Gut health is the phrase on everyone’s lips these days when it comes to well being. Perhaps you’re wondering whether it’s just another trend, or are having a hard time separating fact from fiction.
The idea that good health starts in the gut is actually not new at all. Hippocrates – the founder of modern medicine – talked about it way back in ancient times.
But over the last few decades, scientists’ understanding of probiotics and good bacteria has advanced in leaps and bounds. We now know much more about the role they play to relieve imbalances in the digestive system, and how they can influence everything from weight management to mental health.
Research has shown that the condition of the gut changes throughout life depending on diet, lifestyle, and environmental influences. It’s critical to consider how we can influence our gut health for the better at each and every life stage.
How babies, toddlers and young children benefit from a healthy gut
Encouraging healthy eating habits and behaviours at an early age can set children up for a lifetime of good gut health.
Babies and toddlers, in particular, are exposed to a wide range of bugs, bacteria and viruses as they grow and come into contact with other kids. Having a healthy gut provides the immunity they need through the childcare, preschool and kindy years.
While encouraging children to eat a wide range of fresh foods provides the best foundation, their ongoing gut health and ability to focus and learn can also benefit from occasional supplementation with specially designed probiotics and prebiotics.
A quality supplement can also act as the perfect backup for picky eaters, or after an illness or course of antibiotics.
Gut health is essential for women during their childbearing and raising years
Each individual’s internal bacterial profile is unique and is shaped by their mother’s health during pregnancy. Laying the groundwork for your children’s health therefore means you may need to improve your own gut health at the early stages of planning a family.
Constantly juggling a busy schedule of work and parenting as your children grow means you can easily fall victim to stress and anxiety. When a poor diet is added to the mix, gut imbalances can arise and result in bad bacteria taking hold. Your skin, hair and digestion and overall health can suffer.
Eating well and introducing more probiotics and prebiotics into your diet can get you back on track and help with clearer skin, improved bowel movements, a reduction in bloating, and less yeast overgrowth and infections.
Maintaining good gut health during perimenopause and menopause
During menopause and perimenopause, a drop in oestrogen and progesterone levels can change your body’s hormone receptors, which affects how well your gut functions. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5625026/
Additional probiotics can be especially beneficial for women who are experiencing the hormone fluctuations and symptoms that are part and parcel of these stages of life.
Boosting good bacteria in the gut through diet, exercise and well-chosen supplements are all important ways for women to stay healthy and vital during midlife.
The power of probiotics and prebiotics for healthy ageing and longevity
Immune response and bacterial diversity in the gut tend to decline in old age and make it challenging to stay healthy as the years tick by.
Not only are you more likely to fall ill from common viruses and infections, but bone strength, heart health, cognition and memory become extra, more serious, causes of concern.
As with other life stages, encouraging probiotics and prebiotics to thrive in old age rests on a foundation of a good diet and regular exercise. Often there’s a gap between your health goals and actual habits though and this is where using a premium supplement can come in.
For age-related conditions like suppressed immunity, memory decline and bone loss, vitamins and plant-based extracts can be combined in supplement form to enhance the effectiveness of probiotics and prebiotics.
Elementelle Probiotics+ avoids a one size fits all approach by combining probiotics and prebiotics with selected vitamins and functional nutrients in balanced supplements that work for a large range of commonly experienced health conditions. Whether you’re young, older, or somewhere in between, we have a specially designed supplement to meet your needs.
Find out which Elementelle Probiotics+ will work best for you www.elementelle.com.au/range/