are probiotic products worth it?
probiotic supplements are all the rage. but studies have shown that many people just poop them out.
4 minute read
should you take a probiotic supplement?
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boost your immune system! relieve ibs symptoms! lose weight! recolonize your gut biome (whatever that means)! chances are, if there’s a negative symptom, some company or blogger has claimed that probiotics will fix it.
unsurprisingly, while there is evidence to suggest that specific strains of probiotics do have certain positive effects on the body, they are not the one-size-fits-all product that so many brands would have us believe.
“lots of people think that they need to take a probiotic for “gut health,” when in reality probiotics have more evidence to support their use for specific therapeutic benefits,” says andrea hardy, a registered dietician and member of the scientific working group of the alliance for education on probiotics (aeprobio).
instead of taking an unspecified probiotic every day, hardy recommends that consumers talk to their doctor or pharmacist about any symptoms they are experiencing to see if a specific probiotic can help, and how long they should be taking it for.
“i can’t just pick any probiotic off the shelf and expect that it will help [me],” explains hardy, who also owns ignite nutrition. “i need to make sure that i picked the right kind, the right strain the right dose and make sure that the particular product has evidence to support its use.”
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what are probiotics?
probiotics are live microorganisms, like yeast and bacteria, that provide some sort of health benefit to the body, according to the u.s. national institute of health.
studies have indicated that different probiotic strains may be helpful in things like treating infant colic and antibiotic-associated diarrhea, reduce post-menopausal bone loss and aid in managing the symptoms of ulcerative colitis.
claims that probiotic supplements will “re-colonize your gut biome” or completely cure a specific ailment, however, are misleading.
“when you take a probiotic, they kind of do their thing in the gut and then they leave the body,” explains anisha gupta, a registered dietician and owner of hello nutrition. “…the gut is actually pretty cool that it’s kind of resilient, so it doesn’t want extra probiotics just hanging around.”
in fact, studies have shown that half of those who take probiotics poop them out.
if you choose to take a probiotic, gupta recommends that you keep an eye on your symptoms and re-evaluate how you are feeling after about a month.
“we don’t want to just be taking a probiotic endlessly,” she explains. “…take it for about a month and then evaluate and see ‘did my symptoms get any better?’ did they get worse even? …maybe taking a different strain of probiotics might be beneficial for you?”
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because probiotics are live organisms, they will generally become less effective over time as many of the microorganisms will die off. if a product states that it has a certain number of live bacteria when it leaves the manufacturer, that’s not a guarantee of how many will be present when the product finally makes its way to your pantry. instead, gupta recommends looking for a guarantee of organisms by the expiry date. plus, the amount of live organisms needed to be effective vary depending on the strain.
probiotics are generally safe, agree both gupta and hardy. individuals who are immunocompromised or have an underlying health condition, however, should only take a probiotic under the direct care of a physician. if you experience negative side effects, like nausea or diarrhea, stop taking the probiotic and speak to a doctor.
aeprobio offers a free guide to probiotics that takes a look at different strains, the products that claim to contain these strains and the existing research. note, however, that this website has not been evaluated by health canada.
other ways to maintain gut health
maintaining a healthy gut biome is important for long term health, however, taking a probiotic every day isn’t the best option to get you there. instead, hardy recommends eating a variety of plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds to keep the microbes in your body happy.
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“our microbes like to snack on fibre — fibre is their favourite fuel source,” says hardy. “…not very sexy, but getting enough fibre is the thing that we know has the biggest impact on our digestive health and our gut microbiome.
“diet is the quickest, easiest way to positively or negatively influence our gut microbiome.”
variety is also key to maintaining a well-rounded microbiome. so if you like to eat the same thing every day, you might want to consider switching it up. adding plant-based foods to your diet is also important, says hardy, like adding pumpkin seeds and raspberries to your oatmeal in the morning or cutting up some extra vegetables for your salad at dinner.
because the biggest benefits come from eating plenty of fibre over long periods of time — rather than just stuffing your diet for a week with nuts and seeds and then going back to old ways — gupta recommends that you go slow to make it easier to maintain a proper diet.
“including one new vegetable, for example, in your diet a week,” she says. “just making it really simple and taking baby steps in this is really helpful to just changing your mindset, changing your habit and actually being successful with it, otherwise, you get overwhelmed.”
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