Understandably, you are hesitant about forking out some extra cash to buy probiotic supplements that may not even work. Especially when there are so many companies spouting outrageous claims about their products, none of which are backed by science.
So here you are, looking for other people’s experiences. Good on you!
Do probiotics really work?
The main reason for taking probiotics is to see improvements in gut-related issues like bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, and flatulence, as well as issues like IBS and food intolerances. Once these gut-related issues are improved you may also see improvements in other areas like your mental health, your skin and your immune system.
Probiotics definitely do work, especially when you’ve purchased a high-quality variety, as I have personally experienced improvements in all of the aforementioned areas.
Although, the help that they can provide will depend massively upon you and your gut microflora. So when I take you through the effectiveness of probiotics, do keep in mind that this is my experience that I am going into detail about and yours may end up being different.
They have helped my gut issues
I eat a vegan diet so I consume plenty of fibre as well as a large variety of plants (over 30 different varieties a week to be exact). Meaning the bacteria in my gut have plenty of tasty foods to feed off of.
Despite this, I struggle with my mental health. You may be surprised to hear that your brain and gut are heavily connected, with about 90% of your serotonin being found in your gut. So when your brain isn’t feeling so good, neither is your gut. On top of this, my late teens and early twenties were spent in raves and takeaway establishments. Consuming stuff that wasn’t always great for my gut.
These are the main reasons why I now struggle with IBS and it becomes much more noticeable when I am feeling particularly stressed or down. Essentially this then inflames the gut and creates a not-so-friendly environment for all that good bacteria. But the ‘bad’ bacteria absolutely love it in there and they begin to take over.
This then leads to a whole host of gut-related issues like abdominal pains, bloating, gas and diarrhoea. And then rather viciously, this feeds right back into my bad mental health. Although, these symptoms will vary between people. Thankfully, when I consistently take a high-quality probiotic supplement I tend to find it counteracts all the nasty side effects of IBS. Then it’s just down to me to work on my mental health!
Moreover, I have found probiotics to also massively help GERD (acid reflux). An issue that I believe is hereditary and I really can’t do much about it other than maintain a healthy gut to reduce the symptoms.
For some people, their gut issues aren’t mental health-related like mine are. Maybe instead they started after you took a course of antibiotics (which are designed to kill bacteria), or they stem from poor dietary decisions. If this is the case, probiotics should also help to introduce balance back into your gut!
They have relieved my skin conditions
I have a variety of skin conditions that become inflamed during IBS flare-ups as well as when I consume food that I’m intolerant to (looking at you, bread), namely eczema and psoriasis. I understand these are related because one triggers the other. Consequently, when I take probiotics and my gut health improves, I experience knock-on effects on my skin health.
There is growing research that shows just how interlinked our gut and skin health is. It is referred to as the Gut-Skin Axis (see scientific study).
However, I wouldn’t claim that probiotics directly help improve skin conditions. There is absolutely no scientific proof to suggest this. Some companies may indeed assert that their products help reduce eczema or psoriasis. In reality, some individuals may observe improvements in these issues simply because their gut is healthier.
You are correct in thinking that a relationship exists between taking probiotics and witnessing improvements in skin health. However, what if skin conditions have no connection to someone’s gut health? Many reasons exist for individuals to struggle with psoriasis or eczema, and not all of them are gut-related.
Consequently, these individuals may not experience improvements and may have been misled.
It is not a causal relationship where taking probiotics improves skin conditions; rather, it is more of a by-product. So, if you are like me and your skin conditions are significantly affected by your gut health, you might experience positive changes. However, it’s important not to place all your hopes solely on probiotics.
They have improved my mental health
Whilst my mental health has been a big causal factor for most of my gut-related issues, it has also gotten worse through bad gut health. Struggling to enjoy dinners out at restaurants because you spend most of it holding in gas or rushing away to the grotty public loos definitely feeds into your overall anxiety levels. I know it does for me anyway.
Plus when I do have flare-ups with my gut health I tend to find my brain feels foggy and the depression starts to set in. But this comes as no surprise when you find out how interlinked our brain and gut are. If my gut is inflamed, then it probably struggles to produce the necessary serotonin to keep my brain happy and well.
Therefore, when I take a course of probiotics and my gut starts filling with friendly bacteria I do tend to find a lot of my mental health issues shift. It definitely takes the load off. Knowing what I do about guts now, I always imagine all that lovely serotonin flowing freely through my body once my gut starts feeling better. I know I can’t really feel it, but I often kid myself into thinking that I can. And that feels pretty great.
They have rebuilt my immune system
Getting sick regularly is one of those irritating side effects of bad gut health. As if feeling bloated and gassy isn’t enough, in comes a cold or even the flu. Well, that is because 70% of your immune system actually lives in your gut. So unsurprisingly, bad gut health leads to a weakened immune system.
When my IBS was at its worst, before I began taking any probiotics and before I even knew what a probiotic was, I struggled a lot with my immune system. I was getting sick regularly and this in turn put even more strain on my gut.
Much like my skin and my mental health, my immune system has improved thanks to improved gut health. Which is thanks to the probiotics.
The science
Our guts are still a bit of a mystery, to us and scientists. But there is increasing research being put into this area and in particular, into probiotics and their effect on gut health. Below I have detailed a few interesting scientific studies:
- This study shows that multi-strain probiotics can have positive effects on IBS (see scientific study).
- It has been shown that probiotics are effective in treating acute infectious diarrhoea, antibiotic-associated diarrhoea, Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea, hepatic encephalopathy, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, functional gastrointestinal disorders, and necrotizing enterocolitis (see scientific study).
- There is some early-stage evidence to suggest that probiotics can help with IBD (see scientific study).
Types of probiotics
You can introduce probiotics into your diet either through food or through supplements. I like to include a mix of the two to ensure I am providing my gut with a wide variety of bacteria strains. But I know for some people, eating fermented foods isn’t high up on their list of things they enjoy doing. So, be sure to check out my list of the best supplements instead!
Probiotic supplements
Taking probiotic supplements is really easy and ensures that you are consistently introducing a range of bacteria strains to your gut. Although, as previously mentioned, not all probiotic supplements are created equal. Read the reviews of all my recommended probiotic supplements here:
- Symprove liquid supplement: Read my Symprove review
- Wild Dose anti-bloating capsules: Read my Wild Dose review
- Ethical Nutrition advanced capsule biotic: Read my Ethical Nutrition review
- Ritual synbiotic capsules (probiotics with prebiotics): Read my Ritual review
Alternatively, check out my full list of the best probiotic supplements – all tried and tested by myself.
Probiotic foods
If you love fermented foods, then you’ll enjoy eating these natural probiotic-rich foods. The only downside is that you can’t always tell how much of what strain of bacteria you are consuming. So if you are aiming for a specific strain and quantity then you may want to supplement on top of this.
- Kombucha: A fermented tea beverage produced by combining sweetened tea with a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY). The SCOBY ferments the tea, producing a tangy and effervescent drink rich in probiotics and organic acids. Discover my favourite kombucha that you can buy in the UK.
- Sauerkraut: Fermented cabbage, often seasoned with various herbs and spices. Lactic acid bacteria are responsible for the fermentation process.
- Kimchi: A Korean dish made from fermented vegetables, primarily napa cabbage and radishes, seasoned with spices and sometimes seafood. Try out my kimchi recipe and discover ways to cook with kimchi.
- Miso: A traditional Japanese seasoning made by fermenting soybeans with salt and a specific fungus, Aspergillus oryzae. Try out my miso ramen recipe.
- Tempeh: A fermented soybean product originating from Indonesia. It’s made by binding soybeans into a cake-like form using a fungus called Rhizopus oligosporus. Try this tempeh katsu curry recipe.
- Pickles: Some types of pickles, like those made using saltwater brine, can contain probiotic bacteria.
Alternatives to probiotics
Maybe you’ve tried out high-quality probiotics before and they haven’t worked for you, or you’ve been told by a medical professional to avoid taking a probiotic supplement. Well, fear not as there are alternatives to probiotics that may well help create a healthy environment for your gut to thrive!
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