Gut Health: Why It Matters

Have you ever had a gut feeling about something? Then you know, the best type of gut feeling is when your gut feeling is good. Our gut microbiome is a complex system of billions of tiny bacteria in our digestive system. Let's dive in!

What is the Gut Microbiome? 

The gut microbiome is a collection of bacteria in our digestive system that play a role in our digestion. When we eat food, many of the component molecules are broken down by our stomach acid and absorbed into the body. However, there are certain types of molecules that our body can't directly break down; that's where the microbiome comes in.

The beneficial bacteria in our microbiome work in tandem with our digestive system, breaking down these molecules into more easily absorbed parts. Both probiotic bacteria and prebiotic fibers can support the population of beneficial bacteria in our gut.†

Probiotics and Benefit

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that operate in our digestive system. A Probiotic supplement includes live bacteria to help reinforce the beneficial bacteria in our gut. Our Digestive Probiotics Extra Strength Gummies work with the good bacteria naturally found in your gut to support healthy digestion, in tasty Raspberry and Cherry flavors.†

Here are some reasons why you might be interested in a Probiotic supplement:

Supports Healthy Digestion: 

A Probiotic supplement can help support healthy digestion by working with the already present good bacteria naturally found in your gut. We naturally have good bacteria that help support our digestion, and getting probiotics through either supplementation or probiotic foods in our diet helps support the population.†

For example, Nature Made® Digestive Probiotics Extra Strength Gummies work with the good bacteria naturally found in your gut to support healthy digestion.†

Support Your Gut's Natural Balance

Because of the complexity of our gut microbiome, keeping it in balance is essential. Some lifestyle factors, like chronic stress, poor nutrition, aging, and traveling, can sometimes disrupt the gut's natural balance. Supplementing your diet with probiotics can help support your gut's natural balance by providing beneficial bacteria.†

If you are looking for a Probiotic supplement to support your gut's natural balance, check out Nature Made® Digestive Probiotics Extra Strength Capsules, which support healthy microflora in the small intestine to help relieve occasional gas, bloating, and abdominal discomfort and in the large intestine to help relieve occasional constipation and irregularity.†

Prebiotics and Benefits

Probiotics aren't the only game in town regarding gut health support; don't miss the similarly named Prebiotics, which are dietary fibers that feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut.†

Feeds Gut Microbes

What's a Prebiotic fiber, exactly? It's a dietary fiber that our body can't digest. Instead, these dietary fibers are digested by the beneficial microorganisms that live in our gut. It's like giving the good guys in your gut microbiome a snack. Nature Made® Fiber Gummies feed your gut microbes to support a healthy digestive tract, in delicious fruit flavors.†

Support Bowel Health

Prebiotic fibers support bowel health by feeding Probiotic bacteria in your gut. These Probiotic bacteria have their own beneficial effects, so feeding them helps to support a healthy digestive tract.†

Where Do We Get Probiotics and Prebiotics in Our Diet?

So, if these Pro- and Prebiotics are so good for our gut, where do we usually get them?

Probiotics are primarily found in our diet in fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, miso, and tempeh. These fermented foods include live cultures of beneficial bacteria through the fermentation process.

If you're looking for a dietary source of Prebiotic fiber, check out oatmeal, bran, flaxseed, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and legumes. These sources of soluble fiber provide a source of food for the beneficial bacteria in your gut.

So, with all these sources, how many of us get the recommended intake in our daily diet? Not too many! More than 90% of women and 97% of men do not meet the recommended dietary fiber intake, which is 31 g/day for men and 25 g/day for women.^[1]

If you're looking for a convenient way to supplement your daily intake of Prebiotics and Probiotics, Nature Made® offers a number of dietary supplements in our Probiotic Collection and Prebiotic Collection. Our Probiotic + Prebiotic Fiber Gummies relieve occasional gas, bloating, burping, abdominal discomfort, and indigestion along with serving as a good source of Prebiotic Fiber.†

For Probiotics, we recommend:

• Extra Strength Digestive Probiotic Gummies

• Probiotic + Prebiotic Fiber Gummies

• Probiotics Live Cultures Capsules

For Prebiotics, we recommend:

• Prebiotic Gummies for Adults & Kids

• Prebiotic Fiber Drink Mix Powder

• Probiotic + Prebiotic Fiber Gummies

Other Ways to Support Your Gut

While both Prebiotics and Probiotics are important ways to support your gut, they're not the only way. Our gut microbiome is a complex system affected by things beyond what we put into it. Supporting your gut in a more holistic form means practicing stress management, giving your body adequate sleep, and eating a well-balanced diet full of nutrient-rich foods.

Adding Gut Health Supplements to Your Supplement Routine

Gut support is one part of a well-rounded supplement routine. Nature Made®'s The Daily 4™ makes starting a wellness routine easy with four foundational supplements chosen by our nutrition scientists: Probiotics for gut health, a multivitamin to bridge possible nutrient gaps, Magnesium to help relax the body and Omega-3s to support a healthy heart.†

The Daily 4™ Value Pack includes these four core supplements for daily wellness support in one convenient shipment. Consult your primary healthcare provider before beginning or changing a supplement routine.†

Protect Your Gut

Explore your dietary supplementation options today with Nature Made®; the #1 pharmacist-recommended vitamin and supplement brand.*

*Based on a survey of pharmacists who recommend branded vitamins and supplements.

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† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

^{[1} U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 9th Edition. December 2020. Available at DietaryGuidelines.gov.}