Helpful Or Hype?

Experts Give The Verdict On Five Popular Wellness Products

- Tara Ali

1. PROBIOTICS

Sold in capsule and powder supplement form and also in some foods, probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are touted as being beneficial for the gut. Can taking them orally boost your health? “We still don’t know as the studies haven’t been extensive enough,” says GP Dr Ginni Mansberg. “There is a study that showed children who get gastroenteritis seem to recover faster if they’re given probiotic, but that’s only one study. We know that the gut microbiome is critical in so many disease states, but what we don’t know yet is what can be done to grow the best microbiome.”

VERDICT: The jury is still out.

2. KOMBUCHA