Menu

Probiotics & Digestive

Probiotics are live microorganisms that can provide health benefits when consumed in adequate amounts. This category also covers other digestive-support ingredients such as prebiotics and digestive enzymes. Browse 23 entries in this category.

Cultured food and neutral granules arranged as a fermentation study
Editorial illustration

Illustrated guides

Selected entries interpreted through varied editorial art and photography.

Linocut still life of apples, leaves, and an unlabelled vinegar cruet

Apple Cider Vinegar

Fermented apple vinegar with modest post-meal blood sugar evidence — and a long list of overhyped claims.Fine off-white powder in a stoneware dish on folded parchment

Polydextrose

A manufactured soluble glucose polymer with food-texture uses and inconsistent constipation findings; fiber grams do not guarantee a specific bowel effect.Plain fermented foods including kefir, yogurt, and sauerkraut

Probiotics

Live microorganisms that support gut health, with the best evidence for antibiotic-associated diarrhea and IBS symptoms.Pressed plantain specimen with pale psyllium husks and small seeds

Psyllium Husk

A gel-forming soluble fiber that lowers cholesterol and relieves constipation — the active ingredient in Metamucil.

Probiotics & Digestive

  1. 01Acacia FiberThe gentlest fermentable fiber — gum arabic feeds gut bacteria with almost none of the bloating of faster fibers.
  2. 02Activated CharcoalThe ER's poison sponge — genuinely life-saving in overdose, and mostly marketing in smoothies and 'detox' drinks.
  3. 03Apple Cider VinegarFermented apple vinegar with modest post-meal blood sugar evidence — and a long list of overhyped claims.
  4. 04Bacillus CoagulansThe spore-forming probiotic that survives the stomach — evidenced for IBS-type symptoms and antibiotic-associated diarrhea.
  5. 05Betaine HClThe low-stomach-acid hypothesis made into a pill — plausible for confirmed hypochlorhydria, overused for ordinary indigestion.
  6. 06BifidobacteriumThe gut's first colonizers — the infant microbiome's foundation and a probiotic genus with strong IBS and gut-barrier evidence.
  7. 07BromelainThe pineapple enzyme that digests protein — anti-inflammatory credentials from sinusitis to surgery recovery, with a fruit-juice caveat.
  8. 08DGL LicoriceLicorice with the blood-pressure risk removed — a demulcent chew for reflux and ulcers, minus glycyrrhizin.
  9. 09Digestive EnzymesThe enzymes that break down food — essential for pancreatic insufficiency, patchy for general bloating.
  10. 10Fructooligosaccharides (FOS)The short-chain prebiotic fiber that feeds Bifidobacterium — gentle at low doses, gassy at high ones.
  11. 11GlucomannanThe most viscous soluble fiber known — expands up to 50-fold in water, with real evidence for weight loss and cholesterol.
  12. 12InulinThe chicory prebiotic fiber — feeds Bifidobacteria, improves regularity, and rewards gradual dosing with fewer gas complaints.
  13. 13LactaseThe enzyme lactose intolerance is missing — a genuinely effective supplement that restores dairy digestion within minutes.
  14. 14Lactobacillus AcidophilusThe original probiotic strain — best-evidenced for antibiotic-associated diarrhea, with strain-specific effects everywhere else.
  15. 15Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GGThe most-studied probiotic strain in the world — diarrhea prevention, eczema risk reduction, and the gold-standard dossier.
  16. 16Marshmallow RootThe original marshmallow — a mucilage-rich root that coats sore throats and soothes reflux, the botanical comfort food.
  17. 17PapainPapaya's protein-dissolving enzyme — a digestive aid and the original enzymatic meat tenderizer, with a niche medical past.
  18. 18PolydextroseA manufactured soluble glucose polymer with food-texture uses and inconsistent constipation findings; fiber grams do not guarantee a specific bowel effect.
  19. 19ProbioticsLive microorganisms that support gut health, with the best evidence for antibiotic-associated diarrhea and IBS symptoms.
  20. 20Psyllium HuskA gel-forming soluble fiber that lowers cholesterol and relieves constipation — the active ingredient in Metamucil.
  21. 21Resistant StarchThe fiber that survives digestion to feed gut bacteria — better blood sugar, stronger satiety, and butyrate for the colon.
  22. 22Saccharomyces BoulardiiThe antibiotic-proof probiotic — a yeast, not a bacterium, with genuine diarrhea-prevention evidence.
  23. 23Slippery ElmThe mucilage-coated throat soother — a demulcent herb for sore throats and reflux with soft but sensible evidence.