Probiotics 101

The Gut Microbiota

Your gut is a thriving ecosystem filled with a diverse population of tiny organisms, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Together, they form the gut microbiota, which plays a big role in your overall health.

Over 2400 years ago, Hippocrates, the legendary Greek physician and father of modern medicine, said, “All disease begins in the gut.” Millennia later, evidence clearly shows that the gut microbiota influences not only our gastrointestinal health but also other health systems, including our metabolic, immune, and mental health. The importance of the gut microbiome cannot be underestimated, and probiotics are like friendly visitors to this ecosystem, taking up residence in your gut and positively influencing its community.

What Are Probiotics?

Probiotics are live microorganisms that are intended to have health benefits when consumed or applied to the body. Probiotics work their magic in different ways. They can maintain a healthy balance of bacteria, produce helpful substances like short-chain fatty acids that nourish your GI tract cells, create essential vitamins critical to a healthy metabolism, and even support your gut's defenses.* However, not all probiotics are the same.

When choosing a probiotic product, it is important to find one with the potency and strains that are right for your needs and can deliver good, live bacteria to your intestinal tract.

Probiotic Medical Foods vs Probiotic Supplements

Probiotic medical foods are specially formulated and intended for the dietary management of diseases with specific nutritional needs that cannot be met by a normal diet alone. In the United States, medical foods were defined in the Food and Drug Administration's 1988 Orphan Drug Act Amendments. They are not drugs, nor do they require a prescription, but they are intended to be used under medical supervision. VSL#3^® is a medical food.