The Latest Word On Probiotics

Gut Health Has Become Big Business – and Many of Us Have Adopted Probiotics as Part of Our Daily Routines. But Does Science Support the Use of These ‘good Bacteria’?

Probiotics remain popular, despite almost constant debate about their effectiveness among the medical community. They’ve taken us on a bit of a roller-coaster over the years, from ‘yes, probiotics are a necessity’ to ‘hmm… perhaps they do nothing at all’, to where we find ourselves today. Where should they be positioned on this spectrum?

THE PROBIOTIC BOOM

The probiotic industry has seen major growth in recent years: in 2017, it was estimated to be worth more than R527 million in South Africa, and is predicted to reach over US$66 billion globally by 2024. You’ll find probiotic pills and drinks in pharmacy aisles (and fridges) and in health and wellness stores all over the country. Probiotic foods, beauty products and even pet products are also widely available. This is largely due to the rise of scientific interest in the microbiome, ecosystems of micro-organisms and bacteria interacting throughout the body. Many of the estimated 39 trillion bacteria in the gastro-intestinal system have been found to be effective at crowding out harmful microbial invaders, leading to the seemingly logical conclusion that introducing more probiotics into our systems would result in better health.