How the Best Drinks for Gut Health Can Improve Your Digestion (and Overall Health)

Rejoice, irritated bowels! We're living the halcyon days of gut health drinks. No longer the exclusive domain of crusty health food stores, gut health is serious business for a major range of big businesses and cool smaller producers all looking for a slice of the probiotic pie.

Most people now know that gut health is one of the most important things to get right for a healthy, happy life. But why is your gut so central to health, and do gut health drinks help or hinder the process?

The importance of a healthy gut

To put it bluntly, a healthy gut helps you live better and look younger for longer. According to epidemiologist and ZOE founder Tim Spector's landmark PREDICT study, our diet, the microbes in our guts, and our general health are inextricably linked: what happens in our guts supplies a more accurate picture of our risk of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes than even genetic predisposition. A 2019 study also demonstrated “profound implications” in the link between diet and disease.

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“Gut health has become a hot topic in recent years and for good reason,” Sas Parsad, founder of The Gut Co, told GQ earlier this year. “Our gut is home to trillions of microbes that are crucial to our overall well-being. Good gut health is about maintaining a diverse and harmonious ecosystem in our gut. Our gut is not just responsible for digestion, but it also influences our immune system, metabolism, brain function, and even our mental well-being. Caring for our gut health is like nurturing a secret powerhouse within us.”

Dr. Mark Hyman puts it rather neatly: “If you have a million-dollar racehorse, you're going to make sure you know how to train it and feed it and take care of it so it's fully optimized, right?” Think of yourself as the new Secretariat and get your gut in order.

How gut health drinks support your microbiome

The best way to keep your gut happy is by focusing on a diet rich in a variety of plant-based foods, encouraging healthy bacteria to flourish. However, if you find yourself struggling to get enough of the good stuff, pre- and probiotic drinks and supplements can help boost your gut flora without much effort.

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“The effectiveness of gut-health drinks largely depends on their ingredients and the individual’s gut health,” says James Cunningham, coach at Total Shape. “Many gut health drinks contain probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria that can help balance the gut microbiome. These bacteria aid in digestion, support the immune system, and can even impact mental health.”

‘Good' bacteria was first discovered in the early 1900s in a drink favoured by centenarian Bulgarian villagers—the aptly-named lactobacillus bulgaricus was present in the yogurt they consumed every day. Fast forward a hundred years, and that Yoplait lost at the back of the fridge is a proud descendant. As you'd expect, much of the food and drink you'd associate with gut health—yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi and more—has been around for centuries, and is usually linked to the fermentation process.

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It's not just about probiotics, either. It's all well and good topping up your good bacteria, but they'll need something to eat, and that's where prebiotic fiber comes in. “Prebiotics are important always—they’re the bedrock of gut health because they’re feeding and nourishing bacteria that are part of your gut flora,” says Rory Paterson, co-founder of XOXO Soda. “Prebiotics create the setting for a healthy microbiome to flourish.”

Prebiotics are found in foods like onions, garlic, bananas and whole grains, and are a vital lifeline for the billions of bacteria lining the gut. For those of us whose bodies might not entirely agree with onion and garlic, a prebiotic-focussed drink is a good way to get our bacteria-feeding hit.

Any drawbacks?

The main issue is that everyone's microbiome is different, based on genetics and lifestyle, so what works for your kefir-laden friend might not be as effective for you. A good rule of thumb, though, is to look for a high bacteria count. “Look for a drink that's got a high CFU (colony-forming units) count,” advises Cunningham. “This guarantees the number of live bacteria in the drink, ensuring they'll survive the journey to your gut where they can do their job. Look for drinks with a CFU count of at least 10 billion. Anything less, and you might not be getting the full benefits.”

Probiotic drinks aren't traditionally the sweetest, so it can be tempting to go for a drink that curbs some of the more bitter notes. This, however, is one of the most counterproductive moves you could make. “I would advise looking for a gut-heath drink that is low in sugar, as sugar can negatively impact the gut microbiome,” says Maz Packham, consultant at W-Wellness. “

What about other gut health supplements?

While gut health drinks have been around for hundreds of years, the technology behind getting your gut flora to its best has evolved, with pre- and probiotic pills a quick and easy alternative. “In today's fast-paced world, eating a perfect diet is only sometimes feasible, with very few of us consuming probiotic foods like kimchi and sauerkraut on a daily basis,” says Emily English, founder of gut health capsule brand Epetome. “That is where the right supplements can fill nutritional gaps. Supplements can provide that safety net," she says, "for you to be able to know that you're doing the best for yourself without having to overcomplicate it.”