New Study says Canadians Puzzled by Probiotic Health Benefits

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Swiss Natural

Apr 17, 2012, 08:00 ET

Swiss NaturalTM Probiotic Age® designed to take confusion out of probiotics for each life stage

TORONTO, April 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Canadians have likely heard that probiotics are good to have in our diet but do we really understand the importance of this gut friendly bacteria and how it helps our digestive organs function properly? New research* from Swiss Natural™, Canada's trusted provider of vitamins, minerals, herbals and supplements for more than 40 years and the makers of Probiotic Age®, reveals that 42% of Canadians are unfamiliar with what probiotics do.  Furthermore, 65% of Canadians say they have not taken probiotic supplements.

Swiss Natural Probiotic Age is available in Child, Adult and Adult 50+. They have been scientifically formulated to take the confusion out of probiotics by combining the right strains of friendly bacteria with the right number of active cells, specifically designed for each life stage.  Just one capsule contains the right amount of probiotics your system needs.

Recommended for people suffering from gastrointestinal upset including constipation and diarrhea, probiotics help to restore the normal levels of good bacteria in the intestinal tract that might have been depleted by antibiotic treatments or medications. Probiotics have also been known to help chronic yeast infections and urinary tract infections.

"Research shows that we need to have friendly bacteria in our bodies to remain healthy and one such type of beneficial bacteria is probiotic bacteria," says Dr. Elvis Ali, ND, Naturopathic Doctor, Swiss Natural.  "Probiotic bacteria are live microorganisms that help rebalance our intestinal tract and inhibit the growth of bad bacteria, particularly those responsible for gastrointestinal upset."

Probiotics 101
     
√   Probiotics are live microorganisms that help rebalance our intestinal tract and inhibit the growth of bad bacteria
     
√   Probiotics can be taken on a daily basis to maintain healthy intestinal flora
     
√   c.f.u. stands for colony forming units - the standard measure used by Health Canada to quantify the number of live active cells in a probiotic product
     
√   Important to use probiotics that are designed with a specific age group in mind to ensure the most beneficial strains are included in the product.

Be Pro-active to lead a Healthy Lifestyle
While the best-known source of probiotics is yogurt that contains live bacteria culture, the experts at Swiss Natural suggest complementing your diet with a probiotic supplement.  Swiss Natural Probiotic Age has 7 times more active cells than the leading probiotic yogurt brand and contains specific strains and colony forming units (c.f.u.) for optimum intestinal health for each specific age range.

"As we age, our bodies change.  Our intestinal flora is made up of different strains that change from childhood to adulthood to seniors," says Dr. Elvis.  "It's important to use probiotics that are designed with a specific age group in mind to ensure the most beneficial strains are included in the product."

A Whole Lot of Probiotics in a Convenient Capsule
The survey also revealed that 39% of all Canadians are not sure if they are getting enough probiotics in their diet and close to half of all Canadians (47%) do not consciously choose foods that contain probiotics.

"Our busy on-the-go lives sometimes make it difficult to find the time to consume foods that contain friendly bacteria.  Almost 40% of Canadians are unsure if they get enough probiotics in their diet from eating certain foods and, as a result, may not be getting enough (probiotics) to help maintain healthy intestinal flora." says Dr. Elvis.  "Swiss Natural Probiotic Age is a healthy and convenient way for Canadians to consume multiple probiotic strains and the right number of active cells to rebalance their intestinal tract."

Swiss Natural Probiotic Age is offered in Child, Adult and Adult 50+ and available at all major retailers ($18.99 MSRP).  With no refrigeration required, the easy-open capsules are ideal for those who have difficulty swallowing pills and are blister-packed for freshness and convenience.

Top Five Probiotic Foods to Add to Your Diet
In addition to taking a probiotic supplement such as Swiss Natural Probiotic Age, Canadians can also contribute to their wellness by eating good food sources of probiotics that are fermented, curdled or churned to guarantee live delivery to the gut:

  1. Yogurt - one of the best probiotic foods
  2. Dark Chocolate - a high-quality dark chocolate has 4x the amount of probiotics as many forms of dairy
  3. Sauerkraut - Rich in healthy live cultures including Vitamins B, A, E and C
  4. Miso Soup - A probiotic rich Japanese soup
  5. Pickles - the common green pickle is an excellent food source of probiotics

Survey Says…

The survey also revealed the following insights into Canadians' point-of-view on probiotics:

  • Of those Canadians who have taken probiotics:
    • 52% say they take them to help maintain overall health
    • 54% say they take probiotics to help with digestion
    • 41% say they take them to help improve immune system

  • Residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba are most unfamiliar with the health benefits of probiotics (49%) compared to people in British Columbia at 39%

  • Only 49% of Canadian males are familiar with the health benefits of probiotics compared to females at 67%

  • Only 17% of people living in Atlantic Canada have taken probiotic supplements compared to 23% of Ontarians and 30% of Albertans

  • 45% of Canadians aged 55+ are not sure if they get enough probiotics in their diet from eating certain foods and 13% know they do not

About Swiss Natural
Swiss Herbal Remedies Ltd. was established in 1965 and is Canadian owned and operated. The company began with natural health food stores located in Toronto. After much success, the company began importing, manufacturing, wholesaling and distributing natural supplements. Since then the company has grown to include over 400 vitamins, minerals and supplements under the Swiss Natural™ brand name. Today, Swiss Natural™ employs over 140 people across the country supplying natural health products to retail partners and distributing many products internationally. Swiss Natural™ pillar brands include, Natural HRT®, Total One® Multi Vitamins and Probiotic Age®. For more information, visit www.swissnatural.com.

*About the survey
On February 1, 2012, VisionCritical conducted an online survey among 1,004 randomly selected Canadian adults who are VisionCritical Forum panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is - 3.1% The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure samples representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

SOURCE Swiss Natural