If you want to look after your health, it’s essential that you get your digestive system working to its full potential.
If it’s not—even with the best diet—your gut won’t be able to cope, your food won’t be digested properly, and you won’t get all of the essential nutrients you need from your food. And if your body doesn’t get the nutrients it needs, it will increase your risk of health issues.
Any help you can give your gut flora will push you in the right direction, and this is one of the reasons that probiotics have grown in popularity. Probiotics can help your gut to work more efficiently and help to make sure everything is in working order.
As you’ll see, if you use probiotics, you could see a huge improvement in your overall health, but with so many to choose from, knowing where to start can be stressful (and stress isn’t good for your gut).
So, what is the best probiotic supplement to help you shine? Let’s take a closer look and see which probiotics will work best for you.
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are live “friendly” bacteria which can help to increase the amount of “good” gut flora in your system. They work to support a healthy digestive system. These live microorganisms are present in your stomach but benefit from having additional support to help to avoid digestive issues.
Probiotics can help restore the natural gut flora and digestion when they have been disrupted by illness or antibiotics. These good bacteria can help with digestive issues, as well as help a healthy gut be healthier and deliver nutrients more efficiently.
A better digestive system means better health for the entire body. If you want to improve your health seriously, your digestive health should be your priority.
So, what can you expect from a healthier gut? More than you can imagine.
The many benefits of taking a quality probiotic
Getting your gut into shape could be one of the best decisions you‘ve ever made, and if you’re still not sure, take a look at some of the many ways in which you can boost your health with probiotics.
Better digestive health
Issues such as diarrhoea, bloating, and IBS can be helped by increasing your healthy gut flora. They can restore the balance of good bacteria which will help your digestive health and support better nutrient delivery.
Improved immunity
Around 70% of the immune system is located in the gut, so your digestive system should be your first port of call when it comes to increasing your immunity.
The millions of bacteria in your gut have been shown to interact closely with your immune cells to help with immune responses. Better gut health means a reduced risk of infections.
A stronger heart
Your cardio health can be greatly improved if you prioritise your digestive health. Probiotics can help to lower bad cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
Better weight management
Taking control of your gut health means better control of your weight. If you have issues with putting weight on quickly, you may find that working towards a healthier gut can give you more control over how much weight you gain and lose.
Brighter mood
Introducing probiotics into your diet can have a highly positive effect on your mood. This is because your gut microbiota plays an important role in brain-gut communication.
They’ll help reduce brain fog, and you may also experience a heightened sense of well-being due to other health improvements from taking probiotics.
Less inflammation
Probiotics can help to reduce inflammation in your body by balancing the gut flora. These "friendly" bacteria will help to regulate inflammatory responses in the gut and body.
This means a reduced risk of issues such as inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, and lupus.
Better skin health
A healthy gut can significantly improve skin health and appearance and probiotics can help. Your gut and skin are connected through the gut-skin axis and those with an imbalance of gut bacteria can often experience inflammation of the skin.
This can cause issues such as acne, eczema, and wrinkles. Probiotics can help with skin hydration as well as reducing inflammation and over-sensitivity.
Increased energy
Your gut microbiome helps to make vitamins B1, B2, and B12, which are important for energy production. They also help to increase energy levels by supporting gut health and nutrient absorption.
So, as you can see, giving your gut health a boost through probiotics can seriously improve your overall health.
What to look for in a probiotic supplement
Not all probiotic supplements are the same—so it’s essential that your choice is the right one for you.
To help you choose, we’ve made a quick checklist so you know exactly what you should be looking for in a gut health supplement. Your supplement should contain…
- A diverse range of good gut bacteria
- Added vitamin D to help to support your gut flora
- A long shelf-life
- At least two billion Colony-forming units (CFUs)
- Scientifically researched bacterial strains
- Digestive enzymes
- Prebiotics, to allow the probiotics to thrive
- Probiotics designed to survive stomach acid and reach the intestines alive
You should also check the website of any potential probiotic supplier to make sure they’ve got plenty of positive reviews, especially if it’s a brand you haven’t heard of before.
What are the best gut-boosting supplements?
With so many to choose from, it’s important that you make an informed decision. The best dietary supplements for your gut health will be the one that works best for YOU.
So, what are the best probiotics on the market right now? If you're intending to buy probiotics, it's important to do some research first. Let's look at our top-ranked probiotics.
Best probiotic for men: Biotics 8
Biotics 8 is perfect for males who are looking to perform at their peak. It’s designed for efficient nutrient delivery to make you feel leaner, and lighter and give you an added energy boost. It’s great for those who are active or looking to be more active in their physical activity and will help with your mind and body to support your gut, mood, immunity, focus, bowel movements, muscle strength, endurance, and overall health.
Best probiotic for women: YourBiology
YourBiology prides itself on being the first gut health supplement designed specifically for women's health. It boasts the friendliest flora, handpicked through scientific research.
This includes 10 diverse and vivacious strains of good gut bacteria that deliver 20 billion CFUs of friendly flora. The supplement also features three digestive enzymes and vitamin D, for an extra mood boost and a steadfast gut. And it’s good news for vegans, too as the capsules are vegan-friendly. One of the best probiotics for gut health.
Best budget probiotic: Bio-Kult Multi-Strain Formulation
If you’re looking for a probiotic that won’t hurt your pocket, step forward the Bio-Kult Multi-Strain Formulation.
It contains 14 strains of live bacteria to help your existing gut flora, is gluten-free and vegetarian, and without artificial colours or flavours. One of the most budget-friendly options.
Best probiotic for children: Optibac kids gummies
Designed for kids, these chewable probiotic gummies are combined with vitamin D and calcium to help support your child’s immune system.
They’re made with all-natural ingredients and real fruit, to give the flavour and health benefits an extra boost. These gut-boosting beauties also contain the friendly bacteria strail Bacillus, which will help digestion and immunity.
Best liquid probiotic supplement: Symprove Daily Essential
If you’re looking for a liquid probiotic, this might be what you need. Symprove Daily Essential helps to break down complex carbs, defend against hostile bugs, and improve digestion.
Just one 70ml shot of Symprove each morning delivers a whopping 10 billion good bacteria to your body, where they can thrive and improve your gut health.
Best overall probiotics: YourBiology
With its all-in-one capsule containing friendly bacteria, digestive enzymes, and prebiotics, YourBiology has come out on top as our best gut health supplement. They’re proven probiotics, as they’ve been scientifically researched, tried, and tested.
It's one of the best probiotics for adults as it ticks all the boxes when it comes to overall gut health. Taken alongside a healthy lifestyle, you can expect to see a big improvement to your digestive system and your overall health.
Is it safe to take a probiotic supplement?
Gut health supplements are perfectly safe to take, so long as you’re sticking within the recommended dose and you don’t have certain underlying health conditions. You should tread with caution if…
Always consult a medical professional if you are unsure about whether you can take probiotics.
How can you increase your probiotic intake through diet?
We can add probiotics to our gut in two ways. From the food we eat, and through supplementation. Probiotics are contained in some of the food we consume, so tweaking your diet to incorporate more probiotic food will move you in the right direction.
Your primary source of probiotics should come from whole food. So, let’s take a look at what you should incorporate into a healthy diet to increase your probiotic intake.
Yogurt
Fermented foods are packed full of friendly bacteria and yoghurt is one of the best sources. It’s a versatile food that can be added to breakfast cereals or sauces. It’s important to check on the packaging that it’s a probiotic yoghourts that contains specific probiotic strains like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.
Sauerkraut
One of the best sources of diverse bacteria, this fermented cabbage dish is a great addition to your main meal.
To get the probiotic benefits, it’s important to consume it raw, as unpasteurized sauerkraut that has been naturally fermented will give you the biggest probiotic boost.
Miso
Miso is made by fermenting soybeans with a mould culture called koji. This process produces lactic acid bacteria, including the probiotic strain Aspergillus oryzae which is great for digestive health. It’s important to note that the preparation of miso will have an effect on its probiotic content, as the benefits are diminished if it’s exposed to high heat.
Kimchi
Similar to sauerkraut, kimchi is a dish consisting of fermented vegetables containing a wide variety of friendly bacteria. Kimchi contains the lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which is present in the fermentation process.
Gherkins
Gherkins are a great source of probiotics, but only if they are fermented rather than pickled in vinegar.
When the fermentation process occurs, good bacteria like Lactobacillus grow, so if you’ve not developed a taste for pickled gherkins yet, now would be a good time to start.
Kefir
This fermented milk drink can be considered a superfood when it comes to probiotic content. It’s made by fermenting milk with kefir grains and the probiotic content includes…
- Lactobacillus acidophilus
- Bifidobacterium bifidum
- Streptococcus thermophilus
- Leuconostoc species
In fact, kefir may contain over 60 different probiotic strains that can colonise the intestines, providing benefits to gut health.
Kombucha
Kombucha is a relatively well-known probiotic drink that is made by fermenting tea with a bacterial culture. This process produces a large number of good bacterial strains.
The main probiotic in kombucha is Lactobacillus which are some of the best-friendly sources.
Buttermilk
Buttermilk is the surplus liquid that is left over after churning butter. The unpasteurized, cultured version of buttermilk contains plenty of good bacteria—but check the label before purchasing to ensure it contains plenty of probiotic strains.
Some cheeses
Whether a cheese acts as a probiotic depends on how it is made. Aged cheeses that are made from unpasteurized milk are the best ones to concentrate on. These include cheddar, gouda, swiss cheese, feta, and parmesan.
Green olives
Green olives are rich in the gut-friendly bacteria, Lactobacillus due to the fermentation process. They’re a great addition to a salad or pizza to give you an additional probiotic boost.
Sourdough
The long fermentation process makes sourdough a good choice for friendly bacteria. It’s easy to digest and highly nutritious.
Some of the probiotic strains are lost during baking, but they also contain compounds that can act as an important fuel source for your gut microbes.
Pickles
Like cheese, it’s important to source the probiotic versions. Look for unpasteurized, fermented pickles to give you a boost of beneficial bacterial strains and probiotics for gut health.
Pickles soaked in vinegar should be avoided as this process kills the strains. Those in salt water that have undergone a natural fermentation process are packed with live, friendly bacteria.
Which probiotics should I use?
Getting the best probiotic for gut health is important as you want to give your digestive system the best gut flora possible.
Aside from the fact that if you’re going to buy probiotics, you don’t want to waste your money on poor-quality probiotic supplements. No, you need to make sure that the gut health supplements you’re purchasing will do an effective job.
For example, the best probiotics for women may not be the best probiotics for men, and vice versa. The best supplement for gut health is the one that is closely matched to you.
There are many different brands of probiotics available—so which one should you choose? The best place to start is by looking to see exactly what each one offers. If you want to improve your gut health with top probiotics, they should contain the following.
Plenty of diverse bacteria
The more strains of friendly bacteria, the better, and your probiotic should contain a wide, diverse range to support your gut health. Some of the most beneficial strains are…
Your probiotic supplement should contain plenty of beneficial live bacteria or yeasts that can assist your guts in restoring its natural balance.
Digestive enzymes
A decent gut health supplement should also contain digestive enzymes, which are essential for breaking down the food you eat.
This makes it easier for your body to absorb the essential nutrients it needs. Amylase helps to break down carbohydrates, lipase helps with fats and protease with proteins.
Digestive enzymes are particularly helpful for those who suffer from digestive issues such as bloating, and constipation. They can help you beat the bloat and supercharge your gut health.
Fibre
For your healthy bacteria to thrive, they need to be fed with prebiotics and prebiotic fibre will help them to multiply and work to their full potential.
Fibre supplements will help to nourish your good gut flora, aiding digestion, nutrient absorption— and your overall health.
What can I do to maximise the effectiveness of probiotics?
It’s essential that you work with your body to make sure the probiotics you’re taking work as effectively as possible.
Here are just some of the things you can do to further boost your gut microbiome…
So now you know how to maximise the effect of beneficial bacteria, which is the best probiotic supplement for you?
How to make the most of your probiotic supplement
For a healthy gut microbiome, it's important to consume probiotic foods, and introduce probiotic pills, backed up by a healthy lifestyle.
Your overall gut health is important as it has a huge impact on many other aspects of your health, so taking a daily probiotic supplement and increasing your level of beneficial bacteria will…
- Support digestive health
- Promote a healthy immune system
- Improve your energy
- Improve your skin health
- Improve gut microbiome
- Support your mental health
- Relieve constipation and other gut health issues
- Improve heart health
- Reduce the likelihood of digestive issues such as abdominal pain
The best supplements for gut health are the ones that work for you. If you're prepared to look after your body and mind, you'll give your digestive tract the best possible care—and the beneficial gut bacteria will thrive.
It’s time to flip the script on gut health
YourBiology will provide you with friendly flora to help you get your gut health in shape and boost your overall health. There’s never been a better opportunity to supercharge your gut and allow yourself to shine.
