It’s always important to actively protect and enhance your immune system and probiotics might be precisely what you need to do just that. Here, we’re going to look at what you need to know about probiotics, and the benefits of ensuring you get enough of them.
What are Probiotics?
An ingredient of certain foods that has gained a lot more attention in recent years, probiotics are live microorganisms often called “good” or “helpful” bacteria. The body is made up of lots of bacteria, and probiotics live and thrive in our digestive system, aiding with all sorts of processes.
Some natural sources of probiotics are yogurt, kefir, kimchi, miso, kombucha, and pickles. Many of these products develop “probiotic” versions, which have a higher number of active cultures per gram, too.
What are the Benefits of Probiotics?
Improving gut health: One of the benefits that probiotics may have is in restoring the balance of our gut flora by limiting the growth of more harmful gut bacteria, which in turn can prevent us from getting sick. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that probiotics are good for enhancing the creation of natural antibodies in the body, as well as in boosting immune cells. These travel throughout the body to fight foreign invaders of all kinds.
Preventing and treating diarrhoea: Probiotics play an important role in assisting all kinds of activities in our digestive system. As a result, not having enough ‘helpful bacteria’ can lead to frequent digestive issues. Probiotic use has been shown to help with diarrhoea, reducing its severity or stopping it entirely. It’s been shown as an effective treatment of digestive issues that can be caused by antibiotics, which sometimes negatively affect the balance of our gut bacteria.
Improving heart health: Probiotics have been shown to have a positive impact on lowering blood pressure and LDL cholesterol (commonly known as “bad” cholesterol), both of which can be great for keeping your heart healthy. These two factors can lead to a reduced chance of heart disease and heart attack, allowing you to build a strong, healthy heart through aerobic exercise.
Enhancing mental health: Though research is still ongoing, there has been plenty of evidence to suggest a strong link between our gut health and our mental health. In some studies, supplementing with probiotics has been shown to improve experiences of depression, anxiety, cognitive ability and even symptoms related to autism and obsessive compulsive disorder. While research is still ongoing, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that maintaining healthy gut flora is a wise step when it comes to addressing mental health.
Are you getting the Probiotics that you need?
At Nourished, we ensure that you get the boost of probiotics needed to enhance your gut health and protect your immune system. With each stack of our Inner Defence, you get 17.33 mg of our LactoSpore probiotic, providing enough live cultures to give your immune system the boost it needs. If you want to personalise your own blend with probiotics, take our quick quiz to see what we recommend and make sure probiotics are in your top seven!
