How Long Should I Be Taking Probiotics
How long should I be taking probiotics? Is there a time limit? Or can I take them limitessly? Thanks
16 March 2021
Probiotics are microbial food supplements that help keep your digestive system healthy. Currently there is no recognised or definitive duration of use of probiotics, but it is noted that there is no evidence of harm caused by them.
Evidence from randomised controlled trials suggests that probiotics are effective at relieving some of the symptoms in a variety of gastro-intestinal disorders. For example, in Irritable Bowel Syndrome, the use of probiotics is a valid discussion point between patient and doctor in the lifestyle and diet management. NICE guidance suggests people who wish to try probiotics be encouraged to select one brand and take it at the recommended dose for at least four weeks while monitoring the effect. However, there is insufficient evidence to recommend named bacteria or probiotic products.
Further studies and research are required into the duration of use, likewise the results of long-term use of probiotics, type vs type and the dose taken.
In summary, probiotics are a recognised option in symptom management in some gastro-intestinal disorders, with no evidence to suggest harm, but the selection and treatment length is independent to the original need and should be continued under careful monitoring.
We hope this information is helpful.
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Can You Take Probiotics Long Term
Yes, you can take probiotics long term. Many find that with the benefits the strain of good bacteria being constantly present in the gut ensures their overall health and wellbeing are improved. If you can tolerate probiotics without any negative side effects, many medical professionals suggest making probiotics a constant addition into your everyday routine.
With probiotics being a natural supplement and not medicine finding the best type for you will be an easy task. However, always ensure you have checked with GP before trying any new supplement product.
So, there you have a little more information about probiotics and whether they can make you tired. As long as you have found the best strain for you, you will find probiotics are a simple and effective way of improving your well-being and helping you feel your absolute best! Dont forget to come and follow Wellgards for new product launches, discounts, and delicious recipe ideas.
How Probiotics Affect Sleep And Insomnia
The 2018 study I mentioned above also explained that insomnia and poor sleep quality may be linked to low levels and poor or abnormal expression of a chemical called GABA .
The good news is that something as simple as probiotic supplementation might solve this problem because live strains of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus can secrete GABA, the study points out.
That means that supplements containing Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus could be the ideal choice if you want to fight insomnia and experience better sleep quality.
A 2020 study further supported this theory after GABA-fermented milk showed positive effects to improve sleep by regulating gut microbiota.
So, which strains work best? Continue reading below to learn more.
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Probiotic Supplements May Cause Bacterial Imbalances
Generally speaking, the higher diversity of bacteria that lives in your gut, the healthier youll be, says Dr. Swenor. If you keep taking one probiotic supplement over long periods of time, the species of bacteria in the supplement could crowd out the other species in your gut and create a low diversity of bacteria.
Its like a gardenif you continue to seed your garden with one certain flower, that one will grow and potentially overpopulate and push out the other flowers, says Dr. Swenor.
It May Help With Allergies During The Night
Allergies are a common problem that can make sleeping difficult at night. In addition, they can cause congestion, sneezing, and itchiness, which can all keep you up.
It is common knowledge that a poor gut microbiome is linked to allergies. Probiotics can help to improve the balance of gut bacteria and reduce the severity of allergies.
Probiotics may help to reduce the symptoms of allergies by reducing inflammation in the body. This effect is most likely due to the ability of probiotics to reduce inflammation in the gut.
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On Any Given Day Youre 90 Percent Caffeine
Moderate amounts of caffeine wont hurt your gut, and some studies do suggest coffee promotes microbial diversity. But a steady drip of caffeine will eventually leave you drained. Large doses of coffee impair digestion, decrease nutrient and water availability throughout the intestines, and disrupt your internal ecosystem. Additionally, research shows too much caffeine stimulates bacteria that provoke gut disturbances, including inflammatory bowel diseases.
The worst kind of caffeine? A caffeine-and-sugar combo. Caffeinated sodas sweetened with sugar exacerbate the negative effects within your gut, encouraging unfriendly bacteria. Diet sodas may be even worse artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose are shown to alter the composition and function of the microbiome and can trigger pathogenic changes in beneficial bacteria and damage intestines.
Its Important To Choose The Right Supplement
If you have a gut bacteria imbalance, chances are its a specific strain youre lacking and you need a supplement to fill in those gapsa one-size-fits-all probiotic probably wont work.
I dont prescribe a probiotic supplement without evaluating the patient with a comprehensive stool analysis, says Dr. Swenor. And I often dont prescribe a probiotic supplement at all, but instead advise patients to eat a predominately plant-based diet.
Fiber from fruits and vegetables are prebiotics, or food for probiotics that help them grow and proliferate. Most of the time you just need to eat more plant-based foods like fruits and veggies.
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Beware Of Medications And Birth Control
Are you aware of your medications side effects?
Some can disrupt your hormone balance, leading to side effects like fatigue, appetite changes, altered sleeping patterns, low libido, sadness and even depression. Some medications that can mess with your hormone balance include corticosteroids, stimulants, statins, dopamine agonists, rexinoids and glucocorticoids. Beware of your medications, talk to your doctor about the side effects and research natural alternatives whenever possible.
Birth control is another dangerous medication that alters hormone levels. The pill is a type of hormone therapy that raises estrogen levels to sometime dangerous levels that it can cause many complications. I cannot urge you strongly enough to do your research and stop using the pill, especially considering that there are many other ways to prevent pregnancy.
Studies show that the health risks of taking them, especially long-term, such as:
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Breakthrough bleeding between cycles
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Increased risk of uterine bleeding, blood clotting, heart attack and stroke
Variables That Influence Probiotic Side Effects
There are many variables that might influence the specific probiotic side effects that you experience, as well as their respective severities. Examples of variables that could have a significant impact upon the side effects you experience from probiotic supplementation include: the specific probiotic, its dosage, administration details , as well as individual attributes . It is these variables that help explain why multiple probiotic users may report noticeably different reactions.
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Tips For Taking Probiotics Before Bed
If youre interested in taking probiotics before bed, you should keep a few things in mind.
First, choosing a probiotic supplement containing live, active cultures is important. This means the probiotics are still alive when you take them and are more likely to survive the journey to your intestine.
Its also essential to choose a probiotic supplement that contains multiple strains of bacteria. This is because different strains can offer different benefits. In addition, be sure to choose a probiotic supplement thats been third-party tested to ensure that it contains the number of live cultures listed on the label.
Another thing to remember is that probiotics may not be suitable for everyone. If you have a weakened immune system or a chronic illness, you should speak to your doctor before taking probiotics. This is because theres a risk that the live bacteria in probiotics could make you sick.
It is also important to start with a lower dose of probiotics and gradually increase the amount you take. Some people may experience side effects, such as gas or bloating, when they first start taking probiotics. However, these side effects are usually mild and temporary.
Finally, remember that it takes time for probiotics to colonize the gut. This means you may not see the full benefits of taking probiotics before bed at first. However, if you stick with it, you may find that taking probiotics before bed helps improve your overall health in the long run.
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Can I Stop My Tiredness
The neurologic symptoms, and it isimportant to understand whether or not probiotics create a chemical or neurologicalteration that may be responsible for making you tired because this may havemore significant implications in susceptible patients. Thus, there is anongoing debate in the scientific community about whether or not probiotics arethe real cause of these symptoms.
D-Lactate is a candidate to understand theassociation between probiotics and brain fogginess. This variant of lactic acidis metabolized very slowly in the human body and tends to accumulate, but notevery probiotic strain creates D-Lactate, and theevidence presented so far is not enough to incriminate probiotics as a whole ora given strain of probiotics as a cause of fatigue and brain fog resulting fromD-Lactate acidosis.
When To Persist And When To Consider Taking Action
If a client only has a mild dysbiosis or imbalance of bacteria, without any significant pathogens or overgrowths, pushing through the initial mild reaction to probiotics may be advisable and sufficient to correct the gut dysfunction. Remember to start with small amounts of probiotics or probiotic-rich foods and build slowly. However, for clients who have diagnosable levels of bacterial or yeast pathogens or overgrowths, in my experience, probiotics alone will not likely fix the problem.
For these clients, continuing with the same probiotic that causes an initial reaction or side-effect will often see symptoms get worse, not better. If this is the case, and your practitioner has not been able to find a strain and brand that works for you, identifying the exact pathogen or overgrowth at the root of your gut microbiome imbalance is essential to any proper gut healing. More on this below.
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Common Side Effects Of Probiotics In Dogs
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Probiotics are live bacteria presented in capsule or liquid form that provide numerous benefits to a dogs overall health. Bacteria species found in most canine probiotics include Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and S. thermophilus, all gram-positive bacteria that colonize within a dogs gastrointestinal system, eliminate harmful bacteria and restore optimal levels of good gut microbiota.
Benefits Of Probiotic Supplements For Babies
Theres still a lot of research that needs to be done on giving probiotics to infants, says Carrie Kaufmann, a pediatric nurse practitioner at Stanford Childrens Health in Palo Alto, California, adding that she doesnt see it as a necessary supplement for every baby.
There are some cases where a probiotic supplement may be beneficial, though, including:
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What Time Of Day Should You Take Probiotics
A 2011 study showed that probiotics are best taken at least 30 minutes before a meal.
You can opt to take your probiotic supplement before breakfast or space out the dose for other meals of the day if you need to take more than one capsule .
Because timing is important to make sure that probiotics work, its a good idea to stick to this schedule.
You Worship At The Altar Of Bacon
If meat is your mainstay, know this: A diet high in animal products impacts gut health and depletes energy. Red meat and processed meats encourage the proliferation of detrimental bacteria and reduce friendly varieties. Additionally, saturated fat disrupts composition and function of the microbiome.
A plant-heavy diet has the opposite effect, blunting the growth of destructive bacteria and enhancing strains that shield the lining of the intestines. Research shows vegetables, beans, nuts, fruits and whole grains boost numbers of gut-protective flora.
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Youre Obsessively Rabidly Fanatically Clean
A little dirt is good for your gut! Studies show exposure to environmental microbes increases bacterial diversity and benefits the belly. On the other hand, antibacterial detergents and cleaners demolish friendly organisms and new research suggests household disinfectants can prompt changes to microbiota composition, disturbing intestinal health. This can ultimately deflate your energy.
Toxic chemicals found in cleaning products also impair gut function. Steer clear of antibacterial sprays, soaps, washes and wipes, and use plant-based alternatives scented only with pure essential oils.
Can You Take Too Many Probiotics
“Yes, it is possible to take too much probiotics,”Niket Sonpal, MD, a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist in New York City, told POPSUGAR. “Probiotics help the stomach maintain a balance between good and bad bacteria. Taking too many probiotics can throw off that balance and lead to uncomfortable side effects like gas, bloating, and diarrhea.” This is exactly how I felt at that concert and during my trip to LA. The symptoms ranged from annoying to downright miserable.
“When there is too much good bacteria in the gut, the body’s digestive system becomes overwhelmed,” Dr. Sonpal explained. “Every time a person eats food, the microorganisms race to digest it and produce gas as a byproduct. This excess gas is what leads to feeling nauseous, bloated, and sick. Lowering the number of probiotics you consume can help the microbiome in the body become balanced again and lessen the adverse effects of too much good bacteria.”
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In Some People Probiotic Supplements Could Cause Brain Fog Dizziness Or Headaches
There are several theories as to why probiotic supplements can cause neurological difficulties like brain fog, dizziness and headaches, but one theory is that they may create intestinal inflammation that affects the neuroendocrine system, says Dr. Swenor.
And not everyone responds the same way to certain pills and medications, says Dr. Swenor. We know that, for example, I could take an antibiotic and have no side effects, but you could take it and have nausea. A probiotic should be used like a prescription because not everyone will respond the same way. They should be used with caution.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome And Probiotics
An imbalance in intestinal microorganisms has been implicated as a possible cause of chronic fatigue syndrome. A 2009 clinical study published in “Nutrition Journal” investigated the effects of probiotic supplementation on the symptoms of 15 individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome. The participants were observed without supplementation for two weeks, supplemented with a probiotic for four weeks, and then observed without supplementation for another four weeks. Fatigue did not improve in any of the participants, and one participant reported that the supplement made the fatigue worse. However, six of the 15 participants showed an improvement in neurocognitive functions.
- An imbalance in intestinal microorganisms has been implicated as a possible cause of chronic fatigue syndrome.
- A 2009 clinical study published in “Nutrition Journal” investigated the effects of probiotic supplementation on the symptoms of 15 individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome.
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Restorative Sleep Is Within Reach
If youd like to bask in a full night of deep restorative sleep, proven gut support can help you get there. Of course, not all gut support products are created equal
This is one area where Just Thrive Probiotic can be such a game changer. It contains a combination of four superior spore-form probiotic strains that you wont find anywhere else. Not only does each of these strains arrive 100% alive to your gut to support healthy hormone levels and neurotransmitter production, they all bring unique health benefits to the mix:
- Bacillus Subtilis HU58 supports immune and cardiovascular health
- Bacillus Indicus HU36 manufactures essential and highly absorbable antioxidants directly in the intestines, where they are best used by your body
- Bacillus Coagulans tames inflammation throughout the body, especially in the digestive tract
- Bacillus Clausii protects other beneficial bacteria from assault by antibiotics and environmental toxins
Try Just Thrive Probiotic today, and get ready to enjoy the deep, restorative sleep tonight.
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Probiotics Side Effects Are Usually Only Temporary
Most of these side-effects only occur in a handful of cases. They usually only last for a short period of time after starting a probiotic regime, and will go away as your body adjusts.
If the side effects are caused by your gut adjusting and rebalancing, the worst thing you can do is stop taking the probiotic!
If your side effects are caused by an allergy or intolerance, or by an excess of histamine, you may want to look for a different probiotic or stop taking probiotics altogether.
Speak to your healthcare provider to determine the best course of action for your gut health and overall wellbeing.
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