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Whomst among us doesn’t have digestive issues? Whether you’re dealing with bloating, IBS (a.k.a. irritable bowel syndrome), or other forms of poor digestive health, you can turn to probiotics for some relief. The known "beneficial bacteria” are vital in keeping our gut health in check and many experts recommend that you consider incorporating them somewhere in your diet.
But with that comes obvious logistical questions. How does one take probiotics correctly? What kind should you take? When is the best time to take probiotics? To answer all that—and more—we turned to two dietitians to break it all down for us. See what they had to say below on how to use this healthy bacteria to your advantage.
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are living organisms that are found in certain foods, dietary supplements, and our gut. Known as healthy or good bacteria, they are responsible for balancing the gut microbiomes. They work together with prebiotics (which registered dietician at Centr Angie Asche, MS, RD, explains is the food probiotics eat for growth), to improve our gut health.
The Benefits
Probiotics’ main function is to help you maintain your gut health. As Asche explains, they destroy harmful microorganisms and improve digestive issues such as constipation and diarrhea. But taking probiotics can also be great for your overall health.
“The benefits of probiotics go well beyond the gut,” says Megan Landrum, MS, RD, registered dietitian at Pendulum Therapeutics. “You can think about your gut as the gateway to the rest of your body and therefore a critical component of overall health. Probiotics convert the food you eat into important molecules that can impact everything from metabolism and mood to the immune system.”
The Downsides
Probiotics are generally considered safe, but both Asche and Landrum warn that they are not all created equal—especially when it comes to supplements. Because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t regulate supplements, it’s on you to do your research when finding the best probiotic to take.
“Certain probiotic strains and formulations have more clinical data behind them and may lead to better health outcomes,” says Landrum. “So it is important to be discerning about which product you take.” She points to a probiotic like Akkermansia muciniphila, which she says is a strain that is shown to be important for gut barrier function. Compared to a generic multi-strain probiotic that might not have many studies to back it up, this specific strain may work better for you and your gut health.
“It’s important to ensure you’re taking a quality product, and also considering the type of strains it includes,” agrees Asche. “There are billions of strains of probiotics, and specific strains have been shown to have an impact on certain health conditions.”
How to Take Probiotics
Incorporating probiotics into your diet is fairly easy. Asche says probiotics are already found in foods such as yogurt, kefir, kimchi, miso, sauerkraut, and tempeh. Another option is through supplements. As mentioned previously, it’s important that you pick probiotics that have been backed up by studies and made by known brands. “Look for a reputable manufacturer, one who also ideally has third-party testing on their products, and contains a variety of probiotic species or strains, as well as a high colony-forming unit (CFU) count (the number of microbes that are viable),” says Asche. “I personally use and always recommend Klaire Labs (SFI Health) Ther-biotic, which contains 12 probiotic species and 25 billion CFU.” \
If you’re looking to take a probiotic supplement, both experts agree that you should take it with food rather than on an empty stomach. Landrum explains that food helps reduce the amount of stomach acid that may destroy some of the probiotics you’re taking in. “This ensures that the probiotics capsule makes it past the stomach before opening,” she says. Asche says that most products you’ll find today are developed in a way that the probiotics can reach the intestines to avoid being affected by the acidic environment in your stomach. While there are probiotics that come in powder form, she says that the live bacteria will die when exposed to heat, so be sure to avoid mixing it in with hot liquids.
As for taking probiotics when you’re on other medications, such as antibiotics, the experts say that it should be safe to do so. “Specific strains, like Clostridium butyricum, have even been shown in clinical trials to improve antibiotic-associated GI symptoms when taken concurrently with antibiotics,” says Landrum.
“Antibiotics kill off both bad and good bacteria in your gut, so it’s usually a good idea to incorporate probiotics after a bout of antibiotics,” adds Asche. But always consult with your doctor or healthcare provider if you have any questions.
The Best Time to Take Probiotics
When should you take your probiotics? The answer to that is it depends. Asche says that the best time of day to take probiotics is whenever it’s best for you. “This is really more of a personal preference than anything,” she says. “Like any supplement, wherever you’re actually going to remember to take it daily [is when you should take it]. Find what works for you and don’t stress too much about taking [it] at a specific time of day.”
Landrum agrees and says that most studies don’t specify which time of the day a probiotic should be taken. But if you need some guidance, she recommends taking it with whatever meal or snack is most convenient for you.
