Probiotics 101

No matter what “summer program” you’re subscribed to – be it “Hot Girl” or “X Dose” – we’d like to add a unique contender to the mix: Happy Gut Summer. Your gut microbiome is a pretty big deal. These trillions of tiny bacteria that live within us may go unnoticed, but are working their magic nonetheless. These hard-working microorganisms in our gut work silently to break down the food we eat and produce by-products that influence our health on a daily basis. Want to feel your absolute best this season? You need to take care of your microbiome, and probiotics will help you get there.

You might be thinking, ‘Wait, isn’t bacteria bad for me?’

Not these guys! Probiotics are made up of the good kind of bacteria that keep your body healthy and functioning like a well-oiled machine. This beneficial bacteria helps you in many ways, including fighting off other harmful bacteria by acting as its competition. The good bacteria crowds out the bad guys, stealing away their resources and preventing them from taking over. Probiotics also promote a diverse microbial environment, one of the keys to good gut health (1). 

Once they reach your gut, probiotics produce substances with positive effects; and that’s when the real magic starts to happen. Probiotics’ main output are short-chain fatty-acids, which help to support the cells that line your gut, preventing any bad bacteria you may have ingested from leaking through into your bloodstream. Other powerful effects include lowering cholesterol levels in your blood, destroying disease-causing cells, producing B vitamins, and helping you rebound after infections (3,4). 

Different types of probiotics come with unique benefits. Greenhouse probiotic lemonades contain a vegan probiotic called Bacillus coagulans GBI-30 6086. This strain of probiotics is able to withstand the highly acidic environment of the stomach (5), ensuring that it’s not broken down before it can reach your small intestine and take action.

Once active in the small intestines, Bacillus coagulans aid in the digestion of carbohydrates and proteins, so your body can break down and use these nutrients more effectively. With regard to protein specifically, it has been shown to maximize absorption, amplifying the effects of protein intake from food or supplements (5). 

By creating a healthier microbiome environment, Bacillus coagulans also reduce the occurrence of gas and bloating after eating and eases symptoms of common digestive health disorders linked to bacterial imbalance like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (5).

One thing to take note of when looking for probiotic-containing foods or supplements is the number of CFUs on the label. CFU stands for ‘colony-forming units’ which indicates the number of viable bacteria cells in the product (3). Your microbiome is dynamic and changes quickly, so regular intake of probiotics will help to maintain a healthy gut in the long-term. Greenhouse lemonades contain 1 billion CFUs per 250 mL serving, helping you maximize the benefits of your daily fluid intake without having to remember to take a supplement.

References

1. New Frontiers in Probiotic Research
2. Probiotics: What you need to know 
3. Probiotics Fact Sheet
4. Probiotics 
5.Probiotic Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 Improves Protein Absorption and Utilization