Updated 24th September 2018
Once unheard of, the term ‘probiotics’ is now a household name. Awareness around the importance of looking after your ‘friendly bacteria’ has risen dramatically in the last decade and people are now starting to understand that optimal health starts in the gut. They are even prescribed by many vets to support the gut health of animals!
There are around 100 trillion bacteria that live mostly in your gut. This is made up of a mixture of beneficial bacteria and other more harmful types that need to be kept to a minimum. It’s crucial that the good guys outnumber the bad; that way there’s less chance of them causing any harm. As well as supporting a healthy gut environment and being an important part of the immune system, beneficial bacteria help to produce essential nutrients and can even affect how you think and feel.
The balance between good and bad bacteria is strongly influenced by diet and lifestyle choices, and unfortunately, the typical Western diet and lifestyle is more conducive to feeding the bad guys and starving the good.
Many people choose to add ‘probiotic yoghurt drinks’ to their diets in a bid to boost the good guys. And in theory this is a good idea. However, it’s unlikely that this habit is doing your health as much good as you might think.
Beneficial bacteria are living organisms that are easily damaged and have a very limited shelf life. Many probiotic drinks may once have contained beneficial bacteria but it is unlikely that there are many left by the time they reach your shopping basket, and even if there are they are highly unlikely to survive the harsh conditions in the journey from your mouth, through your stomach and into the gastrointestinal tract. These drinks are also usually loaded with sugar.
Our advice is to steer clear of sugar-laden ‘probiotic drinks’ and instead follow these guidelines on how to nurture a healthy balance of good bacteria.