Probiotics is probably a word that you’ve been hearing more and more in the health and wellness space lately. But what even are probiotics?
Probiotics are live microorganisms (or ‘good’ bacteria) that provide health benefits and help balance the bacteria in your gut – also known as your gut microbiome.
Modern-day life exposes us to a range of factors that can damage our gut microbiome, including:
- Sugar and refined foods
- Stress
- Antibiotics (these help get rid of infection, but can harm some of the good bacteria in the process)
- Exposure to chemicals in food and water
Research shows that a balanced microbiome is essential for maintaining good health, which probiotics assist with! By balancing gut bacteria, probiotics can help ward off infection, aid digestion and improve overall wellbeing.
Some of the other reported health benefits of probiotics include:
- Reducing stress and boosting mental health
- Lowering cholesterol and blood pressure
- Combatting diarrhea
- Treating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms
- Soothing skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema
How do you consume more probiotics?
Probiotic drinks
One of the easiest ways to consume more probiotics is through a probiotic drink. Probiotic drinks, like our probiotic tonic, are carefully formulated to provide the optimal environment for probiotics to reach your gut. The Tonic Alchemy probiotic tonic contains over a billion good bacteria that will help improve your gut health. It is also 100% sugar-free, so you can avoid further damaging the microbiome that you’re trying to give some TLC.
Kombucha
Kombucha is made by fermenting green or black tea with sugar and yeast – a process that creates live cultures that contain probiotics. Kombucha is fizzy, thanks to the fermentation process, and has a sour taste similar to apple cider. Kombucha is promoted as having many health benefits due to the good bacteria it produces, however, research is yet to confirm whether it contains enough of this beneficial bacteria to be an effective probiotic.
So which one should you choose? Probiotic drinks or Kombucha?
While both have positive health effects, we’ve listed a few reasons why you should start considering probiotic drinks instead of kombucha as your source of probiotics.
1. More probiotics
Tonic Alchemy probiotic tonics are specifically crafted to contain over a billion probiotics. The drinks are formulated to ensure the bacteria are in the perfect environment to thrive in your gut when consumed. Kombucha on the other hand produces probiotics through natural fermentation so it is difficult to know exactly how much good bacteria there is, and how the probiotic will perform once it’s consumed.
2. Less sugar
Our probiotic tonics are 100% sugar-free and instead sweetened with natural flavours. Kombucha on the other hand requires sugar as part of the fermentation process. While the sugar is generally used up during this process, additional sugar can often be used to sweeten the sour, fermented taste.
3. The taste
We might be biased, but we think our exciting all-natural, no-sugar Probiotic Tonics with added functional ingredients like ashwagandha, Brahmi and lemon myrtle provide a better and unique tasting experience. Try them and let us know what you think!
Check out the flavors in our Probiotic Tonic range.