Self-care for Digestive and Immune Health with Probiotics

Self-care is an important way to manage the stress associated with uncertainty, as well as an opportunity to make positive choices, including those that support both immunity and digestive health for overall wellness. As researchers are discovering, the core of well-being is maintaining good emotional and physical health, which often comes down to enhancing our digestive and immune health.

The Root of Good Health

We are just beginning to understand the connection between digestive health, immune health, and overall well-being. Research has demonstrated links between digestive health and the immune system, mood, mental health, heart health, and even oral health. Digestive health begins in the gut microbiome–the microorganisms (microbiota) living in our intestines that play a role in gut health and management of several gastrointestinal disorders. Caring for one’s self truly means caring for every aspect of the self. And it starts with digestive health.

And while eating well is a great way to practice self-care, choosing functional foods with digestive health benefits can help support that strategy.

Demand for Digestive Health is Strong

If you’ve been thinking about your digestive health as an important part of your overall well-being, you’re not alone. Worldwide, interest in digestive health is growing. In fact, nine in ten global consumers believe that eating healthily is important in creating a feeling of wellness, and 55% believe food or drink can provide the same health benefits as non-prescription medicines.

Likewise, we are increasingly prepared to take action when it comes to our health. While 47% of consumers react to health problems when they arise, nearly as many (42%) are proactively seeking out products that can improve their health.

The Role of Probiotics

Digestive health begins in the gut, and, as we’ve learned, immune health starts there too. When making healthful choices that help maintain both digestive and immune health, a great place to start is by selecting foods and beverages rich in probiotics, like yogurt, kefir, and fermented products like kimchi and kombucha. But choices that go beyond these products open up a world of possibilities.

While demands for digestive health and probiotic fortified foods and beverages is clear, not all probiotics the same. The World Health Organization defines probiotics as “live microorganisms which, when, administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.” While many probiotic ingredients meet these criteria, there are important variations in levels of performance in areas such as survivability, health benefit efficacy, and product formats.

With the advent of a spore-forming probiotic, BC30™ (Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086), that can stand up to the rigors of manufacturing and survive the harsh environment of the gut microbiome, probiotic-enriched foods have grown to encompass many readily available everyday items. Many of these items score points for the added benefit of being indulgent enough for a self-care ritual of treating oneself, including:

The Importance of Choosing Well

The choices we make can have a large impact on our overall well-being, and help prepare us mentally and physically for resiliency in challenging times. As with any important decisions, to ensure that a choice is a sound one, look for evidence that supports the benefits of the choice you are making.

Recent global research reveals that we as consumers chose probiotics when we recognize the ingredients and see research related to the product’s efficacy. In uncertain times, choosing to support your overall health with research-backed probiotic ingredients is a good way to practice self-care.

Support for Digestive and Immune Health

BC30 is backed by over 25 research studies that demonstrate its safety and efficacy in delivering probiotic benefits in a variety of formats. In addition to digestive health, this substantial body of research shows that BC30 also supports immune health, making it an excellent choice to support overall well-being.

BC30 supports the digestive health of adults. Adult participants consuming BC30 showed a significant reduction in abdominal pain scores and reduction in gastrointestinal symptoms compared to a placebo.
BC30 supports the immune response in adults. In this study, white blood cells from subjects consuming BC30 exhibited an increased response to a simulated pathogenic viral challenge.
BC30 supports the digestive and immune health of children. BC30 has been shown to have a beneficial effect on gastrointestinal symptoms (GI) and upper respiratory tract infection symptoms (URTI) in children. School-aged children consuming BC30 showed a reduction in the duration of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) symptoms and a beneficial effect on gastrointestinal symptoms.

While BC30 can help support digestive and immune heath, it has not been shown to help reduce, treat, or cure Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Learn more about how BC30 can help you take good care of yourself by supporting your digestive and immune health.