Getting the Right Probiotic

There are more bacteria in your body than your own cells- you have roughly 40 trillion bacterial cells and only 30 trillion human ones. (That means you are more bacteria than human!)

Altogether, these microbes may weigh as much as 1–2 kg, which is roughly the weight of your brain. And together they function as an extra organ in your body.

Most of these bacteria are in your digestive system and are referred to as your gut microbiome. Your gut contains up to 1,000 species of bacteria, so you have a whole ecosystem inside you. Each of them plays a different role in your body, and most are extremely important for your health, particularly your digestive system, immune system, heart health, mental state, food intolerances, and hormone balance, The right probiotics can help restore the balance to your internal ecosystem and help resolve the related health problems.

(For more about the importance of gut bacteria, please read

• Part 1- How Bad Gut Bacteria Can Cause Serious Diseases
• Part 2- How Bad Gut Bacteria Can Cause Diabetes, Asthma, Ulcerative Colitis, Multiple Sclerosis, Autism, Allergies & Autoimmune Diseases )

Ok, so gut bacteria are important. What probiotic should I take?

That depends on many factors, including your symptoms. Because there are so many different bacteria that are involved in different roles, there are over 18 different probiotics that we commonly prescribe, including specific strains or combinations for

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
• Pain or discomfort in the abdomen
• Immune weakness
• Food intolerances and allergies
• Stress, anxiety, low mood, and other mental health issues
• Bloating
• Constipation
• Diarrhoea (including reducing the risk of traveller’s diarrhoea)
• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
• Excessive gas
• Inflammation
• Specialised probiotics for pregnancy, breastfeeding, and for babies
• Hormonal imbalances and reproductive health
• Heart health
• We also carry dairy free versions

So you can see that over-the-counter probiotics don’t usually do a lot, as your gut ecosystem is very complex and they are not specific for each individual.

If you would like to see if you need an individually prescribed, practitioner level probiotic to help sort out your health issue, please book in to see one of our expert naturopaths. Or even better, book in for a free Comprehensive Assessment, where we can check what is going on in your body, what is causing any problems, and the best way to sort them out. (Terms and conditions- the Assessment is a completely free service, with no obligations whatsoever.) Be well!