The short answer is — probably. I personally take a probiotic and most of my clients are on a high-quality probiotic, too. So, today I am going to talk about why I think probiotics are a smart idea for most people. 

What are Probiotics?

A probiotic is any bacteria that when ingested, provides benefits to your body. We get probiotics from two main sources: food and supplements. Food sources of probiotics include kefir, yogurt, tempeh, miso, kombucha and fermented foods. Supplemental sources of probiotics are found almost anywhere nowadays, including grocery and drug stores. 

Now remember, our gut is filled with trillions of bacteria. This is called our gut microbiome. In our microbiome, there is a mixture of both “good” and “bad” bacteria. In other words, some of the bacteria in our gut are doing good things for you (these are the good guys). They produce waste products that are beneficial for our health, such as vitamins and short-chain fatty acids. On the other hand, there are bacteria that aren’t as beneficial for our health (these are the bad guys). They produce metabolites that can be toxic for the body and cause inflammation. 

We need a mixture of both good and bad bacteria. However, we always want to have more good than bad to help us feel good and stay healthy. 

Benefits of Probiotics

The whole concept of a probiotic is that it’s replenishing your gut with some of the good guys. (It’s important to note that probiotics don’t actually “colonize” your gut but they do provide benefits as they pass through.) Some possible benefits of probiotic supplementation include: 

• Reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms due to the gut-brain interactions. 
• Support a strong immune system and possibly reduce the number of sick days you have per year
• Reduce symptoms of diarrhea, bloating, and abdominal pain in people with IBS
• Help with weight loss 

Sounds great, right? 

One thing to note is that studies are still mixed in this field. I think this is mainly because our gut microbiome is a tricky thing to study. Plus, we are still learning about different strains of bacteria and how exactly they are functioning in our gut. 

Bottom Line:

That being said, the bottom line is that probiotic supplementation is likely safe and probably beneficial for most people. However, people with SIBO, histamine issues or immune deficiencies may not be ideal candidates for probiotic supplementation. So, always make sure you talk to your doctor or health care provider before starting any supplements, including probiotics. You want to make sure you are getting a high-quality product that is right for you. 

Stay tuned for more probiotic articles to come. And if you have questions or thoughts in the meantime, I’m happy to help.