Gut Feeling: Probiotics for a Happy Tummy!
Imagine having a team of tiny superheroes working inside your body, keeping everything in balance and making sure you feel your best. That’s exactly what probiotics do! These amazing live bacteria and yeasts are great for your health, especially your digestive system. Today, let’s embark on a journey to uncover the incredible benefits of probiotics and how they can improve your overall well-being.
What Are Probiotics?
Probiotics are like little health champions! These live microorganisms, often called ‘good’ or ‘friendly’ bacteria, work wonders when you consume them in the right amounts. Found naturally in certain foods and available as supplements, probiotics play a crucial role in keeping your gut happy and healthy.
Our gut is home to trillions of microorganisms, a mix of both good and bad bacteria. When this balance is upset, it can lead to digestive issues and other health problems. That’s where probiotics come in! They help restore and maintain a healthy balance in your gut flora, enhancing digestion and nutrient absorption.
But that’s not all—probiotics also give your immune system a boost, as a large part of it resides in the gut. They can ease symptoms of digestive disorders like bloating, constipation, and diarrhoea while reducing inflammation and strengthening the intestinal lining.
Probiotics and the Immune System
Probiotics are not only beneficial for digestive health but also play a vital role in boosting immune function. They help strengthen your body’s natural defence system, keeping you healthy and protected.
One of the key benefits is their ability to reduce the risk of infections and allergies. They help regulate the immune response, preventing overreactions that can lead to allergies. By maintaining a balanced gut flora, probiotics create an environment less favourable for harmful pathogens, reducing the risk of infections.
Probiotics contribute to overall health by supporting proper digestive function, promoting better nutrient absorption, and aiding waste elimination. A healthy gut is essential for a robust immune system, as a significant portion of immune cells resides in the gut.
Probiotics and Weight Management
Probiotics are gaining attention for their role in weight management. Research shows that they can boost metabolism and aid in weight loss by increasing the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which promote fat breakdown and reduce calorie storage.
Probiotics may also help reduce belly fat, a common concern for many. Studies indicate that specific probiotic strains can decrease waist circumference and reduce visceral fat, the fat stored around abdominal organs. While probiotics can be beneficial for weight management, they are not a standalone solution. They work best when combined with a balanced diet, regular exercise, and healthy lifestyle habits.
Types of Probiotics
Probiotics come in many different strains, each with its unique health benefits. Specific probiotic supplements target different areas of health. For instance, Bifidobacterium longum helps keep a healthy balance of bacteria in your intestines.
Probiotic-rich foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and tempeh are excellent choices. Whether you choose supplements or food, incorporating probiotics into your diet can offer a host of health benefits. They enhance digestion, boost the immune system, reduce inflammation, and support overall gut health.
The key is to find the right probiotic strain and form that match your specific health needs and goals. Watsons offers an extensive range of probiotic supplements to support your gut health. Let’s explore some of our best sellers!
- LactoFit Probiotic Gold: Lacto Fit Core is a probiotic supplement using Lacto 5x formula, blending various Lactobacillus strains tailored for both the small intestine and colon. It contains high-quality lactic acid bacteria known for their robust functionality, capable of surviving at room temperature.
- LactoFit Probiotic Beauty: This is a variation of the original GOLD formula with the addition of hyaluronic acid and collagen. Hyaluronic acid helps hydrate skin, promoting a supple appearance and reducing wrinkles and fine lines.
- BiO-LiFE A.B. Pre- & Pro-biotics: B. Junior Pre & Pro helps to maintain gut health, improve bowel movement and helps in nutrient absorption. This is especially important for growing children.
- Green Monster Kombucha Lemon Black Tea Flavoured: Kombucha is a fermented tea rich in vitamins, trace minerals, antioxidants, and probiotics, which support gut health and protect cells from damage. It is fat-free, cholesterol-free, and low in sodium. This product contains 17 types of lactic acid bacteria to enhance gut health.
- LAC Probiotic Complex 25 Billion Lemon Flavor: Each serving delivers 25 billion probiotic cells from 6 well-studied strains. It is enhanced with a fermented fruit-vegetable complex and prebiotic maltodextrin to eliminate wastes and toxins as well as flourish the good bacteria. Enjoyable lemon flavour and is suitable for vegetarians.
- LAC Probiotic Complex 25 Billion Yogurt Flavor: Consist of 25 billion active probiotics from 6 well-studied strains. It is enhanced with fermented yeast and olive fruit essence for immunity and prebiotic maltodextrin for gut health. Comes in a delicious melt-in-mouth yoghurt flavour and is suitable for vegetarians.
- LAC Immuguard Jnr W Probiotics: Delicious lychee-flavored jelly with vitamin C, E, zinc, and grape seed extract. Each stick has over 300 million probiotics to boost respiratory and gut health. Preservative-free, gluten-free, and non-GMO.
References:
- Jafarnejad, S., Djafarian, K., Fazeli, M. R., Yekaninejad, M. S., Rostamian, A., Keshavarz, S. A., & Mirshafiey, A. (2019). Impact of bacterial probiotics on obesity, diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease-related variables: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, 32, 1-8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6475231/
- National Center for Biotechnology Information. (n.d.). Probiotics. In StatPearls [Internet]. Retrieved July 1, 2024, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553134/
- Zhang, Y., Li, L., Guo, C., Mu, D., Feng, B., & Zhu, Y. (2021). Effects of probiotics and synbiotics on weight loss in subjects with overweight or obesity: A systematic review. Advances in Nutrition, 12(6), 1817-1829. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8540110/
