May help mums-to-be feel that they're assisting theirs and their baby's health.
Studies have shown that taking probiotics during pregnancy may help to prevent eczema in babies. Probiotics have also been linked with health benefits in adults – including preventing infection and aiding digestion. Breast milk is also known to contain prebiotics, suggesting these substances could well be of benefit to babies.
Boots Probiotic and Prebiotic supplements contain both the common ‘friendly bacteria’ Lactobacillus acidophilus, found naturally in the human gut, and the ‘food’ necessary to stimulate their growth. This ‘food’ is known as a ‘prebiotic’. In these supplements the prebiotic is fructo-oligosaccharides – a naturally occurring carbohydrate found in many common foods.
There’s no recommended daily amount guideline for probiotics, and no official sanction of the safety of taking these supplements during pregnancy, but no serious adverse effects have ever been reported. You should still check with your GP before taking any supplements though.
You need to take one to two capsules a day. The capsules aren’t too large, and are tasteless.
What we love
These are pretty small for a supplement, so are easy to swallow. The manufacturers claim each capsule provides four billion ‘friendly’ bacteria, one of the highest levels on the market. These are also among the cheaper options available.
What to watch out for
Evidence confirming the effectiveness of taking probiotics is still a little thin on the ground.
Who is Boots Probiotic and Prebiotic best for?
Mums-to-be with a history of allergies.
Taking these supplements helped me to feel that I could be helping lower my baby’s risk of allergies. I felt well throughout my pregnancy, but couldn’t attribute this to taking supplements.
