Key Takeaways
Probiotics are foundational to overall gut function, not just digestion. They aid gut health by supporting the gut barrier, competing with harmful bacteria to keep the microbiome balanced, and supporting a healthy immune response.
Everyday habits, including alcohol, sugar, and processed foods, can affect your gut bacteria. Probiotics help replenish and maintain gut balance proactively.
A healthy gut supports immune system function, since a large portion of immune cells live in the gut.
Pairing probiotics with prebiotics (like in AG1) amplifies these benefits.
Probiotics are live, beneficial bacteria that, when taken in adequate amounts, support a balanced gut microbiome1 and, with it, overall gut health. But their role goes beyond simply “adding good bacteria.” When taken consistently, probiotics also support digestive function and play a role in immune health. In the sections below, we’ll break down these key probiotic benefits and how they impact the body—and also explain why daily use of probiotics can make a meaningful difference over time.
You know that probiotics and gut health are directly related. But what exactly does “gut health” entail? It’s more than just good digestion. A balanced microbiome (also known as a healthy gut supported by good bacteria) contributes to a strong gut barrier and even has a positive impact on your immune function.
Your gut is composed of bacteria—some are sometimes good, and some are sometimes bad. Obviously, you want more of the good for optimal gut health. Unfortunately, common lifestyle and diet habits can affect your gut’s balance of beneficial bacteria, which may impact its normal function.
As healthy bacteria, probiotics come to the rescue and work alongside your beneficial microbes to promote and grow your gut’s populations of beneficial bacteria. That’s why consistently consuming probiotics to replenish your body’s supply, either by prioritizing eating foods high in probiotics (like fermented foods) or by taking supplements, becomes key to maintaining your gut health every day and over the long term.
A balanced microbiome rich in healthy bacteria plays a key role in your body’s digestion. By adding to and supporting the good bacteria in your gut microbiome, probiotics foster a healthy digestive environment, influencing how efficiently you digest food and absorb nutrients. A balanced microbiome rich in beneficial bacteria helps support normal digestive processes and nutrient absorption.Probiotics may help support your gut microbiome during times when your food routine changes, such as when traveling. Even without noticeable changes in digestive comfort, diets that include alcohol, high sugars, and highly processed foods can affect your internal balance of healthy gut bacteria. Taking probiotics helps support your body’s gut microbiome.
If you’re ready to start taking a probiotic supplement for gut health, consider consulting a healthcare professional to discuss your nutritional goals. No single supplement works best for every individual, because different probiotic strains may support different aspects of digestive health, and effectiveness can vary for each person’s unique biology. When selecting your supplement, choose research-backed probiotics—and for best results, select a supplement that pairs probiotics with prebiotics. (Or, take your probiotics in conjunction with a diet high in prebiotic fiber.)
Prebiotics are the non-digestible carbohydrates that the probiotic bacteria ferment in the colon to produce the short-chain fatty acids that help support gut lining integrity. In other words, prebiotics act as food for beneficial probiotic bacteria, which helps probiotic microorganisms do their job more effectively.
An all-in-one suggestion:
AG1 Next Gen’s research-backed formula contains both probiotics and prebiotics, designed for comprehensive support of your gut.
1. What is the best probiotic for your gut?
No single probiotic may be right for everyone. You may choose to consult your healthcare provider for recommendations.
You can obtain naturally occurring probiotics through fermented foods such as yogurt, cottage cheese, and kefir, sauerkraut and kimchi, miso and tempeh, pickles, and kombucha. Eat these foods regularly to receive their live beneficial microbes.
You can also consume probiotics as supplements. A good probiotic supplement is research-backed and may also contain prebiotics to help its effectiveness.
2. What are the signs you need a probiotic?
People turn to probiotics to help support digestive comfort and maintain a balanced gut microbiome. But even without symptoms, dietary habits like consuming excess alcohol, high sugar, and highly processed foods can disrupt your balance of healthy gut bacteria. Consuming probiotics regularly helps maintain your gut’s microbial balance and homeostasis.
Research continues to show that probiotics play an important role in maintaining a healthy gut. Especially because the benefits go beyond digestion: a balanced microbiome supports a strong gut barrier, immune health, energy levels, and even mood.
Probiotics can also support the integrity of your gut barrier.
Your gut barrier, also known as the intestinal lining, is the physical and functional lining of the intestinal wall that controls what passes from your gut into the bloodstream. It consists of a mucus layer, epithelial cells, and junctions between those cells. It differs from your gut microbiome, which refers to the entire community of microorganisms (such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and more) that live in your digestive tract. A healthy microbiome contributes to a healthy gut barrier, which contributes to healthy gut function and gut health overall.
Probiotics help support the integrity of this intestinal lining, which plays a role in supporting immune system function.2
Probiotic benefits extend beyond digestion because a healthy gut microbiome and a well-functioning gut barrier both have a direct relationship to the immune system.
Studies suggest that a healthy gut microbiota plays a key role in supporting normal immune system function2 because a large portion of your immune system cells reside near the gut microbiome.3 Probiotics actually interact with immune cells in the gut to help support immune signaling and responses.4,5
On the flip side, disruptions in the gut microbiome, including less bacterial diversity, may decrease the production of key compounds such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which also play a vital role in maintaining gut lining integrity and supporting a healthy immune response.6
So the good news is that, if you’re taking probiotics for gut health, they can also have a positive impact on your immune health.
3. Do probiotics improve gut health?
Yes. Probiotics are gut-friendly live microorganisms, more commonly referred to as beneficial bacteria, that help restore and maintain a balanced gut microbiota. This specifically supports gut and digestive health.
4. Do probiotics help with digestive comfort?
They are meant to, because a balanced microbiome plays a key role in your body’s digestion. Probiotics help support a balanced gut microbiome, which plays a role in your body’s digestive processes.
5. How can I tell if my probiotics are working?
Pay attention to how you feel. If you’re taking probiotics to support digestive comfort, pay attention to how you feel over time as your body adjusts to consistent daily support. If you’re looking to support your gut microbiome health, consistency matters.
For consistent wellness, consistency of probiotics matters. Taking probiotics daily at the recommended serving gives your gut the best chance to stay balanced, while giving you a trackable sense of whether they are working. The goal of daily gut support is to build a foundation that works quietly in the background, so your body is better equipped when it matters.
Incorporating probiotics through fermented foods or supplements, like AG1, into a diet rich in diverse whole foods that prioritize your gut health is a research-backed choice that supports your overall health. That’s why we include probiotics in AG1’s formula, so that in one drink a day, your body receives a daily replenishment of these health-supporting microorganisms.