How often you go to the toilet is important; not often enough means you may need help to overcome constipation; too often may indicate an irritable bowel. Even though you might not be comfortable talking about your bowel habits, it’s important to be aware of them, because the healthy functioning of your bowel plays an important role in your overall health and wellbeing.

What’s a healthy bowel habit?

When all is well, most people pass a reasonably sized, well-formed bowel motion once or twice a day, without experiencing discomfort or needing to strain. Going to the toilet less frequently, or passing stools that are hard and difficult to expel may indicate that it’s taking an extended time for the faeces to transit through the intestinal tract, and that they’re losing moisture and drying out along the way. On the other hand, going to the toilet more frequently or passing stools that are overly soft or liquid may indicate a reduced bowel transit time, especially if you also experience the need to get to the bathroom urgently. (Among other causes, this symptom is often associated with gastrointestinal infection, as may occur when you catch a tummy bug while travelling). And finally, a belly that rumbles with flatulence, grumbles with discomfort or is distended and bloated is also trying to tell you that it’s not happy.

Probiotics support healthy bowel and immune function

Unless you’re suffering from certain health problems, eating a high-fibre diet and drinking adequate water lay the groundwork for healthy bowel function. However, a number of other factors also contribute to gut health and good bowel habits, and of these, the balance and ecology of the ‘friendly’ bacteria that naturally inhabit the bowel is critical. Also known as probiotics or microflora, these friendly organisms perform vital roles in both digestive and immune health, including:

• Competing with disease-causing bacteria and helping to prevent them taking hold in the gut
• Maintaining the integrity of the gut lining (the barrier that prevents toxins from the faeces passing back into the blood stream)
• Supporting healthy immune defences and helping to reduce the risk of upper respiratory tract infections

If you or your child are experiencing tummy troubles, a probiotic supplement may help by:

• Promoting normal faecal transit time through the gastrointestinal tract
• Improving bowel movements and the characteristics of the faeces
• Relieving flatulence, bloating and abdominal discomfort
• Replenishing and restoring balance to the bowel microflora

Specific probiotic formulas may also aid the management of diarrhoea (including traveller’s diarrhoea), restore digestive function after antibiotic use, and in babies, reduce constipation and relieve colic.

Choose your probiotic supplement with care

The science behind probiotics is complex and often confusing, so it can be tricky to work out which product is most suitable for your needs. For optimal results, choose a product that contains bacterial strains that are clearly identified, like the FloraFIT^® and HOWARU^® strains. For newborns, babies and children, look for a product containing the strains Bifidobacterium longum (BB-536), B. breve (M-16V) and B. infantis (M-63), which naturally comprise up to 90% of the friendly bacteria in an infant’s intestinal tract.

Mr Vitamins recommends

Fusion Health products, premium quality Australian-made probiotics:

• Probiotic Advanced: Dairy-free clinically-tested probiotic strains
• Probiotic 8: Fridge-free probiotic formula, ideal for travelling
• Kids’ Probiotic Advanced: Dairy-free formula for newborns, babies and children