Beyond probiotics: personalised strategies for restoring gut balance

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Probiotics are often presented as a simple solution to optimising gut health, but the reality is far more complex. As live microorganisms, probiotics play an important role in your immune system, promoting the growth of immune cells, maintaining gut barrier integrity, and increasing production of anti-inflammatory cytokines. They also modify the gut microbiome by fostering beneficial bacteria whilst suppressing harmful ones.

However, despite these well-documented benefits, a one-size-fits-all approach to probiotics has clear limitations. The effects of probiotic strains can vary widely between individuals, and supplementation that benefits one person may have little impact – or even unintended effects – in another.

We always take an evidence-based approach and aim to provide you with actionable knowledge and practical tips to support you on your journey to optimal health. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some of the personalised interventions that can help you achieve and maintain a balanced, resilient gut microbiome.

Defining what constitutes a ‘healthy microbiome’ is in itself complex and context dependent. The human microbiome plays a vital role in maintaining balance within and between your body’s systems, known as homeostasis, and influencing the development of diseases.

But it is important to understand that the composition of the microbiome differs significantly according to many factors including geography, age, diet, and lifestyle. These variations challenge the effectiveness of universal probiotic treatments and highlight the need for more adapted, individualised approaches to gut health.

Increasing evidence now suggests the value of personalised strategies for restoring gut balance, ranging from targeted probiotic supplementation to broader, holistic interventions – particularly diet and lifestyle-related factors – that work with your unique microbiome rather than attempting to override it.

Gut dysbiosis – an imbalance in the makeup and roles of the gut microbiota – can arise from a wide range of factors, including antibiotic use, stress, and genetic predispositions. However, emerging evidence, including a 2025 study, also suggests the important influence that diet and lifestyle choices exert on gut balance.

Here are some strategies that are recommended in order to boost your gut health – using a more personalised and holistic approach.

One of the techniques recommended by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), who describe the strong links between gut health and the risk of developing heart-related diseases, is to eat 30 different plant-based foods every week, whilst limiting consumption of processed foods, refined sugars, and saturated fats.

Plant-based introductions to your diet could range from fruits and vegetables, to whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes such as chickpeas, lentils and beans. The BHF also recommend five simple food swaps, including swapping crisps for plain popcorn, adding lentils to bolognese sauce, or replacing ice cream with a dessert of frozen berries with live yoghurt or kefir.

You can also support wider gut health through your personalised diet by ensuring you have a good regular intake both of prebiotic foods (non-digestible fibres that promote the activity of beneficial bacteria in the gut) and probiotics, even before looking to considering supplements.

Foods high in prebiotics include garlic, onions, and bananas (also a useful source of potassium), whilst probiotic-rich foods range from sauerkraut to miso, kimchi and kombucha.

Lifestyle-based strategies to improve gut health include stress management, quality sleep, and regular exercise, all of which are crucial for maintaining microbial balance. While exercise enhances microbial diversity and balance, chronic stress and poor sleep quality can disrupt this equilibrium.

Psychological stress can impact gut microbiome composition through the brain-gut axis, a communication pathway that provides a direct link between the central nervous system and gut. The release of stress hormones such as cortisol have been linked, via this pathway, to alterations in gut microbia and immune function.

Incorporating stress-reducing activities like mindfulness, meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises, can help to reduce the presence of cortisol and restore balance between the brain and the gut.

Physical activity has also been shown to encourage microbiome diversity, possibly through changes in blood circulation, metabolic processes, and gut motility (the movement of food through the digestive tract).

Regular exercise is therefore a key way of boosting gut health, whilst also releasing beneficial, mood-lifting endorphins, and lowering the risk of diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and certain cancers.

Poor sleep quality and disrupted circadian rhythms have been associated with alterations in the composition of the gut microbiome, while disruptions in circadian rhythms can affect the timing of gut microbial activity, leading to dysbiosis and metabolic disturbances.

Prioritising 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night can therefore help reduce disruption to your gut’s microbial balance.

Diet and lifestyle factors offer you the chance to take the health of your gut into your own hands through holistic techniques that both support gut balance and your wider health and wellbeing. But increasing evidence also points towards the benefits of targeted supplementation to tailor approaches to the unique differences in our individual gut microbial makeups, and provide personalised solutions.

Advances in microbiome testing now make it possible to identify specific imbalances in gut bacteria and, in some cases, match these with carefully selected probiotic strains. These targeted probiotics are designed to produce helpful compounds that support your immune function and help maintain the protective lining of the gut.

Research is beginning to show that personalised probiotic approaches may be particularly useful for people managing certain health conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease or metabolic disorders. By helping to correct microbial imbalances, these tailored interventions aim to restore a healthier balance in the gut, whilst exemplifying a shift towards more individualised approaches in medicine.

It is important to note, however, that this field is still developing. People can respond very differently to the same supplement, regulations are evolving, and more high-quality clinical research is needed to fully understand who benefits most and why.

As with any supplement, it’s important to approach targeted probiotics thoughtfully. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting new supplements, especially if you have an existing health condition or are taking medication.

Gut health is deeply personal, shaped by your diet, lifestyle, and unique microbiome. While probiotics can play a role, lasting gut balance is best supported through a personalised, evidence-based approach.

At Amchara, we always aim to guide you through the evidence and scientific research. Come to our nurturing environment on the beautiful island of Gozo, Malta, where our experienced Personalised Health practitioners can work with you to explore positive lifestyle choices, including offering gut balance screening, to help you achieve your health goals, with a tailored approach taking into account your individual circumstances.