Gut health is the new hot topic in the health and wellness industry right now, with words like ‘microbiome’ and ‘microbiota’ being used daily in the press. So why has the condition of our gut become so popular and important? Read on to discover why it matters and how you can make the most of current research around the use of probiotics.

Gut health matters

The medical community are beginning to truly appreciate the powerful effects of the gut and how the health of the gut can affect every organ in the body. Current studies and research are identifying that our gut health is vital to pay attention to if we want to live a long and happy life.

Good gut health has been shown to have a multitude of benefits, including reducing the risks of chronic diseases and cancers. Symptoms relating to our mental health, energy levels, hair and skin, are all being linked back to the state of our gut. This of course makes sense when we appreciate that it is the guts’ role to break down the food we eat and absorb the nutrients from that food to support the body’s functions.

Personalisation is key

Each one of us is uniquely different – so are our guts. Research is helping us understand that each person has a personalised gut environment that has and will be shaped by things like our childhood experiences, our environment and our dietary choices. Even our geographical location can affect our gut flora. It is the understanding of this personalised approach to gut health that is opening the market for the demand for at home testing kits in the quest for untangling the complexity of all the different and individual species of bacteria that live in the human gut.

We know that probiotics are good for our gut, so which product would suit you?

‘Off the shelf’ Probiotics

Walk into any health food store today and you will be faced with a multitude of lined shelves of probiotic tablets, shakes, potions and pills. No wonder people are confused!

‘Probiotics’ is a name given to the colonies of live yeasts and bacteria, (of which there are many), that live in your gut. They are designed to help keep you healthy, to fight off the less friendly types of bacteria and boost your immunity against harmful infections. There are many different types of probiotics which will have different effects on the body. For example, you may buy a product that helps with one problem, but that doesn’t mean that it will be beneficial for other problems.

In addition, supplement companies may often choose certain probiotics that are most convenient to use rather than basing their choices on the benefits to the gut. There is no one supplement or strain of probiotic that would benefit everyone’s individual microbiome. For this very reason, it is difficult to support manufacturers’ claims that their product is effective.

How is it best to get your probiotics?

Every day research is showing us that the state of your gut affects every aspect of your health. So, if buying off the shelf probiotics may not be that effective, how best can you look after your gut? Opinions from the medical and scientific community is quite simple. It begins with your diet. If you are eating in a way that supports the diversity of your gut flora, then you are on the right track. Consuming the following foods will supply your body with a huge diverse range of different probiotic strains:

• fruits and vegetables, (aim for 30-40 different types a week).
• eat fermented foods, (kimchi, sauerkraut, natural yoghurts, kombucha, kefir)
• include fibre rich foods, (legumes, whole grains, nuts, pulses)