Take the Toughest Type of Probiotics to Get the Benefits

Q. I've heard you say a daily probiotic keeps your system running smoothly, and that the best probiotics are the spore form type, but I can't find one. Would you suggest a few good probiotic brands?
-- Linda R., via e-mail

A. Spore forms are the Chuck Norris of probiotics: total tough guys. They have to be to survive splashing around in your stomach's acid bath -- a must for you get their probiotic benefits. Wimpier types (including the live cultures in yogurt) often throw in the towel.

We know three brands that are as tough as Chuck Norris: Digestive Advantage and Sustenex, which have armor-like shells, and Culturelle, a probiotic that actually gets turned on by stomach acids.

Why take probiotics? The good bacteria in them do more than keep your digestive tract peaceful. Probiotics also counteract antibiotics (which can send your stomach on a Ferris wheel ride); fight inflammation, urinary tract infections, and ulcers; ease allergies; and even deter weight gain.

Find out how probiotics could help you lose stubborn weight.