Photograph by Jonathan Taylor
Probiotics have been around for ages – but it’s having a serious moment, and not just with plant-loving hippies, either. We break down why the probiotic health trend is totally legit – and how to get on it ASAP. 

Everyone’s Tummy is Unhappy

As it turns out, we’re eating tons of foods that are bad for us. Milk, found in everything from a bag of chips to muffins, is actually difficult or impossible to digest for around two thirds of the population. And, three quarters of our immune system is located in our guts, the very same place you left your double bacon-and-cheese burger. The health of your tum has also been linked to your mood, making your midsection one of the most important parts of your body. Enter probiotics: the nifty ninjas of digestion and, now, overall health.

How Do Probiotics Work?

“A healthy gut is one that contains both a high population and large diversity of beneficial gut microbes,” says Ricki Allardice from Probyo, a new line of probiotic drinks. He’s also got a master’s degree in plant physiology from the University of Stellenbosch. Here’s how it works: the microbes (probiotics) ferment food in your gut and make the nutrients from the digestion more available to your body to use. It also releases B-vitamins, a key source of energy. “Consuming foods that contain live and active probiotics will ensure that your gut is populated with these beneficial fermentative microbes,” says Allardice.

The Nitty Gritty of the Drink 

There are tons of ways you can get your probiotic mix in, and we’re not talking about yoghurt, either. You’d need to consume about 40 litres per day to get the full quota of probiotic goodness, according to the 2016 Digestive Health Trends Index. Try fermented foods like kefir, kimchi, or Probyo – a mix of live cultures that you can add to drinks and smoothies.