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Probiotics can keep your gut healthy and help your digestion.

They work by replacing the bad bacteria - such as Bifidobacteria - with good bacteria, like Lactobacillus acidophilus.

The idea is that if they nurture beneficial bacteria in the gut, they can stall the growth of unwanted bacteria.

This could improve digestion, boost the immune system, and even lower rates of certain diseases.

You can get the benefits by eating foods such as live-cultured yoghurt, sauerkraut and kefir.

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Research has found probiotics can be useful for treating symptoms of IBS. But other studies have found they make little difference to gut health.

Taking probiotic supplements has also become popular in recent years.

Research by the University of Chicago has found probiotics can be useful for treating symptoms of IBS, such as bloating and abdominal pain.

However, scientists are now questioning whether probiotics are as effective as previously thought.

"Thirty billion Lactobacillus sounds good, but after going through the stomach acid, only about 43 of them survive," said Ian Orme, a professor of microbiology and pathology at Colorado State University, to Business Insider.

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Indeed, a study published last year by the University of Copenhagen found no difference in the gut bacteria between participants who were taking probiotic supplements and others who werent.

This is the same for probiotic yoghurt which a study published in April by the University of Toronto found didnt contain enough beneficial bacteria to make a difference.

Scientists have now been looking at ways to create a more effective option for gut health.

They are working on a new type of supplement - synbiotics - which combine a probiotic bacterial strain with a prebiotic.

Prebiotics feed beneficial bacteria and help it to thrive in the gut.

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With synbiotics, it is thought that the probiotic pushes out the bad bacteria and the probiotics simultaneously acts as the food supply.

A study published this month showed that newborns who were given a synbiotic were at a substantially lower risk of developing sepsis.

Additionally, it is thought the new type of supplement could also help with obesity, diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

However, further research is required to confirm the findings.

Excerpt from:

Food supplement: Probiotics may not boost gut bacteria for good ... - Express.co.uk