Probiotics
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are one or more strains of live, beneficial bacteria and/or yeasts that naturally exist and live in your body. They are part of a larger ecosystem in your body—your microbiome—that contains trillions of microbes in and on your body. Your microbiome is unique to you.
How do probiotics work?
Probiotics work by helping to maintain a healthy balance of bacteria in your body. Some types of probiotics also help digest food, reduce systemic inflammation, keep harmful bacteria from growing out of control, help support your gut lining, and manufacture essential vitamins your body needs for better health.
What are probiotics good for?
Current studies show probiotics to be beneficial in helping reduce symptoms for many digestive health issues and diseases, like constipation, diarrhea, bloating, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis. They can also help support weight loss, lower blood sugar, and cholesterol levels, improve mental health, and boost the immune system.
How do you know if your probiotics are working?
You may start to feel a sense of ease in your stomach, especially after eating. One of the first signs your probiotics are working is often better digestion and decreased inflammation. As time goes by, your gut health should improve, and you may notice improved mental clarity, more regular bowel movements, more energy, healthier looking skin, and improved mood.
Is it better to eat food with live organisms, like kombucha or yogurt?
Eating probiotic-rich foods such as yogurt, kimchi, kefir, sauerkraut, tempeh, and kombucha is a great way to get certain good bacteria into your gut microbiome. However, without knowing exactly what strains of probiotics your microbiome is deficient in, you may not be getting the benefits you expect from eating these foods. Measuring your health with Viome is the best way to decode your body, and find out what foods, vitamins, prebiotics, and probiotics are the most beneficial for you.
How do I know how much of a probiotic I need?
Knowing how much of a probiotic supplement you need can be difficult. When you Measure your health with Viome, you can find out not only the strains of probiotic that are recommended for your unique biology on a molecular level, but the exact dosages you need them in. That way, you get just what you need, nothing that you don’t.
How long does it take for probiotics to work?
Feeling relief from probiotics depends on individual circumstances. This would include the probiotic strains, how much you’re taking, what you’re taking it for, and your own body. Probiotics may help with a condition like diarrhea relatively fast compared to helping heal a gut that has been stripped down by antibiotics or years of general unhealthy behavior. But no matter the reason you are taking probiotics, it’s extremely important to take the type of probiotic that is right for you.
Why do I need probiotics if I don’t have digestive problems?
Probiotics assist your gut microbiome and health in many additional ways besides the obvious digestive issues, including helping keep the natural balance of your gut bacteria, helping improve some mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, contributing to heart health, supporting your immune system, and assisting with weight loss.
Do probiotics help with bloating and constipation?
Probiotics are often used to aid bloating and constipation symptoms and can help improve conditions like motility and frequency, gas, and stool consistency.