Give your gut a boost with good bacteria

THE microbiome, the community of organisms in the gut, helps digest our food and has been linked to everything from diabetes risk to mental health. There’s now a range of probiotics (good bacteria) and prebiotics (‘food’ for good bacteria) said to support the microbiome. Kevin Whelan, a professor of dietetics at King’s College London, reviewed four popular brands. We then rated them.

SYMPROVE

From £79 for a four-week supply, symprove.com THIS water-based, non-dairy probiotic contains four strains of live bacteria, L. rhamnosus, E. faecium, L. acidophilus, and L. plantarum which are all found naturally in the gut.

EXPERT VERDICT: ‘These “friendly” bacteria help to maintain gut health by keeping “bad” bacteria in check. There is good evidence that this product is effective for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), particularly for pain and flatulence, if taken daily for 12 weeks, but as with all probiotics, there’s not enough evidence that taking them helps those who don’t have IBS.’ 8/10

BIMUNO TRAVELAID £8.99 for 30 pastilles, bimuno.com

THESE contain a prebiotic called galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS). This is fermented in the colon by ‘ good’ bifidobacteria, stimulating their growth. The manufacturer claims this can happen within seven days. Bifidobacteria inhibit the growth of ‘bad’ bacteria such as salmonella to prevent traveller’s diarrhoea. Take three pastilles daily, before and during travel.

EXPERT VERDICT: ‘There is good evidence that GOS increases levels of bifidobacteria, which can prevent the bugs that can cause traveller’s diarrhoea. Boosting good bifido bacteria can make it less likely the “bad” bacteria will take hold.’ 7/10

YAKULT YOGHURT DRINK £2.95 for seven 65ml bottles, most supermarkets

THE fermented daily milk drink contains lactobacillus casei Shirota, a strain of lactic acid bacteria, which the manufacturer has patented. It’s scientifically proven to reach the gut alive.

EXPERT VERDICT: ‘Yakult has more than 80 years of research behind it. One study showed it helps stimulate production of antibodies that fight infection — but its evidence base for areas such as IBS and constipation is not so good.’ 6/10

BIO-KULT ADVANCED £17.40 for 60 capsules, bio-kult.com

THESE contain 14 strains of bacteria including four sorts of bifidobacterium and seven types of lactobacillus. A randomised controlled trial of 360 IBS patients with diarrhoea, published in the BMC Gastroenterology Journal this year, found Bio-Kult reduced abdominal pain and anxiety, compared with a placebo.

EXPERT VERDICT: ‘The IBS trial was welldesigned and found people with diarrhoea as their main symptom had less abdominal pain with Bio-Kult. The bacteria have been picked as studies showed they can survive stomach acids. It has good evidence for IBS, but lacks it in other areas.’ 8/10