Advances in Probiotics


When it comes to the topic of probiotics it’s easy to get confused. Sure, most of us know that probiotics are great for keeping our gut bugs happy and healthy and preventing illness but when it comes to treating specific digestive complaints like IBS, Chron’s disease, food intolerances or travellers’ diarrhoea is there a more targeted approach then the general one a day, broad spectrum probiotic supplement?

The short answer is yes, but identifying which strains are good for which conditions is when it can all get a bit overwhelming. In an attempt to reduce some of the confusion felt by the general public, and also by health practitioners, a massive amount of research has been recently undertaken to try and better understand the complexities of different probiotic strains and how best they can be prescribed in the treatment of specific digestive conditions.

This surge in research has dramatically expanded our knowledge about the digestive system and the specific actions behind individual probiotic strains. What was largely already known about probiotics was that the more diverse the strains were the better and that we need lots of the healthy “good” bacteria and less of the unfriendly “bad” bacteria.What the research is explaining now is that some strains actually have the ability to reorganise the quantity, the diversity and the function of bacteria with the gut. These strains have been referred to as “super strains” and are believed to hold the answers to why taking a broad spectrum probiotic everyday hasn’t worked for everyone.

Clinically proven broad spectrum probiotics can be extremely beneficial in the treatment of a range of digestive conditions, however in many cases for people with more serious digestive complaints the gut microbiome needs to be rebuilt and for these people this can only be achieved by sending in “super strains” to reorganise and rebalance the gut flora.

The research is in and the probiotic companies have followed, now releasing clinically effective “super strain” formulas to be used in the treatment of digestive conditions that require the gut microbiome to be rebuilt. These work best when they are then followed by a clinically proven broad spectrum probiotic formula specifically created from the strains that we now know from recent research to have the most benefit in creating a thriving and diverse gut microbiome based. If you feel like your probiotic isn’t doing anything then you might be in this category of people who need some super strains to reorganise and rebuild your gut first before you head straight to regular probiotics.

Come see us at Peninsula Herbal Dispensary for chat. While you’re there, ask us as well about our new SHELF STABLE practitioner only probiotics- the only of its kind to have air lock technology clinically proven to keep the strains alive for 60 days without being refrigerated! Great for travel!

Don’t put up with gut issues, there are so many things we can do to help.

Pop in sometime this week and we’ll look after you.