Pros and Cons of Probiotics

Should we be taking probiotics?

So we have explored prebiotics and how they feed the gut microbiome, but what about probiotics?   We hear about probiotics more than prebiotics, from tv commercials, friends, even our doctor.  But do we know what they do and why they are important?

Probiotics are good, live bacteria that are found in our gut.  They are microorganisms that help our digestive process and keep our gut healthy so that we are absorbing nutrients as best we can.  There are several things that cause the good bacteria to be out of balance, and perhaps the biggest detriment to the microorganisms in our gut is taking antibiotics.  While occasionally this may be necessary, we should try to avoid overuse of antibiotics in order to keep the balance in our gut.  Remember, the pre-biotics help feed the healthy microorganisms in our gut, but what if our gut is out of balance from antibiotic use, recent diarrhea or food poisoning, or even a recent colonoscopy.  We may need to seek out sources of probiotics to help repopulate out gut microbiome.

So which are the best ones to take?  There are many strains… too many to talk about individually here!  But we can talk about the larger categories, which contain various strains:

Lactobacillus may be the most common category and is often the main strain in yogurt and fermented foods.  It tends to be the best tolerated group by the most people.  There are various strains in this category, perhaps the most commonly known is Lactobacillus acidophilus.

Thermophilus is another strain that is generally very well-tolerated, and often found together in fermented foods with Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus.

Bifidobacterium can be found in some dairy products, as it is often added to yogurt.  However, those who tend toward digestive upset often find this strain difficult to tolerate, which can be part of the conundrum of taking probiotic pills, because many of them have a variety of strains, and bifidus is usually one of them.

If we are experiencing digestive issues and chronic inflammation, healing our gut from offending foods and inflammation should be our first course of action, before trying to add a probiotic strain, especially in supplement form.  Remember, we are uniquely created and our cellular makeup is also unique, so what is an offending food to you, may not bother someone else.  The best way to determine this is to keep a “food and feeling log”, recording the foods we eat and how we feel.  This will help narrow down some of our personal offending foods. Seeking out a health care professional that understands gut healing may be necessary and very helpful.

If we are in a good digestive state, and just want to add a probiotic to keep our gut in balance, it probably needs to be trial and error.  Small amounts of plain yogurt or kefir without added sugar may be very effective when used in conjunction with the prebiotic foods we have previously discussed.  Be careful to look for a yogurt that is organic, if possible, and sticks with the Lactobacillus and thermophilus strains, not bifidus.  Start with 1 or 2 spoonfuls each day for several days and work up from there.  Remember, what works great for someone else, may not be the best for us.

One of the biggest cons to the capsule form of probiotics is that they may not be shelf-stable, so they may wane in effectiveness, and also have a hard time making it through the digestive process.  So sticking with food sources is the best.