…I TAKE PROBIOTICS?

With the “good bacteria” industry predicted to be worth £36bn by 2022, we put probiotics under the microscope to see if the purported health panacea really has the guts

02 BUGS OF WAR

The effects of your first dose can range from effortless bowel movements to diarrhoea. If you suffer from the latter, don’t worry. Fatigue-causing yeast overgrowth – the result of eating too much sugar or refined carbs – begins a turf war with the incoming good bacteria. This can be explosive, but the result is a biome repopulated by the victors and a rise in your energy levels.

03 GREEN GOBBLIN’

Unfortunately, the positive effects of these supps are temporary, lasting only as long as you’re taking them. For long-term results, raise your intake of prebiotics, which feed good bacteria and allow them to grow naturally, so you don’t have to parachute them into your gut with pills. The best sources are high-fibre foods, including asparagus, cabbage and spring onion. Add to basket.

04 BRAIN FOOD

Whether via pills or prebiotics, improving your gut biome can have happy consequences. A review of 15 human studies found that supplementing your diet with “friendly” lactobacillus and bifidobacteria for a month can fuel a mental health reboot. Supporting the hypotheses linking your brain and your gut, studies have shown that probiotics can fire up the function of your central nervous system to help alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression, while also improving your memory.

01 INSIDE TRACTS

The idea that your overall wellbeing begins in your gut is increasingly gaining credence. Safeguard your “good bacteria”, the thinking goes, and you’ll set up both body and mind for a healthier outlook. But don’t reach for those yogurt shots just yet. Your best bet is to take your probiotics in an acidresistant capsule that protects them from stomach acid until they reach your intestines. For maximum payload, pop a supp 30 minutes before breakfast.

05 LOSS ADJUSTER

As a welcome kicker, probiotics can also help you lose weight – for example, by limiting the absorption of dietary fat in your intestines. One study* found that people who take lactobacillus rhamnosus for three months lose almost 50% more weight than others; a separate study suggested even low doses of lactobacillus gasseri taken for 12 weeks can result in an 8.5% reduction of belly fat. It may be time you called in the reinforcements.