Your gut and immune system: why probiotics matter this winter
With cold and flu season around the corner, most people are looking for ways to boost their immune system. While the basics like good nutrition, sleep, and hygiene go a long way, there’s one area that many overlook, your gut.
Your gut and immune system
It might sound strange, but your gut and immune system are deeply connected. In fact, about 70% of your immune cells live in your gut. That means the health of your gut can directly influence your immune system. When your gut bacteria are in balance, they help regulate immune responses and provide a defence against infection. But keeping your gut balanced can be challenging in the modern world. Diet, stress, sleep, and even antibiotic use can all impact the delicate balance of bacteria, reducing the effectiveness of both your gut and immune system.
Looking after your gut health is important all year round. But, as we enter winter and the dreaded colds and flu season, giving your gut, and by extension, your immune system that extra boost is even more important. That’s where probiotics come in. Probiotics are live microorganisms like bacteria and yeast that can have a beneficial effect on your body. Unlike the bacteria that cause infection, these bacteria are good and already live in your body and help to fight off the infection-causing types. Taking a daily probiotic can help support and strengthen the community of good bacteria and restore balance in your gut.
Probiotics and your immune system
There is growing research into the link between probiotics and immune system health. Some studies have found that taking a daily probiotic may help prevent common symptoms of a cold. Other studies have found that probiotics can provide protection from viral infections. The same study found that probiotics also helped to reduce recovery time and even provided protection from serious conditions like pneumonia.
While probiotics, or any other medication, won’t be able to provide complete protection from getting sick, they can help create a gut environment that supports your body’s natural ability to defend itself.
What is the best probiotic for immune support?
It is important to remember that not all probiotics are created equal, or for the same purpose. Different supplements contain different strains, all with their own unique benefits. However, research has found some strains stand out when it comes to immune system support, including L. reuteri, the strain of probiotic found in the Reuterina probiotic range.
The Reuterina range of probiotics includes options for the whole family. Containing a minimum of 100 million units of L. reuteri bacteria, Reuterina is here to support your family’s gut health this winter. The range includes Reuterina Drops, appropriate for use in infants from birth, Reuterina Junior for children over the age of two years, and Reuterina Daily for adults and children over two years. This range of clinically proven probiotics is the perfect addition to your family’s daily routine.
The power of probiotics has been widely acknowledged over many decades. But, with the recent push for more research, we are only just beginning to understand their full potential. When it comes to choosing the best probiotics for immune support, look for strains that are backed by research and designed for daily use, like the Reuterina range. Along with eating more fibre, cutting down on highly processed foods, and managing stress, adding a probiotic like Reuterina can be one more step towards feeling your best through winter.
References:
- Nutrients. The Interplay between the Gut Microbiome and the Immune System in the Context of Infectious Diseases throughout Life and the Role of Nutrition in Optimizing Treatment Strategies. Last accessed August 2025.
- Better Health. Gut health. Last accessed August 2025.
- Cleveland Clinic. Probiotics. Last accessed August 2025.
- Cambridge University Press. Effectiveness of probiotics on the duration of illness in healthy children and adults who develop common acute respiratory infectious conditions: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Last accessed August 2025.
- Author Manuscript. Probiotics and immune health. Last accessed August 2025.