Gut health articles
Evidence-based, plain-language reads on the gut microbiome, how probiotics work, and the everyday habits that support a healthy gut.
What Is the Difference Between a Probiotic and a Prebiotic?
A probiotic is live microorganisms. A prebiotic is not alive at all, but a substance the useful microbes already in your gut feed on. Here is what each one does, how to tell them apart on a label, and what the research says about taking both together.
03 Sept 2026
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Do I Have SIBO, or Is It IBS?
SIBO and IBS share most of their symptoms, which is why the question is harder than it looks. Here is what the research found when it compared the two, when a breath test is worth considering, and why the pattern of your symptoms tells you more than a label does.
24 Sept 2026
Why Do Certain Foods Make Me Bloated?
Some carbohydrates are fermented by your gut bacteria and produce gas, which is normal. What differs between people is how sensitively the gut registers it, and for some people a local immune response may be involved too.
17 Sept 2026
Can You Take Probiotics With Antibiotics, and How Far Apart?
You do not have to wait until a course of antibiotics is finished. Where a probiotic is appropriate at all, the research looked at starting it early in the course. On how many hours to leave between the two doses, there is no single researched number.
24 Sept 2026
How Do I Improve My Gut Health Naturally?
Your gut bacteria respond to the conditions you create every day, not to one perfect meal or one product. Here are five daily habits the research supports, starting with the one with the strongest evidence, and a ten-question check to score your own routine.
24 Sept 2026
What Is a Delayed-Release Probiotic and How Does It Work?
A delayed-release probiotic capsule is designed to open past the stomach, closer to the intestine, so the bacteria spend less time in stomach acid. Here is how the capsule-in-capsule design works, what a human imaging study found, and what the evidence does not show.
10 Sept 2026
Why Does My Stomach Swell Up During the Day?
A stomach that is flat in the morning and swollen by the evening is often not a gas problem. Research shows the diaphragm and abdominal wall can push the belly outward even when the amount of gas has barely changed.
17 Sept 2026
What Does CFU Mean in Probiotics? Is a Higher Number Better?
CFU estimates how many probiotic bacteria can grow at a stated point. It does not show how many survive storage and digestion, so read it alongside strain, stability and delivery.
10 Sept 2026
How Long Do Probiotics Take to Work?
Some probiotic strains can be detected within a day or two of your first dose, but arriving in the gut is not the same as producing a benefit. Here is what the research says about both timelines, and why about four weeks is the checkpoint worth using.
03 Sept 2026
The Fibre Gap: Why Fibre Intake Matters for Your Gut
The fibre gap is the difference between the amount of fibre people regularly eat and the amount recommended for health. Closing it gradually can support normal bowel function, microbial diversity and the production of useful compounds in the colon.
17 Aug 2026
Antibiotics and Gut Health: What Changes, What Helps and When to Get Advice
Antibiotics can be essential, effective medicines, but they can also temporarily change the gut microbiome and cause diarrhoea in some people. The safest approach is to take them exactly as prescribed, support recovery with ordinary food and seek care when symptoms are severe or persistent.
17 Aug 2026
What Is IBS? Understanding the Gut-Brain Connection
Irritable bowel syndrome is a disorder of gut-brain interaction that causes recurring abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits. The symptoms are real even when routine tests show no structural damage, and different biological pathways may dominate in different people.
17 Aug 2026
Constipation Is Not One Condition: Symptoms, Causes and When to Get Help
Constipation can mean hard stool, infrequent bowel movements, straining, blockage or incomplete emptying. Those symptoms can arise from different pathways, which is why the same remedy does not work for everyone.
17 Aug 2026
Fibre for IBS: Can It Help - or Make Symptoms Worse?
Fibre may help some people with IBS, especially when constipation is the main problem. But the type, amount, fermentation speed and pace of increase all matter.
20 Aug 2026
Fibremaxxing: Is It Healthy or Too Much Too Fast?
Fibremaxxing is the trend of deliberately eating more fibre. It can be a healthy idea - but the goal should be meeting your needs gradually, not chasing the highest possible number.
20 Aug 2026
What Does Your Daily Fibre Goal Look Like in Real Food?
Fibre targets can feel like meaningless numbers. See what 25-38 g of fibre looks like in real food, how to spread it across the day and when a supplement may help.
20 Aug 2026
Fibre After 50: How Much Do You Need and How Can You Increase It Safely?
Fibre still matters after 50. Learn how much women and men need, what the target looks like in real food and when a supplement may help close the gap.
20 Aug 2026
How Long Does Fibre Take to Work?
Fibre does not work like an overnight switch. Learn when changes in stool quality, bowel regularity and gut-microbe activity may happen, why the timing differs and what working should really mean.
20 Aug 2026
Why Does Fibre Cause Bloating?
Fibre is important for gut health, but some types can cause uncomfortable gas and bloating. Learn why this happens, why more fermentation is not always better and what to look for in a gentler fibre.
20 Aug 2026
Do Probiotics Need Refrigeration? Storage Tips for South African Heat
Some probiotics need refrigeration while others are shelf-stable, but every product should be stored according to its own label instructions.
20 Aug 2026
How to Choose the Best Probiotic: Look Beyond Strains and CFU Count
Strains and CFU count matter, but stability, survival, delivery technology and release location can also affect how many probiotic organisms reach the intestine alive.
20 Aug 2026
Do Probiotics Survive Stomach Acid? Why Delivery Technology Matters
Stomach acid can reduce probiotic survival, which is why strains, CFU count, product stability and delivery technology should be considered together.
20 Aug 2026
Single-Strain vs Multi-Strain Probiotics: Is More Better?
The best probiotic is not necessarily the one with the most strains, but the one with the right strains, relevant evidence, suitable doses and reliable delivery.
20 Aug 2026
Cranberry and Urinary Tract Health: What to Check Before You Buy
Cranberry research is more nuanced than a simple yes or no. PAC dose, formulation, individual response and clear labelling all matter.
20 Aug 2026
How Much PAC Should a Cranberry Supplement Contain? Why 36 mg Matters
The cranberry extract amount on a label is not the same as its PAC content. Learn why 36 mg per day is a useful research benchmark and what it does not guarantee.
20 Aug 2026