Our gut bacteria are very important for our general health. There is growing evidence that probiotics in certain foods and supplements may help protect against and combat traveller's tummy, prevent diarrhoea during a course of antibiotics and help to treat ulcerative colitis.
Probiotic supplements: You need to take them for at least four weeks to see any effect, and there are several different types. Most contain lactobacillus or bifidobacterium bacteria, and the effects are strain specific- if one type does not work, try another.
Food: Up your intake of foods such as lentils, oats, bananas, asparagus and leeks, which contain non-digestible nutirents that 'feed' the beneficial probiotic bacteria in your gut.
Feature in Good Housekeeping September 2014
