Part 1: The Surprising Truth About Probiotics

"Probiotic" is a pretty common buzzword these days. We have probiotic supplements, snacks, smoothies, yogurt, drinks, and more. But what are probiotics, and what do they do? Are probiotics actually useless, as some health professionals argue? Could they even be harmful? These are important questions, and it turns out the research around them is complicated, to say the least.  As we discussed in our Gut Health 101 episode, an unhealthy gut is associated with a number of different chronic diseases. In many cases, research has shown that the relationship between a dysbiotic (unbalanced) gut microbiome and diseases such as autoimmune disease, obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, skin issues, mood disorders, ADHD and ASD, heart disease, and even cancer (to name a few) is directly causal, meaning that just having a disrupted gut microbiome can actually cause these diseases. So, having a healthy gut microbiome is very important! Today we are going to get more into detail about probiotics, which are often a major part of helping heal the gut, and hopefully clear up some misinformation about their use. There is enough information on this topic that we had to split it into two episodes, so stay tuned for part 2!