What is Live Bacteria?

Live bacteria are micro-organisms that can be found everywhere on the planet, in the coldest places, the hottest places, the highest and lowest places. Live bacteria can be found on the highest mountains, the deepest oceans, the hottest deserts and the coldest ice caps.

However, live bacteria are also found on our bodies, in every single nook, cranny and crevice and there are huge amounts of live bacteria in our digestive system and gut. This live bacteria is crucial, not just to the workings of our digestive system and gut, but to our overall health and wellbeing too.

Without live bacteria, our immune system would immediately stop working and that would be catastrophic for our health, leading to almost immediate death. Live bacteria helps to digest our food, absorb nutrients, positively influence our immune system and help to ‘crowd’ out disease causing bacteria that can cause sometimes, life-threatening gut infections, like clostridium difficile and some of the bacteria responsible for severe food poisoning episodes.

There are also huge amounts of evidence supporting the use of taking live bacteria supplements to help improve many common digestive and gut disorders and are recommended after a course of antibiotics to help re-populate the intestines, but also to help reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, bloating, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhoea, indigestion and heartburn.

The term live bacteria is sometimes used instead of the word probiotics. The word probiotics is used less and less as it is considered to be a health claim under the Nutrition & Health Claims Regulations 2007.

Examples of Live bacteria are lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacterium breve. This is what the World Health Organisation has to say about live micro-organisms, including live bacteria:

“Live micro-organisms when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit to the host.”


What are Live Cultures?

Live Cultures are micro-organisms that can be found in food products such as yogurts and saukerkraut. However, live cultures can also include yeasts and fungi, not just live bacteria.

Subscribe and Save 20% each month!