Do you know the difference between pre and probiotics? Or which is better – live bacteria yoghurts, drinks or supplements? And how often should you be taking a live bacteria supplement?

New customer research conducted by Nutri Advanced found that whilst the average consumer knew that probiotics were beneficial for the gut, they didn’t know why, what they do or how to choose an effective supplement.

In response to their research, Nutri Advanced are launching a new simple but effective supplement, ProbotiX™ Daily 5 Live, which provides 5 billion live bacteria and includes 5 strains that work together to deliver increased health benefits. And to make things even easier, it’s shelf stable so no refrigeration is needed meaning it’s travel friendly.

Here’s the 5 most common questions that caused confusion and the all-important answers!

What’s the difference between prebiotics and probiotics?
Probiotics are officially defined as non-pathogenic (don’t cause any harm) microorganisms that, when ingested, have a positive effect on your health. These can be yeasts, or more commonly bacteria. Prebiotics are substances that act as a food source for friendly bacteria, to ensure they are well-nourished. Probiotics can be known as good, friendly, live or beneficial bacteria

How do probiotics work?
There are around 100 trillion bacteria that live mostly in your gut. This is made up of a mixture of beneficial bacteria and other more harmful types that need to be kept to a minimum. It’s crucial that the good guys outnumber the bad. Probiotics essentially work by providing ‘good’ bacteria in the gut which adhere to the gut wall to crowd out ‘bad bacteria’ therefore supporting a healthy balance of bacteria. Live bacteria supplements were actually originally used in animals in the 1970s to resolve gut issues. There’s even been recent studies on piglets that demonstrated the use of probiotics supplements can reduce the negative effect of stress on their digestion and immune health.

How often should I take a live bacteria supplement?
It’s best to take a live bacteria supplement on a daily basis to ensure best results.

What’s the difference between live bacteria yoghurts drinks and capsules/tablets?
Many people choose to add live bacteria yoghurt drinks to their diets in a bid to boost the good bacteria. However, it’s unlikely that this habit is doing your health as much good as you might think. These drinks are usually loaded with sugar, often containing over 10g in just one small drink – which is around 2-3 teaspoons sugar – at a time when we are being advised to reduce our sugar intake!

How do I choose the right live bacteria supplement?
When choosing a live bacteria supplement, it is important to consider which strains are included, whether the bacteria survive the stomach acidity and the number of bacteria at date of consumption. ProbotiX™ Daily 5 Lives uses 5 specially selected strains of L. acidophilus, L. rhamnosus, L. plantarum, B. lactis, and B. infantis that have been well researched and documented and work together synergistically to support gut and overall health. These strains have been rigorously tested, and shown to survive the digestive process – including stomach acidity. ProbotiX™ Daily 5 Live is guaranteed to deliver at least 5 billion live bacteria all the way up to the end of their 18 month expiry date.