According to probiotics entrepreneur Heather Holmes, the human body naturally contains trillions of good and bad bacteria that must stay in balance for optimal health.

This balance is fragile and often disrupted by changes in environment or routine, diet, oral antibiotics, a woman’s period or sex. Good probiotic bacteria, introduced through foods, supplements and environmental cleaning products, can keep your digestive tract and everything around you clean, healthy and safe. In other words, probiotics are beneficial inside the body and outside the body.

External probiotics

P2 Probiotic Power is a line of food-grade, non-GMO, chemical-free probiotic products that create a barrier against bad bacteria, killing germy invaders and keeping them away by safely cleaning and protecting teeth, skin, hands, air, kitchen and bathroom surfaces, hotel rooms, airplane trays, air vents and pets. Countertops, cutting boards, washing machines, your pet’s water bowl, and baby rattles all harbor bad bacteria. Failing to add beneficial probiotics into your home environment can leave you and your household vulnerable to bad bacteria that can cause illness. Bleach, disinfectants and anti-bacterial products can cause bad bacteria to strengthen and multiply.

Internal probiotics

The two most common strains of internal probiotics, lactobacillus and bifodobacterium, live in the digestive system, urinary system and genitalia. They help send food through your gut, absorb nutrients and protect the body against potentially harmful invasions by bad bacteria. These beneficial probiotic strains can be found in fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kombucha, kimchi and pickles, to name a few. While probiotics are often prescribed for problems or the overall health of the digestive system, they’re capable of more — benefiting other areas of the body and our external environment.

Digestion

More than 100 million Americans suffer from issues related to their gut or GI tract, such as constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating, nausea or abdominal discomfort. In fact, overgrowth of bad bacteria in your gut has also been linked to obesity and even depression. Most of your body’s immune cells (70 to 80 percent) are in your gut, so it’s to your benefit to consider probiotic options that may help you ease a condition. Since gut health plays a vital role in our overall wellness, taking a supplement like vitafusion Probiotic helps to provide good bacteria to the digestive tract.

Digestive health for kids

There are even probiotics to help support your little one’s digestive system. One serving of L’il Critters Probiotic supports digestive health by delivering good bacteria to the digestive tract — in a gummy that kids enjoy.

Vaginal health

Women have tried various lactobacillus supplements (i.e. acidophilus) and even yogurt to help with vaginal issues. But the bacteria found in yogurt for digestion and immunity will not help maintain good vaginal health. RepHresh Pro-B is a tiny, once-daily supplement that balances yeast and bacteria and maintains healthy vaginal flora by delivering two probiotic strains specific to the vagina, Rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus Reuteri RC-14. When yeast and bacteria are in balance, beneficial bacteria thrive, and yeast and harmful bacteria are unable to take control. A vaginal probiotic like Pro-B keeps the vaginal flora healthy every day.

There are many new probiotic options to benefit your internal and external health.