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Our digestive system is home to at least 500 different bacterial strains Ideally, 85% of the bacteria in our gut are beneficial to our health. When the vast majority of gut flora is of the friendly variety, the remaining 15% which are pathogenic bacterial strains and yeasts are easily handled and kept under control. In fact, in a well-balanced gut, the friendly bacterial strains can actually harness some of the pathogenic strains to perform helpful functions!
The problem is that most people today have this proportion reversed with the majority of gut flora of the unfriendly variety. This tipping of the balance in favor of pathogens occurs due to antibiotic use, the birth control pill and other meds that negatively affect the gut flora, and the consumption of processed foods and high amounts of sugar which feed pathogens and candida.
The health consequences of a pathogen dominated gut are many.
Diarrhea, constipation, excessive gas, bloating, allergies, eczema, irritable bowel, inflammatory bowel, kidney stones, ear infections, strep throat, colds, vaginal yeast infections, Crohn’s disease, lactose intolerance, thrush, athlete’s foot, cancer, and on and on.
The good news is that proactive steps can be taken to rectify the situation to tip the balance back in favor of the friendly bacteria and beneficial yeasts.
How? Homemade fermented foods are one very smart practice, but for many people, the first baby step back to intestinal health involves taking a daily probiotic.
The Benefits of Probiotics
What are probiotics? They are friendly bacteria, thousands of strains, that prevent the overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria, yeast, and fungus in the gut. Here is a laundry list of some of the beneficial functions performed by probiotics in the gut.
- Produce substances that normalize cholesterol
- Enhance the protective barrier of the digestive tract to prevent leaking of gut contents into the bloodstream (which produces an unpredictable mix of autoimmune symptoms).
- Produce Vitamin K1
- Lower blood pressure
- Aid in the digestion of lactose
- Prevent cavities
- Neutralize pre-cancerous compounds
- Lower the pH of the intestines
- Utilize oxalates in foods like spinach to prevent kidney stones
- Detoxify carcinogens that are consumed
- Produce beneficial compounds which inhibit the growth of tumors
- Much much more!
No wonder Hippocrates, the Father of Modern Medicine, famously said that “all disease begins in the gut”.
How to Take Probiotics
Once the decision to repair the gut is made, the selection of the appropriate probiotic is a must. This article on the best probiotics outlines the selection process in detail. Here is a list of top quality brands to consider to make the task easier given the dozens of probiotics on the market today:
Once you have your chosen supplement in hand, how to take probiotics? Morning or night? On an empty stomach or with food?
These are very common questions and the answer depends on the probiotic manufacturer, according to the staff at Biodynamic Wellness, which specializes in helping people recover their gut health.
Some probiotics are packaged in time-release capsules and some are not. Finding out this information usually requires a phone call to the manufacturer, so when in doubt, assume that they are not time release.
Since it is possible that the high acid environment of the stomach could destroy some of the probiotic bacteria:
<< It is recommended to take probiotics at the END of a meal >>
Does this mean that it isn’t of any benefit to taking a probiotic on an empty stomach?
No. It just means to play it safe to ensure the probiotics are protected from any reduction in potency due to stomach acid by taking them after a meal has been consumed.
This recommendation, of course, does not affect the additional use of probiotics before bed (typically on an empty stomach) to assist with the balancing of probiotics in the mouth and sinus cavities. Beneficial flora seeks to dominate and protect every tissue of your body, not just your gut! There are plenty of beneficial bacteria in your mouth, throat, nasal passages and ears too and when they are in the proper proportion to any pathogens, healthy gums, teeth, and fluid free ears and sinuses are the result.
To this end, Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride MD recommends emptying a probiotic capsule into the mouth and swishing it around before swallowing. Nothing should be consumed even water after you do this. This article on a natural sinus remedy using probiotics explains more about this procedure.
Obviously, the use of probiotics in this fashion is primarily for the health of the mouth and sinus tissues, not just the gut.
In summary, when consuming a probiotic to improve gut health, it is best to take it after a meal. Traveling soon? Check out this article on how to take probiotics while away from home to help keep you well.
More Information
How to Repair Your Gut During and After a Round of Antibiotics
Are Antibiotics Always Necessary for Strep Throat?
Why Fermented Foods are Not Enough to Heal the Gut (and the Probiotic Boost they Need)
The Benefits of Prebiotic Foods
How to Choose the Best Probiotic for Your Family
Why Antibiotics Today Could Threaten Your Life Tomorrow
How the Pill Can Harm Your Future Child’s Health
How to Kick Strep Throat Fast
Homemade Corn Dog Recipe
What about water Kefir? Are these two different things? If so how does Kefir and something like whey differ, should one do both? Thanks!
Water kefir has probiotics in it … it is a fermented food. But, many folks trying to recover their gut health need a therapeutic strength probiotic supplement for a time to get the gut seeded properly and to help overcome pathogen dominance. Fermented foods are wonderful and great for maintenance once gut health has been reestablished and/or in addition to probiotics.
I think you have it backward. Fermented foods have billions more good bacteria than any pill does. There is nothing that beats consuming homemade cultured products. No pill on the market can beat that.
That’s what I heard from Dr Mercola, that fermented foods are way better than any pill!
I agree. See this article
http://nourishingplot.com/2014/06/21/sauerkraut-test-divulges-shocking-probiotic-count/
This is true and I’ve seen it before, but you can’t get the aggressive strains (soil based) that kill off pathogens and re-establish dominance in the gut with strong strains of probiotics from fermented foods. It’s not just about the bacterial count, it’s about the strains and how aggressive they are. This is why a therapeutic strength probiotic like Biokult is necessary for a time to kickstart the process back to gut health.
I wonder if you use homegrown garden produce, especially root veggies like beets and carrots, without washing thoroughly (just brush off visible dirt), to ferment… would you get some soil strains in your cultured foods?
How does the birth control pill negatively affect gut flora?
Here’s an article on this. https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/how-the-pill-can-harm-your-future-childs-health/
My confusion has always lain around the issue of whether fermented foods (esp sauerkraut) in some way adversely affect the beneficial bacteria in probiotics. I try always to have some form of fermented food with each meal, whether it’s kombucha or sauerkraut, but worry that if I’m also having my pro-biotics at the same time, that I’m cancelling out the benefits of the probes.
Probiotics and fermented foods can be used together. I would suggest reading the book on the GAPS Diet which describes healing the gut using both.
I noticed Custom Probiotics also list their as a proprietary blend on the Amazon picture label. Does that make it a bad choice too?
Email them and ask. Online info can sometimes be outdated. International Nutrition was not forthcoming during recent email and phone requests for information about Nutrivene.
What is your opinion about taking probiotics during a course of antibiotics, or while taking other antibiotic supplements?
This article outlines what to do. https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/protocol-for-gut-support-during-and-after-a-round-of-antibiotics/
What would you suggest for a 5 year old to take, which brand of probiotics?
Garden of Life, inc. by Jordan Rubin has a raw probiotic. What is your opinion of this brand?
Stay away from all Garden of Life products. Their rice protein powders have super high levels of heavy metals in them and the company tried to hide it and threatened Mike Adams after exposing him. The company has no integrity anymore. I would go with Innate Response.
LC, I think you need to research this further. The Garden of Life products DO NOT have “super high” levels of heavy metals in them, as outlined here:
Furthermore, contrary to your statement, Garden of Life and Mike Adams (naturalnewsnow.com) are working together to get the levels even lower.
hello Sarah
can i give a bio-kult capsul to my 9 years old boy and then give him another in his mouth?
isnt too much for him,2 capsules a day?
thank you,i learn soo much with you
love you, god bless
milena
This is an amazing post on how prebiotics help probiotics:
http://freetheanimal.com/2014/02/probiotics-component-obesity.html#comment-636303
My regimen for a couple of months, on the advice of a knowledgeable friend who does the same thing, is to empty a probiotic capsule into a bowl, and mix it with 4 T of potato starch and 1-2 tsp of psyllium. Then, add water and down it, or mix it into a smoothie, or whatever. His explanation is that the potato starch is a prebiotic which feeds the probiotic; resistant starches are also the only fibre which have been shown to help prevent colon cancer. Mixing it with the psyllium also ensures that the pro and prebiotics get deeper into the intestine, where they can reproduce. You don’t want to take this the same time as beneficial oils or other EFA as they need to be processed in the stomach, not the intestine. Has anyone else ever heard of this? I’ve never thought I had a gut problem, but my poops have been GREAT since I started this — they just seem so healthy 😉
I am reading about Histamine Intolerance and realizing this is probably my problem since I have had extensive food sensitivity testing and not coming much there.
What is your opinion on eating fermented foods if someone has histamine intolerance and therefore cant break down natural histamine that would be found in fermented foods?
I am torn over whether I should avoid fermented foods like yogurt or should I eat them to increase good bacteria. I do take probiotics every day.
Many people with histamine intolerance do not tolerate fermented foods. However, I buy lacto-fermented blends from a local artisan and find that her products do not bother me. I usually limit my intake to a spoonful a day.
I am taking Bio-Kult probiotics currently along with garlic and Vitamin C on top of prenatal vitamins to try to boost my own gut health that I am going to be sharing with a new baby in a couple more months. I have wondered, however, if the antibiotic properties of the garlic are cancelling out some or all of the probiotics. I can’t seem to find a straight answer about this online. Do you have any thoughts? Would you take the two together or at different times of day or separate them by weeks altogether?
No, garlic is actually a pre-biotic so it encourages healthy bacteria colonization in the gut.
It won’t kill your good bacteria. You can eat garlic and pro-biotics at the same time. Garlic encourages their growth.
Prebiotics create and observe after healthy conditions from the GI, which therefore helps to reduce inflammatory reactions from the gastro intestinal area. They promote digestive system health by encouraging healthy microorganisms (probiotics) which usually prevents “bad” bacterias overgrowth. Prebiotics assist with support the body’s defence mechanism, digestive functions along with colon health/bowel uniformity.
Thanks for your informative content.
I take home-maid water kefir twice a day during breakfast and during supper, one to two ounces each time mixed with what ever I’m drinking, usually pineapple juice. My poops have been great since I’ve been doing this. I used to get diarrhea every day, no more. Water keifer is cheap, if you make it yourself. That’s why I started making it. Probiotics are expensive. Get the kefir grains on line. They reproduce, save them in the frig. Someone will like to have them. Good advice though, maybe I should try it at the end of a meal.
These two You-tubes of Dr Natasha Campbell McBride on gut health are the best intro out there:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_0NvcJZwa8&feature=player_embedded
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYJkS3ZBqos&feature=player_embedded
Thank you for the informative article, but I wanted to let you know, that when I click on GUTpro a different company appears. Hyperbiotics Pro-15. Is this not the intended product? If not, you may want to change it. Thank you.
Thank you, Sarah! I want you to know that God uses your blog to answer my prayers/questions/concerns. We just found out that our insurance partners with Metagenics, so we can get their products at wholesale; but I was concerned about the quality. I feed my son an autoimmune paleo diet in a GAPS wrapper, so to speak, so I am extremely careful what supplements I buy. I was so relieved to see Metagenics on your list of quality probiotics today!
A feel good way to get some goodness into the gut:
1 TBSP raw apple cider vinegar + 8 oz sparkling water
OR
1 organic lemon, juiced + 8 oz sparkling water.
These taste good, are refreshing, easy to do, and your body will thank you !
I agree with Sara that a therapeutic strength probiotic may be required initially to overcome pathogens.
Fermented foods are wonderful anytime, as are the above drinks ..
My Prescript-Assist probiotics just arrived from your Amazon link, above.
Are they supposed to have a really strong smell?
I never noticed a smell from any other brand of probiotics. Now I’m afraid to take them.
Yes, they do have a noticeable odor. Some people have said that it smells like dirt.
They are safe to take. I am a distributor for them and have helped lots of people get on top of bad bacteria in the intestines especially caused by taking antibiotics. They are soil based so they don’t need refrigeration and won’t spoil.