HMF Probiotics
/As always, I recommend that you seek the advice of a licensed healthcare practitioner to guide you as to what can best support your health regarding this topic.
Probiotic supplements have been a mainstay of my practice for the past 30 years. The human intestine has all types of microscopic microbes living there. Some are not so friendly and some are very friendly. Great health happens when there is a balance between various different types of microbes within the intestine. Probiotics are the friendly type and are sometimes found in unhealthy low amounts due to many factors. Using probiotics is what is referred to as balancing the microbiome.
Specifically, I have mostly used HMF (Human MicroFlora) Probiotics from Genestra in my practice. I have used these HMF Probiotics brand because they work so well. I also like that they are not made from dairy products which many people are intolerant to.
More and more research is being done on the microbiome and how it relates to our overall health, our brain health, our emotional health, and our intestinal health. After all, our gut is known as our second brain, secreting many of the same types of chemicals found in the brain contained within our head.
Long before the wealth of information and recent explosion of research on probiotics and the microbiome came on the scene, naturopathic doctors and other healthcare practitioners were using probiotics to help improve their patient’s health for decades. More research on this topic is needed to be done in order to assist with the precision of prescribing these useful supplements.
Having said that, there has not been much change in the way I have prescribed HMF probiotics over the past 30 years. I occasionally test for beneficial flora in stool samples, or use electrodermal screening to assess the need for them, but often, it’s obvious to me as to what is needed from clinical experience.
Should everyone take a probiotic?
No. Some people can achieve balanced gut health with diet alone. As well, most people I see with a condition known as SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) do not tolerate probiotics in the early course of their treatment.
On the other hand, many people benefit tremendously from HMF Probiotics, both for short term use and for long term use. People on medications like antibiotics, steroids, birth control pills, etc., etc., would be well-advised to use probiotics. People with chronic diseases would be wise to investigate whether a probiotic could benefit their health. Obesity, which is an epidemic in our North American culture, is aggravated by microbiome imbalances.
The following are some specific HMF products that I use in practice and the reasons I use them.
This is the probiotic I use most frequently in my practice for all age ranges. It contains the prebiotic FOS (Fructooligosaccharides) which serves as fuel to increase the friendly bacteria in the intestine. I do not use this probiotic if someone has bloating as a major complaint since the FOS can aggravate this symptom.
HMF Intensive and HMF IBS Relief
I use this probiotic for patients with IBS, for those who have bloating (since it does not contain FOS), and for people who have completed a successful course of treatment for SIBO and the introduction of a probiotic is well indicated.
The link with obesity and an imbalanced microbiome is gaining much research. This is a high potency probiotic that I use with people who are obese, along with nutritional changes, and along with tools for addressing emotional/social eating patterns.
This is the best choice of probiotic to take after taking pharmaceutical antibiotics.
I use this probiotic for pregnant moms and moms in the postpartum period.
I use this in babies who have colic and other intestinal disturbances. I also use this in babies who were delivered via C-section as they have not received the benefit from the mother’s flora as they would have through a vaginal delivery. If the mother was given antibiotics during pregnancy or postpartum, I will also use this probiotic in infants. If the baby has signs of yeast such as thrush or diaper rash, I will use this as supportive therapy along with other treatment recommendations.
I use these for patients whom I want on high quality HMF probiotics but who cannot afford the HMF products with higher levels of good bacteria in their formulations. HMF Capsules do not contain the prebiotic FOS (Fructooligosaccharides) and the HMF Forte does contain FOS.
HMF Child, HMF Fit For School and HMF Child + Multi
Along with a healthy diet, one of the easiest ways of supporting the immune system in children is by using these chewable probiotics.
I use this a lot in practice for patients to take while travelling to a foreign country. The microbiota in food and drink in other places is different than what people are familiar with at home. I like that this probiotic also contains the microbe strain called Saccharomyces boulardii that helps with potential diarrhea that can occur during travels. I also like that this HMF probiotic, like the HMF intensive shelf-stable capsules, doesn’t need to be in the fridge as many of the other HMF probiotics do.
Diaper rash, vaginal irritation, vaginal yeast infections, eczema, and some types of other rashes are the situations I use this cream. HMF Vaginal Health suppositories are also beneficial for vaginal yeast infections or used to replenish good bacteria after antibiotics are used for treatment.
UTIs and vaginal infections are caused by many factors, and if recurrent, this probiotic is a great supportive tool, along with dietary changes, to help support a healthy urinary tract and vaginal health. I also use HMF UTI in similar situations.
What I also like about HMF Probiotics, is that they have a high degree of stability at room temperature for up to 20 days, so that if people forget to put their HMF supplements in the fridge for a period of time, the optimal quality and viability of the probiotic is not affected. Testing has been done to show that this is so in a room temperature of 25°C over 20 days.
In conclusion, I love HMF Probiotics. I use them intermittently myself, as I achieve good gut health mostly through diet and through the use of intermittent ox bile. My husband takes HMF intensive daily and on a long term basis to maintain his overall health and intestinal health. My family takes HMF Travel when travelling to Mexico on vacation and other locations around the world. I will continue using HMF products for myself, my family and my patients, until I come across something better - which up to date for the past 30 years, I have not yet found and thus have had no need to change.
For all of you, I wish great health!