Probiotic supplements can be a complex nutrition topic. What’s the optimal time to take probiotics? How do probiotic supplement strains differ? How long does it take for probiotics to work? Is one brand more effective than another? What if I have existing digestive issues or altered gut bacteria? When addressing probiotic health, we must first understand that our individual response to probiotics is unique and depends on our specific gut health.
We actually have trillions of probiotic bacteria living within our guts, and this beneficial bacteria maintains proper microbiome balance, allowing our digestion to function efficiently. A balanced gut microbiome with live microorganisms can promote health benefits like proper metabolism, healthy stomach acid levels, efficient excretion, cognitive health and wellbeing, enhanced immune function, healthy skin, and may even support healthy weight loss.
Our gut microbiome is quite sensitive, particularly to diet and lifestyle factors. When our microbiome or stomach acid becomes imbalanced, our digestive system suffers. To ensure this balance remains healthy, we must supplement and consume beneficial probiotic sources, either through our diet or additional supplements.
Maybe you’ve already concluded that you need to take probiotics, or maybe you’re still deciding. Either way, you probably want to learn exactly how to take probiotics. So, in this guide we’ll thoroughly examine probiotics. We’ll discuss what they do, who should use them, when and how to take probiotics, and which probiotic may be right for you.
Let’s get started!
What do Probiotics Do?
Probiotics are essentially live bacteria and yeasts that maintain gut and digestive health within our digestive tract. Research shows that probiotics are beneficial bacteria known for maintaining healthy gut balance, which can be disrupted by antibiotics, certain foods, inflammatory diets, and lifestyle factors. Functionally, probiotics actually move food through your gut by initiating gut movement through specific nerves. Probiotics also help eliminate and overcrowd unhealthy and harmful bacteria that occasionally arise in our guts.
Who Should Take Probiotics?
Taking probiotics is generally safe for consumption in dietary supplement form; however, certain situations exist where probiotic use can cause more harm than good. If you struggle with health conditions like SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), Irritable Bowel Syndrome, constipation, Chron’s, or any other digestive issue, adding more gut bacteria (even beneficial bacteria) may trigger symptoms such as:
- bloating
- constipation
- nausea
- diarrhea
- headaches
If you don’t struggle with a digestive disorder, it’s safe for the vast majority to start taking a new probiotic. Taking a daily probiotic can help combat bacterial imbalances in the gut and help ensure you maintain healthy gut flora levels, which promotes proper digestive and overall body health. You should exercise caution when taking probiotics alongside other medications or dietary supplements.
When Should I Take Probiotics?
When it comes to the best time to take probiotics, research suggests it’s always best to take them on an empty stomach, typically in the morning. The goal when taking a probiotic is for it to reach the large intestine, where microorganism survival rates are highest. Your stomach becomes more acidic when you have food in it, and you want stomach acid to be low when consuming probiotics, so they aren’t killed off. You definitely shouldn’t take probiotics simultaneously with food or other medications like antibiotics. Stomach acids can also be reduced by consuming fats after taking a probiotic, creating a more hospitable environment for the bacteria.
Which Probiotic Should I Take?
Many specific probiotic supplements include different bacterial strains. Some of the most popular and beneficial strains come from the following three genera: Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Cerevisiae. These strains are all broad-spectrum probiotics, making them more beneficial microbes when they reach the gut. Higher quality probiotics include more strains or colony-forming units in their capsules to ensure maximum benefits.
Top Probiotic Brands
- Seed: This brand provides a symbiotic, which combines both a probiotic and prebiotic. The brand states that it uses strains of beneficial bacteria that provide benefits to the gi tract, heart health, immune system, and reproductive health. It’s also allergen-free and has formulas specific to males and females. This probiotic supplement also effectively reaches both the large intestines and small intestines.
- 1MD Complete Probiotics Platinum: This probiotic supplement contains both probiotics and prebiotics to support the gastrointestinal system and associated health benefits. This supplement comes in delayed-release capsules that ensure the probiotics reach the intestines and survive harsh stomach conditions. There’s also a guaranteed 51 billion powerful CFU’s in each capsule and 11 potent probiotic strains. There’s also Nutraflora prebiotic fiber included in the formula.
- Gundry MD Bio Complete 3: This formula helps reduce the effects of “leaky gut” and other digestive disorders. It combines effective all-natural ingredients to help protect your body from endotoxin overload in the gut, along with research-based probiotics that overcrowd bad bacteria. It can also help offset an acidic environment in the large intestine. This probiotic is also known for its long shelf life.
When choosing the right probiotic for you, you must consider your unique digestive health. Our entire body benefits from probiotic use, so it can definitely be helpful to include. As an alternative to probiotic supplements, you can also consume probiotic-rich foods like fermented vegetables, yoghurt, kombucha, and other fermented foods like kimchi and sauerkraut. These dietary probiotics also effectively reach the large intestine and boost specific probiotic strains for overall gut health. To achieve optimal benefits, you can take a probiotic capsule daily on an empty stomach to ensure that your gut maintains that equilibrium.
Final Thoughts: Probiotics and Your Health
There are numerous benefits of probiotics for the entire body. Users report evidence of clearer skin, improved digestion, lifted mood, and diet/weight changes as a result of these supplements. They help beneficial gut bacteria flourish, contributing to whole-body health. Probiotic supplements can be an excellent addition to your daily routine; just be sure to consult a doctor first, especially if you have digestive issues.
