Gut & microbiome
Supplements for your gut and microbiome: live cultures, prebiotic fibres such as inulin, and digestive enzymes. We explain which forms reach the gut, what a sensible dose looks like and how long to give it.Read more →
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How live cultures, prebiotic fibre and enzymes differ
Your gut is home to a large community of bacteria, usually called the microbiome. Food does most of the work here. Supplements sit around that: they add live bacteria, feed the bacteria you already have, or help you break down a meal. Knowing which of the three you need saves guesswork.
Three groups with three different jobs
- Live cultures, the products most people call probiotics. The dose is given in CFU, the number of living bacteria per serving. The named strain, for example Lactobacillus acidophilus, tells you more than a large CFU figure.
- Prebiotic fibre such as inulin, FOS or psyllium husk. This is food for the bacteria already living in your large bowel, so it works with your own microbiome instead of adding to it.
- Digestive enzymes such as protease, lipase and lactase. They help break food down in the moment and do not change your bacteria.
Most people start with one group rather than all three. For a steady daily habit, live culture supplements are the usual starting point. If your diet is short on plants, feeding your own bacteria often does more than adding new ones.
Two more words appear on shelves. Synbiotics combine live bacteria with prebiotic fibres in one product, which is convenient but often means a modest amount of each. Postbiotics use heat-treated bacteria or their by-products, so they stay stable at room temperature and do not need to survive the trip through your stomach.
What a UK label may and may not say
You will rarely see the word probiotic on a British pack. Under GB nutrition and health claims rules that word counts as a health claim, and no claim for it has been authorised. So brands write live cultures and name the strains instead. Fibre is different. One authorised claim says that chicory inulin contributes to normal bowel function by increasing stool frequency, at 12 g a day. Many blends contain far less, so check the back of the pack.
How we choose what goes in this collection
We look at three things: the form, the dose and whether a combination makes sense. For live cultures we want named strains and a CFU figure guaranteed to the end of shelf life, not only at production. For fibre we look at the amount per serving, because 2 g of inulin behaves differently from 12 g. We are cautious with blends that stack ten strains and a little fibre into one small capsule, because nothing in them reaches a studied amount. Every product passes our compliance team, and we test batches ourselves alongside independent labs. You can read how we select.
Who it suits and what to expect honestly
These products suit people who want a calm daily habit, frequent travellers, and anyone rebuilding a routine after a course of antibiotics, taken a few hours apart from the medicine. Give it two to four weeks of consistent use before you judge it. Some wind in the first days is common, and fibre is best increased gradually with plenty of fluid. If you have IBS, larger amounts of fermentable fibre can feel worse rather than better, so start low and build slowly. Food stays the base here: plant variety first, supplements to fill the gaps. This goal sits in our IMMUNITY + VITALITY range, with the everyday basics most people build on.
Frequently asked questions
They work in three different ways. Live cultures add bacteria, usually strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Prebiotic fibres such as inulin and psyllium husk feed the bacteria already in your large bowel. Digestive enzymes help break down fats, proteins, carbohydrates or milk sugar during a meal. None of them replaces a varied diet with plenty of plants, which is what shapes your microbiome most. Start by deciding which of the three matches what you notice day to day.
