It makes sense to take a probiotic supplement or eat fermented, probiotic-rich foods if you suffer from IBS or other digestive problems. This might have been suggested to you by your GP or your nutritionist. Nevertheless, probiotics don't always work and can occasionally make matters worse when taken right away by many people with severe gut dysbiosis or malfunction. This post will explain why probiotics can occasionally worsen your symptoms and offer solutions.
Here’s what we’re going to cover:
The benefits of probiotics.
The most common side effects of probiotics.
Why probiotics can make your symptoms worse.
How to pick a probiotic supplement.
Ways to introduce your dose to minimise IBS symptoms from probiotics.
How do probiotics work? Probiotics are live microorganisms, often bacteria or yeast, that, when consumed in adequate quantities, boost our health. The most prevalent species we find in our probiotic supplements are bifidum bacterium and lactobacillus strains. Many potential health advantages of probiotics include:
supporting immune system
improving digestive function
increasing absorption of nutrients
preventing and treating UTIs
reducing symptoms of IBS
It's crucial to remember that most probiotics do not colonise the gut, i.e., establish a base of operations and dwell there. They move through the GI tract, performing helpful functions along the way and encouraging the growth and spread of beneficial bacterial colonies that already exist.
Most common side effects of probiotics:
Despite their proven health benefits (for those who tolerate them really well), for those who don’t tolerate them, the most common side effects of probiotics are:
Gas
Bloating
Looser stools
Abdominal pain
For most people, these side effects are short lived and just take a week or so of adjusting to introducing new bacteria.
Why probiotics may worsen your symptoms:
The trillions of diverse bacteria that make up your microbiome, along with their genetic material, like to coexist peacefully and in balance. Because of this, introducing various types through probiotics may momentarily affect the equilibrium and the symptoms we encounter.
Although our ultimate goal is to alter the microbiome's present equilibrium, there may be a transitional period while your body adjusts to your new normal. The amount of homeostasis that already existed is momentarily upset when probiotics are added. You won't start to feel the probiotics' advantages until a presumably healthier balance is achieved.
Most of the time, if you do experience a brief reaction to probiotics, this doesn't always indicate that they're doing you any damage; in fact, it's usually something to be encouraged by (although uncomfortable for you).
When to persevere and when to switch tactics:
Try to continue taking a probiotic for a week if you find that some symptoms appear or worsen after taking it (unless very severe). It is advised to stop taking the probiotic and concentrate on finding and treating the cause of your GI issues if you are still having symptoms and they are either becoming worse or staying the same (more on this below).
Continue taking the probiotic if you observe an improvement in your symptoms after a week or less or if your symptoms are minor and tolerable.
I would push through any early discomfort in my clients even if they had minor dysbiosis and no identified infections or overgrowths. It is best to take care of any overgrowths or infections that have been identified first before beginning probiotic therapy.
Choosing a probiotic dietary supplement:
A probiotic reaction can be more related to the specific product you are using than to probiotics in general. The following three factors should be taken into account when selecting a high-quality probiotic:
1 - Efficacy of strains - Some strains have more research behind them than others, and they all have different applications, so talk to your GP or Nutritionist about which one is best for your disease.
2 - Survival rate - While some probiotic strains have been demonstrated to withstand environments like the inside of your stomach, others are less fortunate. It's crucial that the company you choose has considered this by promising that their product will withstand gastric acid. Spore-based probiotics have a high survival rate and are frequently well tolerated, therefore I choose to use them with my clients.
3 - Trustworthy brand – as probiotics are sometimes unregulated, it can be challenging to make sure you get what you pay for. For this reason, I advise sticking with recognised products that your GP or Nutritionist has suggested.
Avoid fillers - A lot of store-bought probiotics contain components that, for some people, can make symptoms worse, such as D-lactate-forming species like Lactobacillus acidophilus, tapioca and potato starch, maltodextrin, lactose, inulin, pectin, and other prebiotics that may be problematic.
Finding the best probiotic for you can be difficult if you have IBS or other issues with your digestive system. A fantastic method to make sure you're on the proper strains for your healing process is to work closely with your practitioner and take into account functional lab findings, health history, and any prior side effects of probiotics or probiotic-rich meals.
Probiotics should be introduced gradually to reduce unwanted effects.
I advise administering probiotics gradually to prevent any possible negative effects. Titrating gradually is especially important for items with greater strengths. In many cases, this entails cracking open a capsule and sprinkling out a tiny quantity before increasing to a more typical dosage. You can usually avoid any severe side effects and lower the dosage to the last acceptable level by titrating gradually. You can gradually up the dosage once your body is at ease.
Test your GI system functionally:
Functional GI testing is unquestionably advised if you discover that probiotic side effects remain after utilising a high-quality product that has been recommended by your practitioner, titrating them in gradually, and lasting for at least a week.
A prominent indicator of gut pathogens including parasite and bacterial infections, as well as bacterial and yeast overgrowths like SIBO, is an inability to tolerate probiotics. Functional GI lab testing is essential to determining precisely what is happening in your gut because each ailment necessitates a unique treatment strategy.
Start healing from within!
Ricardina x
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