getting some for my daughter sometime in the future too. Now, if you can afford to get them, or if you just want to try out probiotics for the first time then I definitely recommend lovebug. I feel like they'd be a great introduction to probiotics for the family. Do any of you take health supplements that you feel helped out a lot? Do you know of any other companies out there that offer some of the same benefits at a lower cost? Has anyone come across any research concerning "cons" in regards to taking a probiotic? I really don't think there would be any, but you never know, right? If you have any questions, because I'm sure I probably left something out, let me know below.
*I was sent three bottles in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to make future purchases, or endorse them. All opinions in this post are my own.
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