Den Lille Juicefabrikken: The good, the bad and the probiotic

We have all, at one time or another, had issues with our stomachs. It could be anything from a 24-hour bug to chronic disease, but it greatly affects our lives. Many of us take our gut health for granted but, as experts warn that 80 per cent of your health starts in the gut, it might be time to start investing in it.

Gro Furset is a nutritional therapist and former nurse. Good health and nutrition have always been important to her, which is why she started her own company in 2014 making hydraulically pressed juice. This method of juicing preserves the nutrients, enzymes and taste.

From juice to bacteria

The business has now expanded and she makes pre- and probiotic supplements and skincare products. The supplements come in two variants, a fermented herbal drink with live bacterial culture and strains, and a fermented drink with live good bacteria strains for the skin and the gut.

“Prebiotics are food for the gut. FOS (Fructo-oligosaccharides) are plant sugars that support the probiotic and the intestine,” Furset explains. “Probiotics are the live lactic acid bacteria.”

Research by Harvard Medical School has found that probiotics can improve digestion and help the intestines to better absorb nutrients from food. They may also improve immune system function and protect against bad bacteria, which might cause infections.

It is also important to take probiotics when taking antibiotics. While the antibiotics kill all the bad bacteria that makes us ill, they also kill the good bacteria, causing an imbalance in the gut. This often leads to digestive problems and different diseases.

Protecting our skin

But it is not just our gut that can benefit from some probiotics. “Our skin has millions of bacteria,” says Furset. “It is therefore only natural that your skincare range also contains pre- and probiotics to harmonise with your skin.”

Furset aims for her ingredients to be as local as possible. Many come from the valley Setesdal, in Southern Norway, and all are from wild, natural and organic ingredients. The skincare is one of a kind, made in Norway.

This business is more than just a job – it is a passion. “I am passionate about helping others,” Furset says. “To help people get healthy and build a better everyday life.”

Left: Fermented herbal drink with pre- and probiotics. Right: Pre- and probiotics for the skin and the gut.

Web: www.denlillejuicefabrikken.no
Instagram: @denlillejuicefabrikken
Facebook: denlillejuicefabrikken