You hear about probiotics everywhere. Many therapeutic supplements have not yet been accepted into doctors’ offices or television ads, but probiotics have been touted by the mainstream culture for years.

Research has solidified the fact that probiotics are enormously important for gut health and for the health of your entire body. Decades ago, few people realized how important the bacteria in your gut is to the brain, your immune system, and even the cardiovascular system. But now, research has evidenced the broad effects of gut bacteria on our bodies.

These beneficial bacteria have been added to some foods you find in the grocery store: bean dips, drinks, yogurt, and vegan yogurts.

So why not add it to beer so you can get your buzz and bacteria at the same time?

Up to now, beer wasn’t a probiotic-rich food because the acids in hops prevented probiotics from surviving in the beverage. But researchers at the National University of Singapore have changed this.

Finally a Beer with Bacteria

These Singaporeans found a way to make a strain of beneficial bacteria called Lactobacillus paracasei L2 overcome the killing action of hops. The result is a beer that is evidenced to improve immune function.

To illustrate how far-reaching the effects of gut bacteria can be, it has been found that bacteria of the Lactobacillus paracasei strain can profoundly alter skin health ¹! Scientists describe this strain’s effect on the skin: “It contributes to the reinforcement of skin barrier function, decreases skin sensitivity, and modulates the skin immune system leading to the preservation of skin homeostasis” ¹. Wow, that’s impressive! It’s clear that the effects of this strain reach far beyond the gut - what’s in your gut can affect even your skin.

Researchers have also found that this strain of bacteria can help relax the muscles of the intestines ². In mice, a Lactobacillus paracasei strain relaxed the guts of mice after they were overactivated by infection ². In humans, this could translate into help with irritable bowel syndrome.

Probiotics are especially important after you have been given a round of antibiotics because these drugs can kill off the good bacteria in your gut. But many practitioners recommend that even healthy people take probiotics for their digestive and immune-boosting properties.

Remember that beer shouldn’t be considered just junk food. Many people get many antioxidants from beer consumption, and beer has been found to increase the antioxidant capacity of blood ³.

If you're a beer drinker and want to kill two birds with one stone, probiotic beer might be a good buy in the future. Here’s to your buzz, and your gut!

Supplemental Probiotics

Another easy way to consume the probiotics you need is by simply taking a pill. Probio-40 is a high-quality potent blend of probiotics, all in one capsule. This formulation has the right strains of probiotics in it to benefit your health.

The advantage of taking a probiotic supplement is that you are ingesting the correct amounts of probiotics as well as the right strains. It’s a more exact way of getting the good bacteria rather than consuming probiotic foods, but both are good!