The safest, most effective therapies for optimal health!

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by Ellen Landauer

Garden of Life Probiotics
A Review

Garden of Life Probiotics is a brand some of my customers have asked about, hence this article.

Below is my long-term personal experience of them, as well as some comments about best species of beneficial bacteria to take as a supplement.

PHOTO ABOVE: Natren - BEST probiotics!

The Garden of Life Probiotics are in tablet form and not refrigerated. The tablets are very large, brown color like dirt, and hard.

This already tells me that any beneficial bacteria that may be in that product, that are actually suitable for humans, are already very dead.

However the soil-based spore-forming bacteria in the product are in dormant spore form and begin to multiply copiously as soon as they are released in the gut. This is actually NOT a good thing!

**A lot of companies making probiotic products prefer spore-forming bacteria, because that saves them the trouble and expense of keeping products under refrigeration.**

Spore-forming bacteria  (also called 'soil-based,' 'bacterial soil organisms,' 'homeostatic soil organisms' and 'soil organisms') - are claimed to be much 'tougher' than strains like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. That's correct. They will survive extreme heat, chemical exposure, freezing, and more. This is because the spores have protective coating that keeps the DNA from being damaged by disinfectants, alcohol, boiling, etc.

The nearly indestructable nature of spore-forming 'soil-based' bacteria is actually to our disadvantage. I will explain.

Commonly, companies that make beneficial bacteria formulas use spore-forming bacteria that are not beneficial for humans. Once you ingest them, it is EXTREMELY hard to get rid of them. Yes, they consume some bad bacteria in our gut and initially we might feel like they are helping us.

Because soil organisms are spore formers, they can compete with fungal organisms rather well. Initially when people (myself included) use them, they may feel better. 

NOTE: A good many positive product reviews are submitted during the initial 'honeymoon' phase of using a product; buyer beware!

BUT spore forming bacteria will then begin destroying beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Bulgaricum. This is increasingly detrimental to our gut health AND overall health the longer it goes on. 'Soil-based' bacteria take over the gut biome, unbalancing it more and more as they kill the beneficial organisms we humans REALLY need. ALSO, soil organisms can incorporate random genetic materials into their structure - with unknown consequences to us.

Because they are spore-forming they are tenacious, like an infection you can't seem to get rid of, no matter how hard you try.

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Garden of Life Probiotics:
NOT Suited to Human Gut Biome

Spore-forming bacteria are utilized by plants in various ways. But WE ARE NOT PLANTS! Humans need different kinds of bacteria to benefit the gut than plants need around their roots!

The BEST products are based around beneficial bacteria that already live in the gut boime of a healthy human. Lactobacillus, Bifidobacteria and Bulgaricum are typical examples. Our dogs benefit from these as well!

Yes, we may get a small amout of soil based bacteria from our vegetables. However, these bacteria were NEVER meant to be a significant part of our human gut biome. To take in an inordinately huge amount of spore forming bacteria can seriously imbalance our intestinal health. A perfect example is a spore-forming bacteria called Clostridium difficile. It wipes out beneficial bacteria and once established, causes severe diarrhea and is VERY hard to get rid of. This species commonly takes over after a course of antibiotics.

Because we take in a small amount of soil-based bacteria with our vegetables, we do not need to take them as a supplement; actually supplementing with them is a BAD idea! We need to take probiotics such as Bulgaricum, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium to keep our gut healthy.

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Garden of Life Probiotics:
My Experience

Garden of Life Probiotics were made from soil-based, spore-forming bacteria. Some of these species are a danger to humans. 

When I was ill with mercury poisoning, I found 'Primal Defense,' their 'beneficial' bacteria product. I cousulted with an 'expert' who sold it and started a consistent long-term protocol with it and a couple of their other products.

Like many others, I initially felt some benefit. BUT the longer I stayed on the products (months), the worse I felt.

I asked the woman who had sold me the products what she thought. 'It's a 'cleansing reaction,' she said.

So I kept taking the products and kept feeling sicker and sicker. My aches and pains intensified, my head hurt, my mood and energy took a nosedive.

Finally, I thought I should take a break and see how I felt. By this time in my mercury toxicity trials and tribulations, I had a pretty good idea what a cleansing/detox reaction felt like. In doing colonics, coffee enemas and EDTA Chelation suppositories, any detox reaction was followed by a noticeable increase in vitality and uplifted mood.

The Garden of Life Probiotics kept making me feel progressively worse. Once I decided to cut them entirely out of my protocol, I slowly began to feel more alive, more like myself. In doing further research and looking at many reviews of the company and its products, I discovered that there were a good number of people whose experience was much like mine.

The reviews I recently researched were made years after Garden of Life Probiotics formula was changed to remove most of the soil-based bacteria. Common complaints are bloating, brain fog, diarrhea, nausea, rashes, etc. Apparently the present product contains gluten and other excipients that are still making people sick.

This company charges an outlandish price for their formulas, which are cheaply made. Why pay to feel worse?

I vowed never to take Garden of Life Probiotics again!

NOTE: Another good reason to avoid Garden of Life Probiotics - the company is now owned by NESTLE!

Truly viable, beneficial products need to be refrigerated at ALL stages of production, shipping and personal use. That is one of many reasons there is only ONE brand I recommend.

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Ellen Landauer is an expert with over 40 years in-depth study and experience of the safe and effective use of nutritional supplements, botanical extracts and detoxification methods.

She is Certified as an Advanced Practitioner of Structural Integration body therapy developed by Dr. Ida P. Rolf - also known as Rolfing. This hands-on therapy is the deepest, most comprehensive body alignment therapy. 

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Ellen Landauer is also a  PUBLISHED AUTHOR!

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To learn more about Ellen Landauer, see her detailed bio HERE

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