Perhaps, we all have heard about probiotics that are very helpful to the gut health but are not all clear about the best time to take this supplement for maximum benefits, morning or evening, before or after meal, and with or without food.
Even those who have consumed probiotics for such a long time are not able to fully enjoy their benefits. Along with information on the label like timing, diet and ingredients, there’s a lot of conflicting information out there, leaving a lot of people confused about the product
For that reason, we’re writing about the best time to take a probiotic. It promises to work on those who want to know more about probiotics and even those who just get interested in getting here. Keep scrolling!
What are probiotics?
“Probiotics are living microorganisms, the majority of which are bacteria followed by yeast”, according to the American Pregnancy Association. They are similar to the naturally beneficial microorganisms found in your gut (intestines).
Probiotics are sometimes called friendly bacteria for the reason that they can balance the good and bad bacteria in the gut, and help to keep your digestive system healthy. Some widely used probiotics are Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces.
Why take it
Probiotics (both from foods and supplements) have pretty impacts on our body. They maintain the balance of the good and bad bacteria in digestive tract, boost the digestion of food, fight against harmful microbes, freshen your breath, stimulate immune response, and even maintain your mood.
Time to take a probiotic
After fully understanding what probiotics are as well as their pretty impacts on our body, you must be stick to common questions like “when is the best time to take a probiotic?”, “Should I take a probiotic on an empty stomach?”and some more. Taking your time to read more, our article promises to feed your curiosity.
1. When the best time?
To answer this question, you need to ask yourself the question: “what do take probiotics for?”. It largely depends on your purpose.
Till these days, there isn’t any exact evidence of the best time to take a probiotic. However, if you use probiotics to boost your food digestion or treat digestive problems like diarrhea or bloating, you should take them alongside or no more than 30 minutes after the meal.
The reason turns out to be simple: your stomach’s pH rises after you eat, which is much less acidic and easier for probiotics to survive.
2. Take on an empty stomach?
There is a common misunderstanding that: taking a probiotic is the first thing to do in the morning. If you have that thought in mind, stop it unless you will do harm to your gut.
According to David Friedman, N.D., C.C.N., author of Food Sanity: How to Eat in a World of Fads and Fiction: “Probiotics are living organisms, [so] they need food, water, and warmth to survive and multiply”.
When your stomach is empty, it is more acidic and has a pH around two. It means that these good bacteria eventually find it hard to survive this harsh environment, so not much of them make it through the stomach to the intestines, where they work efficiently.
3. Can you take it at night?
According to some sources, for some people who have trouble sleeping, take a probiotic right before getting in the bed enables them to sleep better.
The reason lies in the strong connection between the the gut and the liver. When your gut is healthy, it can help your liver works well too, then, allows you to sleep well at night. Research shows that those who are diagnosed with cirrhosis and other liver problems are more likely to suffer insomnia than do those without liver disease.
Take with or without food?
A lot of people concern about whether or not they should consume a probiotic with food. The good news is yes, they are recommended to do so.
A study published in the journal Beneficial Microbes revealed that taking probiotics alongside the meal or even within 30 minutes of eating something enables these friendly bacteria to survive much higher and greater than consuming them 30 minutes after eating. It’s because your stomach’s pH once again becomes more acidic (harsh environment for probiotics to survive and multiply) only after a half hour of the meal.
In addition, the study indicates that probiotics survived in highest number when being taken with food containing healthy fats. So, why don’t you apply some while taking probiotics?
See more: Which Foods Contain Much Probiotics?
Should you take a probiotic every day?
Although probiotics have great effects on our body, they are not formally recommended to use on a daily routine because they may destroy the balance of the complex integrated ecosystem of 1,000 species to create a new one of just a few strains of bacteria.
Other thing needs to be considered is the origin and quality of the product. Even when you buy probiotic supplements at pharmacies and health food stores, you are still not sure about whether or not they are high-quality products. Moreover, some products of lower-quality may not contain the probiotic bacteria that are listed on the label.
The last but most serious possible risk is the ingredients added into the probiotics. We take probiotics is to improve gut health, but the point is that many probiotics on the market contain ingredients that could actually do the opposite.
There are many people that are sensitive to the ‘prebiotics’ and other added ingredients such as inulin, maltodextrin, magnesium stearate, silica, titanium dioxide etc.
How to take?
Well, there are three things that you need consider to have the best use of probiotics.
First is the dosage. Rotate and don’t take it every day. As mentioned previously, taking the same probiotic every day can imbalance the ecosystem of bacteria, so you should consume probiotic supplements followed by your purpose and advice of your doctor. The frequency of 1-3 times a week is preferred.
Along with that, try to rotate the probiotics each week/month to ensure diversity of strains. And, don’t forget to check its origin and quality to ensure you intake something reliable to your body.
Aside from supplements, you could definitely take probiotics from yogurt, especially plain Greek yogurt, and fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir and kombucha that have been eaten in daily meal.
Beyond probiotics taken from food and supplement, you need to do something more to boost the good bacteria in your body. It is very simple: get outside as much as you can. We all know that the best bacteria for our immune system comes directly from the environment. We breathe it in, we absorb it through our skin, so the best ‘probiotic’ we can get is outdoors and you can only get it in nature.
Who should take a probiotic?
Thanks to their great impacts on our digestive system, probiotics may be used for all, from kids to adults. However, before taking them, you should talk to your doctor or pharmacist about whether probiotics might help you. If you are sensitive to probiotic strains, prebiotics, or any ingredients added in it, seeing your doctor is a must. Here are two subjects who need to pay more attention when consuming a probiotic:
Pregnant
These days, probiotics from both natural food sources and supplements are probably safe to take during pregnancy. However, because there is a variety of probiotics and limited research, they cannot be declared safe completely. So, if you are in this case, ask for the advice from your doctor for the proper dosage.
Breastfeeding
It is fine for a breastfeeding mom to take probiotic supplements. It can help strengthen the immunity of both mother and newborn. By adding a probiotic to their diet, mom supplements good bacteria to their body when a lot of nutrients are taken away from breastfeeding, weakening their immunity.
At the same time, by feeding their baby with breast milk that contains some good bacteria from probiotics, they help the baby’s immune system mature faster.
Can I take a probiotic with an antibiotic?
It’s incredibly important to take a probiotic while you’re on antibiotics. The reason is that exposure to antibiotics in food or medication can kill both the beneficial and unwanted bacteria.
To prevent bacteria population from being devastated, you should consume probiotics, both from supplements and foods while taking antibiotics. Make sure that a probiotic supplement need to be taken at least two hours after taking an antibiotic so that your gut can have enough time to assimilate the antibiotics before the probiotics try to recolonize.
Most importantly, you need to take probiotics and prebiotics for a certain time when your antibiotic course is all over. Studies reveal that a healthy adult needs up to a year for their gut to bounce back after a single round of antibiotics.
Reading here, you might get an overview of probiotics, especially the best time to take it to enjoy full benefits. As recommended, one should ask for the advice of the doctor or pharmacist about the dosage as well as things need to avoid based on your health condition.
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