After loading up your blender with nutrient-rich foods, it's important to ensure that you reap the full benefits of your smoothie by giving your gut what it needs. These probiotics are also able to produce mood-stabilizing hormones, such as dopamine and serotonin, which aid in mood regulation (via MBG Health). According to the site, this bacteria can be beneficial for mental health in this way, because it has "a direct link to the central nervous system."
Depending on the ingredient list for your smoothie, probiotics may also amplify the skin-healthy benefits of your ingredients, with antimicrobial components that can improve symptoms of acne, eczema, inflammation, and more. In addition to the skin-healthy side effects, the benefits of probiotics are amplified when you take them on an empty stomach.
By adding them to your smoothie first thing in the morning, the gut can more easily absorb the bacteria. "This is the time when your stomach environment is at its least acidic, because your body has not yet begun to produce stomach acid in large quantities to digest your food," nutritionist Lisa Richards told Well+Good. "Taking your probiotics at this time will make their passage to your gut a little easier, and ensure you get the most from those beneficial bacteria." So, you may be able to up-level your morning routine with a healthy dose of probiotics in your juice or smoothie.
