Probiotics and Gut Health

We each have approximately 1kg of bacteria living in our gut. Most of these bacteria are essential to our well-being and having the right variety and balance is important. The gut bacteria have a critical role to play in digesting food, regulating weight and keeping our immune systems working properly.

Sometimes our gut bacteria get out of balance and have an affect our health. This can happen for various reasons including illness, stress, obesity and ageing. Taking too many antibiotics is particularly harmful because it kills good bacteria as well as bad.

Symptoms of Poor Gut Health

You may be suffering from poor gut health without even realising it. Often, we attribute symptoms to other causes because they don’t obviously relate to our gut. Any of the following symptoms may be a sign that your gut bacteria are out of balance:

  • Digestive problems
  • Tiredness
  • Depression
  • Painful joints
  • Food allergies
  • Skin conditions
  • Anxiety

What to Eat for a Healthy Gut

You can do a lot to help your gut health by eating a good diet and avoiding certain foods. The following tips will not only benefit your gut health but are recommended for good health in general:

  • Eat high fibre foods
  • Have a diet based mainly on plant-based food – the more variety, the better
  • Avoid red meat, processed food and sugar
  • Reduce fats
  • Include probiotics in your diet

Probiotics

Sometimes even a healthy diet isn’t enough to keep your gut healthy, and you might need some help. Probiotics are good bacteria that are available in food products and supplements. They can help to restore your gut’s natural balance, particularly following an illness that has affected your gut or after taking antibiotics.

Probiotics are found naturally in fermented foods, particularly fermented dairy products, and are added to fortified food products. The most commonly consumed is yoghurt, but many people are opting to take supplements.

Before starting to take a probiotic supplement, you should get professional advice. Your local pharmacy can help you find a product that suits your particular needs

Two products that have been found to be effective in achieving a good balance of healthy bacteria are: 

  1. Solgar Advanced Multi-Billion Dophilus capsules help to maintain healthy bacteria levels in the intestine by providing 5 billion microorganisms in each dose. They are ideal for use after taking antibiotics and suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
  1. Solgar Advanced Acidophilus Plus is an advanced Probiotic that provides specially cultured strains of L. acidophilus and B. lactis. These are beneficial microorganisms that survive stomach acidity and naturally reside in the lower digestive tract.

If you feel unwell, have aches and pains or feel depressed and don’t know why you should consider whether your gut is to blame. Seeking sound advice and taking steps to rebalance your gut bacteria could change your life for the better. 

Click to view our Probiotics collection or call in-store for advice.