Here’s Why A Probiotic Isn’t Just Good For Your Gut

Probiotics have been shown to be a great way to improve gut health— but they also promote other noteworthy health benefits outside of the gut.

Let’s start with the basics. One of the most known benefits of a probiotic is improving nutrient absorption in the gut. This leads to better digestion as a result. Research even suggests probiotics can help with other gut health issues like lactose intolerance, obesity, diabetes, and weight management. This is achieved by working to remove bad bacteria from the gut while promoting good bacteria to enhance the body’s ability to break down food , as well as reduce gut inflammation.

Typically probiotics are ingested, whether by a capsule or through fermented foods. However, they can also be applied topically, which can have a positive effect on skin health. Probiotics applied to the skin can prevent the overgrowth of bad bacteria, as well as strengthen immune response. The result is skin less prone to an adverse reaction — such as acne or rosacea — when confronting bad bacteria.

Regularly consuming a probiotic has been linked to improved mental health as well. A recent study showed that Lactobacillus (L.) rhamnosus, a main ingredient in probiotics, could significantly reduce anxiety. A test of probiotics on rodents was shown to help with stress as well as reduce stomach inflammation. While studies on how probiotics affect mental health in humans is still ongoing, current research further promotes the connection between gut-brain health.

As mentioned, applying a probiotic to your skin increases resistance to adverse reactions and prevents the overgrowth of bad bacteria. Applying a probiotic to your scalp similarly promotes a positive reaction. Regularly applying a probiotic can cleanse oil glands attached to hair follicles and prevent clogged pores that disrupt healthy hair growth. Further, by ingesting a probiotic, increased gut absorption allows follicle-building nutrients to promote a healthy hair growth cycle.

That’s why we at Nutrafol created our Hairbiotic, a probiotic designed with hair in mind. Fueled by 20 million CFUs (colony-forming units;) of seven probiotic strains, each capsule is acid-resistant to allow the contents to travel deep into the digestive tract for improved efficacy.