by Jen Johnston, CHHC, senior marketing services account manager
Since I have one child with celiac disease and another with food sensitivities, I have a special interest in gut health. I myself have been taking probiotics on and off since the late 1990s, before “lactobacillus” and “acidophilus” were in anyone’s vernacular except perhaps alternative health practitioners.
“Gut science” is on the cusp of some amazing discoveries, and the product possibilities for innovative manufacturers in the probiotics space are exciting as well.
Most consumers are probably now aware of the existence of probiotics. With companies such as Dannon and their brand Activia® leading the educational charge, probiotics have become synonymous with digestive health.
The truth is that the gut isn’t the only system with a microbiome – helpful bacteria exist in microbiomes all over the human body. There are microbiomes in our mouths, hair, skin, and vaginas. When these are off balance, problems can arise.
I thought I might share a few examples of innovative probiotic products outside of digestive health:
- Probiotic acne spray – According to the International Journal of Women’s Dermatology, evidence is growing through animal and human clinical trials for the use of certain strains of probiotics in the treatment of acne.
- Probiotic breath mints – They actively attack hostile germs and keep them from being able to affect teeth, throat, and mouth.
- Probiotic skin spray – Restores natural balance to skin.
- Probiotic tampons – They release probiotics during a woman’s period to restore vaginal flora
Maybe in the future we will see probiotic hand soap or even dish soap. Because of probiotics’ association with digestion, manufacturers of non-digestive probiotic products may have an uphill battle to climb with the public’s lack of education. But if they are persistent, I believe they will get there.