Probiotics are vital for maintaining wellbeing as they participate significantly in preserving health. Notwithstanding, unless you find yourself among a few special categories, taking dietary supplements may not offer additional benefits.
These probiotics are beneficial microbes that ensure a balanced population of microorganisms within your body enhancing immunity and managing inflammation.
Moreover, these benevolent bacteria facilitate food breakdown while fending off pathogenic germs. They also produce essential vitamins and assist the body with medicine metabolism and absorption.
Despite their fundamental roles, providing your system with extra beneficial bacteria via probiotic supplementation might sound logical but is unnecessary for most individuals," states Supriya Rao, MD, a gastroenterologist at Tufts Medicine Lowell General Hospital in Lowell, Massachusetts.
One can achieve optimum bacterial levels by consuming nutritionally rich foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes or whole grains) known to nourish our body's probiotic microbes efficiently - advises the Cleveland Clinic.
The recommendation from the AGA ([American Gastroenterological Association](https://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(20)34729-6/fulltext)) suggests that only two groups of adults tend to benefit from ingesting a probiotic supplement:
Antibiotics Intake
If you are on a course of antibiotics to control an infection, this could help in mitigating the occurrence of severe gastro-intestinal infections like C. difficile or C.diff as pointed out by AGA.
Antibiotics function through the complete eradication of harmful and good bacteria present within your digestive tract. The reduction in beneficial bacteria that fights off irresponsible pathogens increases your susceptibility towards illness as stated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
AGA emphasizes that probiotic consumption becomes imperative when there is higher risk exposure to C.diff. This risk intensifies if you're on antibiotics over one week, age above 65 years, have recently been hospitalized or stayed at a nursing home.
However, it isn't mandatory for all antibiotic users to supplement with probiotics post their medication cycle especially if they don't fall into any of high-risk categories mentioned earlier. It's rather pivotal for them to include fiber rich diet options which supply vital nutrients supporting good bacteria growth and helping restore original gut health.
J-Pouch Possession
Having a J-pouch could mean that incorporating probiotics into your diet could be instrumental in managing pouchitis, as suggested by the AGA. Pouchitis is an eventuality that arises when a J-pouch undergoes inflammation and infection.
J-pouch surgery or more technically known as ileoanal anastamosis procedure may prove necessary following the complete removal of the large intestine, according to Mayo Clinic. This kind of operation is often resorted to when battling severe instances of inflammatory bowel disease, certain cases related to colon or rectal cancer and hereditary conditions predisposing one towards higher risks for colorectal cancers.
Considering Other Conditions?
The AGA suggests that the current evidence doesn't sufficiently prove that probiotic supplements can help with various other gastrointestinal issues.
In simpler terms, despite what might be popular belief, taking a probiotic does not guarantee relief from symptoms like:
- Bloating
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Diabetes
- Frequent yeast infections
If you're contemplating using a probiotic to manage any of these conditions, it's advisable to consult your doctor. Together, you can evaluate the advantages and disadvantages to determine if it's worth trying out a supplement.
At most, consuming an unneeded probiotic supplement (which are often quite costly) may simply result in wasted money.
Ironically enough, overconsumption could potentially disrupt your gut microbiome balance – precisely the opposite of what is intended.
"You should ideally maintain equilibrium between beneficial and harmful bacteria. An excess of good [from supplementation] might offset this delicate balance," advised Dr. Rao.
However? "If someone reports being on a probiotic regime and seems to benefit from it without side effects—I wouldn't necessarily advise them against it,” she further adds.
How to Choose the Right Probiotic Supplement for You?
Understand that probiotics aren't all the same - there exist countless strains that can each uniquely impact your gut health.
If you are consuming a probiotic supplement with an aim to take care of a certain medical condition, it's crucial to select one containing bacterial strains proven effective in dealing with said issue.
Below are some pointers based on guidelines from the AGA:
Usage of Antibiotics
Please keep an eye out for any of these:
- S boulardii
- The duo combo of L acidophilus CL1285 and Lactobacillus casei LBC80R
- The trio blend of L acidophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp bulgaricus, and Bifidobacterium bifidum
- The quad mix of L acidophilus, L. delbrueckii subsp bulgaricus, B. bifidum and Streptococcus salivarius subsp thermophilus
Pouchitis
Seek an amalgamation of eight different strains that consist of:
- L paracasei subsp paracasei
- L plantarum
- L acidophilus
- L delbrueckii subsp bulgaricus
- B longum subsp longum
- B breve
- B longum subsp infantis
- S salivarius subsp thermophilus
What's the Ideal Time to Take Probiotic Supplement?
Are you contemplating when to ingest your probiotic? Is it in the wee hours or at dusk, with savoury food, or without any meals? The perfect timing still remains indistinct.
According to a research paper published by Beneficial Microbes in December 2011, taking supplements together with meals increases the survival rate of beneficial gut bacteria. Nonetheless, another study from an April 2017 issue of World Journal of Gastroenterology conveyed equivalent benefits regardless of when these supplements were ingested.
What can be distilled from this information is that there exists no concrete instruction regarding dosing period for probiotics. Hence, if advised by your practitioner to incorporate a probiotic supplement into your regimen, engage them about when it would be ideal for you to take it and whether its intake should coincide with meal times.
Consultation With a Physician
Should you be contemplating the use of probiotics to aid with any gastrointestinal issues or some other health concern, a consultation with your medical professional is advised. Through this discussion, you can convey your symptoms in depth so as to figure out potential causes and most effective remedies.
