Look After Your Gut & It'll Look After You: Probiotics Can Help Support A Healthy Body From The Inside Out

It's common to talk about a 'gut feeling' or 'following our gut instinct', but the link between this area of the body and the brain is more than just metaphorical. If you've ever felt sick to your stomach when you're stressed or anxious, you know exactly what I'm talking about; that's a prime example of the brain-gut connection at work. These two areas of the body are connected by an extensive network of neurons, chemicals and hormones which help to support our overall health and wellbeing; our digestive system contains more than 70% of the body’s immune system cells and billions of bacteria that work hard to help stop toxins and harmful substances passing into the body. In recent years there's been a lot of buzz about the positive impact looking after your gut can have on the rest of your wellbeing, with it having the potential to aid weight loss as well as improving mood, the appearance of skin and even immunity.


The ideal ratio of bacteria has been estimated at 85% good to 15% bad, but if an imbalance occurs it can have a negative impact on our digestive systems (causing bloating and Irritable Bowel Syndrome) as well as our overall health. Extremely common, these imbalances (caused by simple diet and lifestyle factors) can be addressed with the addition of a probiotic into your daily diet, helping to keep everything working as it should. You may have heard of those little bottles of yogurt drink that are full of sugar and dairy, but a far superior method of addressing your gut issues is with a supplement such as ProVen Probiotics - which is why I've been taking them every day since December.

ProVen Probiotics Adult Acidophilus and Bifidus 25 Billion (catchy!) is a high-strength friendly bacteria supplement that contains Lab4, the most studied group of friendly bacteria in the UK. It's been shown to help with bloating, IBS and supports the gut following a course of antibiotics, as well as containing calcium, vitamins C and D, zinc and selenium to help support digestion and immunity.  Supported by a unique body of UK-based clinical research, taking two capsules per day provides the gut with 25 billion friendly bacteria and is proven colonise the human intestine (essentially helping your gut to look after itself and produce the good bacteria effectively in the long term.) If, like me, you have somewhat of a delicate disposition and are prone to tummy problems, this could be just what you need to help settle them and regain control of your health.

I was looking into probiotics for a long time before I discovered ProVen, as I can really suffer with bloating and tummy upsets because of my dairy intolerance and mild IBS; I was really curious as to whether they could help, and if they could also have a positive impact on my overall mood and wellbeing. About six weeks down the line I definitely feel like I have more energy and my concentration has improved slightly (especially considering it's January and I'm usually hibernating) and my bloating has significantly reduced. Whereas I'd historically suffer with bloating for anywhere up to 24 hours after eating something that irritated my digestive system, since taking these supplements my recovery time is down to a couple of hours.

Although it hasn't removed my symptoms altogether and my gut isn't at its strongest (after speaking with a nutritionist I was advised it can take up to a couple of months for the bacteria to settle and you to start seeing the full positive impact,) it's provided a noticeable difference and encouragement enough to keep at it. What's been the most interesting to me is that over the festive period my sisters, mum and husband all came down with a horrendous chest infection and were all bed-ridden with flu - but I was the only one it didn't touch. Apart from a slightly sore throat for a day or two, I was absolutely fine; the only thing different I did was take ProVen Probiotics, which is more than just a coincidence when the lurgy was coming at me from all sides!

I'm a firm believer in science, and a firm believer in looking after your body from the inside out. I'm always adding in a shot of matcha or sprinkling some bee pollen on my cereal, and went through a real stage of having cupboards full of every superfood imaginable. Although it may not be as glamorous as a salt bath or expensive face treatment, eating well and supplementing your diet can have a much bigger impact overall. So far I've seen nothing but positive results from ProVen Probiotics and I'll continue to take them for the foreseeable future (updating you accordingly!) At £13.95 for a month's supply, it's an easy and inexpensive way to look after your body from the inside.


ProVen Probiotics are available via Boots and Holland & Barrett as well as online via their own website (provenprobiotics.co.uk) where you can currently get 3 for the price of 2. A 30 capsule box costs £13.95.

This is a sponsored feature on behalf of ProVen; all opinions and insights are my own. 
I've wanted to try probiotics for a long time and will continue to integrate these into my routine.