There are a handful of probiotic cultures that have been tested to be beneficial. #2 Look for clinically tested strains – Properly labeled probiotic supplements will list the types of bacteria and/or yeast that are present.
Spore forming probiotics will be more effective at a lower dose. This also depends on the type(s) of strains used. A general rule of thumb is that 2-10 billion CFUs are protective and preventive, while 25-100 billion CFU daily are indicated when recovering from or treating an illness or disease. Make sure to buy well within the expiration date. If it is listed “at the time of manufacture” then expect the actual amount present to be decreased by at least half (50-90%). Ideally this is guaranteed as a “best by” date. #1 Know the dose – Look for products that list the amount of Colony Forming Units (CFUs) present.
I have some favorites that I’ll share below, but here’s what to look for when choosing a probiotic… I continue to recommend a high-quality probiotic supplement for most people, but also focus on treating any underlying gut infections.Īs is often the case, there’s no one-size-fits-all or dogma over here.
Processed foods, toxic fats (fast foods, fried foods, vegetable oils, etc), and a high sugar diet. Acid blocking medications (aka Proton Pump Inhibitors). I cover some of the most important things to limit or avoid for better gut health in my article How to Heal Your Gut 101: In my article 10 Ways to Improve Gut Health I outline the following habits to support a healthy gut:Īnd in some instances, it’s about what you’re not doing. 4īut it’s the everyday lifestyle habits and exposures that make the biggest difference. More recent studies have shown that probiotics can change the composition of the gut microbiome in a favorable way, 3 and can colonize the gut in at least some individuals. Some studies show that probiotics don’t actually colonize the gut microbiome, but are still beneficial because they can help modulate the immune system in a positive way. 1īut can probiotics really help the gut microbiome? The microbiome is a collection of trillions of organisms – bacteria, viruses, fungi and more – that live within us.Ī healthy microbiome helps us to stay well by improving our digestion, intestinal permeability, and immunity to name a few.Īn imbalanced microbiome, on the other hand, is linked to inflammation and chronic diseases including allergies, asthma, autoimmunity, diabetes, eczema, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), obesity and others.
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