I’m sure many of you reading this take probiotics, or you have heard that you should be taking them. It’s true, you should be taking them, every day, forever. I truly believe in ‘cradle to grave’ probiotic supplementation.
Did you know that scientists are suggesting we have more bacteria living in us than we do human cells? We are only about 10% human! Staggering, isn’t it? Clearly, it’s a good idea to develop a healthy relationship with these microorganisms because they can help us or hinder us. In a healthy balanced environment, the beneficial bacteria (probiotics) make up a significant proportion of the total microflora in your body and on your skin.
However, in many individuals there is a deficit of beneficial bacteria and an overgrowth of non-beneficial or even pathogenic bacteria, which results in a situation called dysbiosis. This occurs mostly due to a poor diet, but is also the result of pharmaceutical medication use, stress, alcohol misuse, inflammation, infection, poor digestion, and daily exposure to chemicals in our drinking water that are toxic to friendly bacteria. I have long said that if I were in charge of the country, probiotics would be put in the water supply so that everyone gets a daily dose. However, that will never happen, so we need to rely on food and supplements for probiotics. Food sources include yoghurt (preferably full fat Greek yoghurt with bio cultures), sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and kombucha.
It’s not always possible to consume these foods in adequate amounts on a regular basis and not everyone enjoys the flavour of yoghurt or sauerkraut, which is why I believe we need to be taking a daily Live Bacteria capsule. The older we get, the more important it becomes to take probiotics. Once we reach the age of 50, the gut microbiome changes and the more pathogenic strains of bacteria can become the dominant ones, which is why many people start to experience more digestive and gut symptoms, as well as food intolerances and UTIs as they age, not forgetting an increased risk of developing bowel cancer.
I talk more about my Live Bacteria capsules in this video, including when I would recommend taking them – after antibiotics, after a gut infection like food poisoning (the number one cause of developing IBS), to help better manage diverticular disease and prevent the nasty diverticulitis flare-ups, to reduce food intolerances, to reduce acid reflux; as well as for women who are going through the menopause and are getting acid reflux, bloating and constipation. I also mention the importance of probiotics for pregnant women who may have to take antibiotics, and how important it is for them to give their baby infant probiotics when it’s born.
In addition, you can hear me talk a little about my For Women probiotic capsules, and how I developed these capsules that contain a unique strain of bacteria called lacto reuteri that’s been shown to help reduce UTIs, thrush and BV, thus supporting the vagina, urinary and bladder health. My For Women capsules also contain two extra bacterial strains to help support digestive, gut, and immune health.
I always recommend taking probiotics after any course of antibiotics or after a gut infection for a minimum of three months to rebalance and replenish the gut and support the immune system, reducing the risk of further infections. You can read the science behind how probiotics can improve immune system responses, stool consistency, bowel movement, and vaginal lactobacilli concentration in this review.
As I have already mentioned, we should all be taking probiotics daily – for life! After all, isn’t it worth it for less than £1 a day to help ensure your digestive system, gut, bladder, urinary system, vagina, immune system, not to mention cognitive health is kept in tip top condition? Probiotics are the best anti-ageing supplement around!
If you have any questions about any of our supplements, please get in touch.
