The Best Kind Of Probiotic To Help Support Your Immune System, According To Functional MDs

Immunity has always been a buzzword of sorts in the health world. But as immune health has become increasingly important in recent years, strategies for supporting it have multiplied.

Mainstay strategies for supporting your immune system (think getting ample vitamin D, prioritizing quality sleep, and eating nutritious foods) remain valuable. But more and more people are turning to probiotic supplement, using carefully chosen strains to help support immune health.*

While we may not think of the immune system as living in the belly, 70 to 80% of our immune system is located in the gut, integrative gastroenterologist Marvin Singh, M.D., explains. So "When you have an overgrowth of bad bacteria, or dysbiosis (an imbalance of good and bad bacteria), it can negatively affect your overall immune system," integrative physician Bindiya Gandhi, M.D., tells mindbodygreen.

That's where probiotics come in. Probiotics are live microorganisms that have positive health benefits on the gut microbiome when consumed.

L. acidophilus2 NCFM is a strain of Lactobacillus bacteria, which produce lactic acid and primarily live in the small intestine. 

One in-vitro study published in Immunology indicates that Lactobacillus may be effective at triggering the expression of viral defense genes3, therefore stimulating the immune system.

The Bifidobacteria (Bifidus) bacterium is most common in the colon or large intestine. They produce the short-chain fatty acid butyrate, which keeps colon cells functioning optimally, according to integrative internist Vincent Pedre, M.D.

"Some colon studies show these bacteria help support the immune system and a healthy gut," Gandhi adds.*