antioxidants

The Pros of Probiotics

Probiotics are the hero ingredient in the Nutrafy collagen powder range by The Harvest Table. Here’s how they play a vital role in achieving flawless skin…

As you all know, I’ve recently started including Nutrafy collagen powder into my daily routine. I noticed a change in my skin in August and decided to swap my usual dry, irritated collagen for the oily-prone skin variation and I’m so glad I did.

In the oily prone skin collagen powder, you’ll find the following:

*Blueberry extract: A must-have ingredient for inflammation and a brilliant antioxidant.

*Sea buckthorn extract: It helps with the reduction of breakouts by signaling the oil glands, stopping them from excess sebum production.

Top tip: If you’re experiencing regular flare-ups, want to improve your skin’s texture and the appearance of scarring, the oily-prone collagen powder will be the right choice out of the Nutrafy range for you.

My basic guide to probiotics (and why you should be including them everyday)

In layman’s terms, a probiotic is a good bacteria found mainly in your digestive system, on the surface layer of your skin and other areas. This live microorganism has a host of essential health benefits and can also be found in certain food or supplements to help enhance the good bacteria in your body. They play a vital role in your skin’s health too.

Here’s what a healthy gut can do for your skin:

- Strengthens its barrier.

- Reduces allergic inflammation and rosacea.

- Enhances its moisture levels.

- Promotes wound healing.

- Helps balance the its pH levels.

- Treats and prevents atopic dermatitis, eczema, acne and UV-induced skin damage.

- Assists in correcting skin hypersensitivity.

Some studies have shown that people with skin disorders also have imbalanced gut microbiomes. The gut microbiome reacts to various stimuli resulting in systemic responses. By altering the gut microbiome and adding a probiotic to your dailyroutine, it’s quite possible to decrease severe skin diseases linked to inflammation (like I’ve mentioned above).

Seeing as though probiotics are heat sensitive, include your Nutrafy collagen powder in a probiotic-rich food such as yogurt to get the full benefits of this good bacteria. It’s also a great excuse to whip up a delicious smoothie.

I love this combination:

1 x sliced banana

10 x blueberries

4 x strawberries

3 x tablespoons of plain, fat free yogurt

2 x tablespoons of my Nutrafy oily prone skin collagen powder

3 x blocks of ice to make it extra cold

Some good-to-know FAQs about Nutrafy’s probiotics

What probiotic blend is used in NutrafyTM:

Our probiotic blends are a specialised blend to optimize the gut-skin- axis.

The full range can be found on the product labels.

What is the difference between your normal Collagen Granules and Nutrafy?

The Nutrafy range is scientifically designed for the gut-skin-axis. It harnesses the 4 elements of skin care as a base to improve skin health.

When will I start noticing the effects of collagen?

According to clinical trials, a daily intake of 5-10g of collagen per day will help to maintain the skin's hydration, firmness and elasticity (i.e. its youth and beauty). Some studies have shown that skin's hydration improves after one to two months, and several communities have demonstrated the benefits of collagen peptides for preserving joint health. Most studies show effects within three months.

How do your probiotics last so long?

All of the ingredients included in our products are of the highest quality, so it makes sense that we would seek out a probiotic that will provide our customers with the benefits of the best, most stable probiotic we could find. At time of manufacture our range contains probiotics at a concentration of 15 billion CFU per serving.

What does CFU mean?

CFU stands for Colony Forming Units. What this means is the number of alive and active microorganisms in one serving of a probiotic dietary supplement. These are typically measured in CFUs per gram or per millilitre.

I leave you with this question – are you including probiotics in your daily routine? If you’d like to take your skincare routine up a notch, try any of the Nutrafy collagen powders and be prepared for long-lasting results.

Visit Nutrafy by The Harvest Table’s website www.harvesttable.co.za/shop/product-category/nutrafy for more information.

Follow Nutrafy on Instagram here.

*If you have any questions, feel free to comment below or email me directly: kelli@kelliclifton.co.za

*This article was sponsored by Nutrafy by The Harvest Table.