Probiotics are well known for helping to improve and maintain gut health, but there are so many now - how do you know which one's best for you? We asked Amanda Williams, nutritional therapist and CEO of Cytoplan, which specialises in these types of supplements, to shed some light on what we should be looking for...
The gut health space can be overwhelming if you're looking to improve or maintain your digestive system.
Firstly, there's a wide range of well-known and lesser-known symptoms to consider - from chronic abdominal pain, indigestion and food intolerances to skin irritation, anxiety and sugar cravings - all of which are linked to poor gut health.
It's often said the gut is the seat of all health; a damaged or stressed gut can trigger inflammation, and the gut is the site of 70% of the immune system.
It's therefore fundamental to protect it against infection.
The gut flora is involved in the production of neurotransmitters and short chain fatty acids which communicate with the brain via the vagus nerve - hence gut issues can have a significant effect on cognition.
Also, the gut flora is heavily involved in hormone metabolism - particularly of thyroid, adrenal (stress) and reproductive hormones - so, with any hormone dysregulation condition, gut function should be considered.
There is also strong evidence that gut dysfunction can contribute to obesity and metabolic syndrome.
The gut can be potentially playing a role in almost any health condition.
The basics of gut health should involve healthy lifestyle choices such as eating an anti-inflammatory diet rich in whole foods and fibre, getting plenty of water, mindful eating, and a focus on prebiotic and probiotic foods.
But the balance of bacteria within the gut can be easily disrupted by stress, poor diet, excess alcohol, illness, medication and antibiotic use.
This is where a probiotic supplement can help. It can maintain a balance of beneficial bacteria in our gut.
I believe the power in probiotics is choosing a probiotic supplement that's specifically created with age, gender and lifestyle in mind.
5 things to consider when choosing a probiotic
1 - Age
Our guts age, as we do, and we see changes to the balance of bacteria in the gut.
We also see changes in our ability to produce stomach acid, digestive enzymes and absorb nutrients.
These factors have an influence on the bacteria further down the digestive tract.
Different strains are more suitable depending on our age too, so look for a probiotic that is specifically formulated for yours.
After the age of 40, for example, our levels of Bifidobacterium tend to deplete.
Therefore, it can be useful at this age to select a probiotic that provides higher levels of Bifidobacterium strains.
There are also probiotics which have been designed to support children and babies' microbiomes.
For young children (under 3), it's important to consider strains that have been specifically researched and selected for this age group.
These include Bifidobacterium animalis, Bifidobacterium infantis and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG.
2 - Gender
It's important to consider the difference gender plays too.
A probiotic formulated for women, for example, might include Lactobacillus helvecticus a specific strain which has been shown to provide support to the female ecosystem.
3 - Preference
When choosing the right probiotic supplement, it's important to make sure the strains collectively have activity throughout the whole GI tract, and are acid, bile and anti-biotic resistant.
A multi strain is always a good idea as this will support a more diverse microbiome.
Consider how you would prefer to take your probiotic. Go for a capsule if that's how you usually take nutritional supplements or, if you have a morning smoothie, a probiotic powder might suit you better.
4 - Lifestyle
It's useful to support your gut health before and during travelling.
Changes to your environment, food, water and other bacteria can lead to disturbed digestion or gut derived infections.
The probiotic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii is often used by travellers to protect against infections.
It competes with pathogenic microorganisms for space and resources as well as supporting gut immunity.
A good multi strain probiotic can also be useful for travelling.
A healthy balance of gut flora will support normal nutrient absorption, waste product detoxification and immune function.
Multi-strain probiotics such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium genera can be supportive for those with more active lifestyles too.
5 - Use
A broad multi-strain probiotic can be appropriate for long-term use.
A hundred years ago every mouthful of food had 1000x more bacteria in it compared to today, so we were constantly re-inoculating our guts.
In today's society we exist in a more sterile environment and therefore have less exposure to these health supporting bugs.
A probiotic supplement can help to provide beneficial bacteria that we no longer get from our diets.
If using a high potency or specific strain probiotic, it would be more beneficial to use these in the short term, then switch to a broad spectrum multi-strain variety.
Pets can also benefit from consuming more live bacteria, but always make sure the products are specifically designed for your furry-friends.
Overall, try to look for a probiotic with several different species of live bacteria and effective strains which can withstand stomach and bile acids.
A multi-strain probiotic is always a good idea since it will support a more diverse microbiome.
Cytoplan recently introduced a new technology to protect a number of probiotic supplements to withstand stomach and bile acids.
GUARD (Gut Acid Resistant Delivery) technology has been introduced on top-selling probiotics such as Women's Biotic and Acidophilus Plus which now include NutraJIT® technology - an innovative and natural ingredient that protects the bacterial strains from stomach acid.
It also enables the timed release of probiotics within the gut, maximising the probiotic efficacy at the ideal site of action in the body.
To find the right probiotic to suit you depending on your age, gender and lifestyle, it might be helpful to explore Cytoplan's extensive range of probiotics.
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