Best Supplements for Gut Health in Ireland
Your gut microbiome is a massive ecosystem made of up trillions of organisms such as bacteria, yeasts, fungi & viruses that live in your digestive tract. The human gut microbiome and its role in health are the subject of extensive and ongoing clinical research. What we do know is that the microbiome is involved in fundamental metabolic, nutritional and immune system functions. That’s why it is so important to protect the microbiome and support its continued healthy balance. If you look after your gut microbiome, it will look after you.
A healthy gut microbiome and good gut health has been linked to your mental health, heart health, neurological conditions and other bodily functions. Neglecting the health of your gastrointestinal (GI) digestive tract will have adverse effects on your health. It's important to look after your gut microbiome and feed it with good bacteria. These good bacteria can then colonise your gut and therefore assist in bodily functions such as digestion, producing vitamins and improving your immunity.
There are so many ways to improve your gut health, including cutting down on gut offenders such as alcohol, refined sugar and processed foods. But the most achievable way is to consume food and supplements that are beneficial to your gut and rich in good bacteria
If you find that your GI tract needs some extra attention, the supplements discussed below can help to establish and maintain the optimum balance in your gut microbiome.
Probiotic Supplements
Incorporating the benefits of a probiotic into your daily routine is a great way to promote digestive health and reduce the likelihood of medical conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) arising through poor gut health. Probiotic supplements contain beneficial bacteria that can play a huge role in maintaining the balance of your gut flora.
Probiotics have become quite popular with many new brands coming to the market every day. When buying gut health supplements, we recommend checking the information on the label. A probiotic label should contain essential information such as the species, genus, and types of probiotic strains. The other key detail you should look for is the amount of colony forming units (CFU). Colony forming units are the number of live microbes contained in the product.
Best Food Supplement for Digestive Health
Symprove is a water based food supplement that contains live and active bacteria. Due to its superior composition and benefits, Symprove is the number one recommended digestive health supplement here at Meaghers. It has been on the market for over a decade now, and has a huge loyal following in the UK and Ireland.
Unlike other gut health supplements that come in the form of capsules, Symprove is available in a water-based solution and this delivery mechanism ensures that the bacteria ARRIVES in the gut, SURVIVES in the gut and THRIVES in the gut thus making it a superior gut health supplement. Symprove comes in two different flavours (original and mango & passion fruit).
Other gut health supplements contain freeze dried bacteria which needs to be activated once it reaches the gut and as such has a certain amount of attrition as it passes through the stomach. This is where Symprove excels because its unique delivery system ensures that the maximum amount of good bacteria reaches your gut alive without the need to reconstitute and is ready to colonise your microbiome with good bacteria.
Symprove contains four strains of live and active bacteria, namely L. rhamnosus, E. faecium, L. Plantarum, and Lactobacillus acidophilus. Symprove is suitable for vegetarians and vegans because it is dairy-free and gluten-free.
When it comes to CFU, Symprove doesn’t disappoint as it contains more than 10 billion live probiotic bacteria. Taking Symprove daily can boost your immune system and improve gut health by increasing beneficial probiotic bacteria.
Prebiotic Supplements
Prebiotics and probiotics go hand in hand when managing a healthy microbiome. So, if you are taking probiotics, you might want to supplement them with some prebiotic foods or supplements. These are known to promote the growth of good bacteria in the gut and improve the overall health of your digestive system.
In simpler terms, healthy bacteria depend on prebiotics for food. Prebiotics can only be broken down by the healthy bacteria located in the colon. The good bacteria will then use them as food.
Prebiotics are present in fruits, whole grains, and vegetables. Additionally, you can find them in dietary supplement form. Avoid prebiotics if you have conditions like chronic bloating or IBS, FODMAPs intolerance, or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).
Apart from improving gut health, prebiotic supplements can help strengthen your immune health, elevate mood, improve digestion, and promote weight loss. Taking a prebiotic together with the right probiotic supplement gives your body the best chance at seeing fast and long lasting results.
You can purchase prebiotic supplements in the form of gummies, powder, and capsules.
Glutamine
Taking L-Glutamine can be beneficial for your gut health and immune system, reducing fatty acids and improving blood sugar levels. This vital amino acid helps maintain the integrity of your intestinal walls. If you’ve been experiencing excessive irritation in your digestive tract or intestinal lining, you might want to supplement your body with L-Glutamine.
This amino acid has a calming effect, meaning you can use it to reduce sugar and alcohol cravings as well as anxiety. Additionally, L-Glutamine can help heal wounds and relieve diarrhoea and constipation.
You can find glutamine in most animal protein foods like fish, beef, pork, lamb, eggs, chicken, and turkey. Unfortunately, you can’t rely on meat as the only source of glutamine. Sometimes you’ll need to take a glutamine supplement if you are not taking adequate amounts of animal protein.
L-glutamine supplements are available in powder and capsule form. Always check the label to ensure that the product is gluten-free, hypoallergenic, and non-GMO.
Collagen Powder
Collagen is known to have a lot of health benefits which include promoting a healthy gut as collagen contains a lot of amino acids which are beneficial to the intestinal tract and stomach Once the gut health gets compromised, the bad bacteria will take over and affect other body functions. This is why poor gut health is linked to abdominal bloating, depression, anxiety, and unexplained weight gain. Your gut microbiome needs to have the right balance of both bad and good bacteria.
Instead of allowing your body to work extra hard to restore the right balance of gut bacteria, you can give it a little support by taking collagen powder. Today, collagen is recognised as one of the best supplements for gut health. As is the case with probiotics, collagen powder plays a huge role in the healing and sealing of the gut.
Collagen delivers a variety of beneficial amino acids that can boost the immune function of the intestine. Some of these amino acids include arginine, glutamate, threonine cysteine, and methionine. Other amino acids are known to reduce inflammation and promote intestinal mucosal healing.
Collagen is one of the easiest supplements to incorporate into your lifestyle, routine or diet. It is available in powder form, meaning you can add the required serving into your soup, tea, coffee, smoothie or cereal. You can also get collagen peptides in the form of gummies, liquid, or capsules.
Psyllium Husk
Psyllium husk is another dietary supplement that can support your digestive health. Psyllium husk is also known as ispaghula, and it can help alleviate irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, and diarrhoea.
Studies in gut-centric human health show that adults do not get a sufficient amount of fibre in their diet. A full-grown adult should consume around 30 grams of fibre daily. Unfortunately, our diet is only responsible for half of the required amount.
This means that you’ll have to supplement your diet with products such as Psyllium or Ispaghula husk fibre found in Fybogel to achieve the recommended daily amount. Apart from promoting friendly, beneficial bacteria, Psyllium husk eases bowel movements, reduces cholesterol levels, and promotes heart health. Unlike other products, Psyllium has many benefits to offer, and the best part is that it is minimally fermented. At least you won’t have to worry about the gut bacteria producing gas.
DGL Licorice Root Extract
Deglycyrrhizinated (processed for safer consumption by removing glycyrrhizin from the licorice) licorice is one of the supplements that has been on the market for a long time and boasts many benefits for your gut health. It’s the perfect solution for soothing your stomach and throat. If you’ve been suffering from stomach discomfort, heartburn, or acid reflux, DGL Licorice should be your go-to product.
This plant-based product will fortify your intestinal wall and stomach lining against acidity and heartburn. Besides, licorice root extract is known to help with occasional indigestion.
DGL comes in the form of chewable tablets and does not contain any ingredients that will trigger allergies. The tablets are non-GMO and vegan-friendly. Apart from promoting a healthy gut, DGL can be used to treat skin conditions, peptic ulcers, ease upper respiratory conditions and protect against cavities.
Always seek advice from a doctor before you use DGL Licorice. The dosage can differ depending on the condition you are looking to treat.
Curcumin
Studies have proven that the presence of curcumin in the gut can favor the growth of good bacteria strains such as Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria. Moreover, it may help with the reduction of pathogenic strains. This shows that curcumin is suitable for your gut microbiota.
Curcumin has shown positive effects in people who suffer from inflammation and other digestive disorders. It’s an incredible product for people who want to improve their gastrointestinal health and function.
Turmeric is a great food source for curcumin, but you can also choose to purchase curcumin in the form of supplements. We recommend YourZooki Tumeric Micellar Curcumin, as these water-soluble alternatives to typical turmeric shots are easier for the body to absorb and have added natural tangerine oils to provide a delicious, refreshing flavour.
Alternative Ways to Improve Your Gut Health Fast
You don't necessarily have to use supplements to have good gut health. There are so many other ways to support your gut health, and these include but not limited to:
Taking fermented foods - Most fermented foods contain prebiotic fibres and probiotics that may help restore gut flora as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Many dietary experts claim that fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, tempeh, and sauerkraut can aid digestion and support gut health.
Get enough sleep - Giving your body enough rest is one of the best ways to support your gut health. Irregular sleep habits can affect gut flora and increase the risk of inflammation.
Exercise regularly - making sure that your body remains active is an excellent way to increase the biodiversity of gut bacteria. It also helps in weight loss and prevents heart disease.
The Meaghers Verdict on Gut Health Supplements'
It's evident that you can support your gut health by taking the above supplements. They have proven to do a good job when it comes to improving Gastrointestinal health. Ensure that you do thorough research before buying any supplement products. Ask your doctor to help you determine which products are suitable for your health.
Contact Us to Discuss Your Gut Supplement Requirements
We’re hopeful this guide has provided you with all the necessary info to determine whether gut supplements are the right choice for your body.
If you’d like to ask our team about choosing the right gut health supplements for you or any other healthy living questions, please contact us today and we’d be delighted to help you make a more informed decision on the best way forward for your gut health and happiness!
