How to Pick the Best Probiotic for You
- Sarah Kim
- 10 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Probiotics are live bacteria that allow the microbiome to flourish by keeping the balance of good gut bugs in the large intestine. Probiotics are important for digestion, a strong immune system, and intestinal health! You will find natural probiotics in fermented foods like yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, and sourdough bread. Probiotics should not be confused with prebiotics, which are nondigestible components of food that feed the bacteria in our gut, like fiber. Supplements and/or food that contain both prebiotics and probiotics are known as synbiotics. In simple terms, probiotics add good bacteria to your gut while prebiotics allow them to flourish.
Probiotic supplements can be used to maintain a healthy gut, or to restore good bacteria after they have been wiped out after antibiotic medication. Probiotics are useful in preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea, constipation, sepsis in premature infants, and treating conditions like IBD, IBS, and periodontal disease. However, more probiotics are not always better! Individuals who are very sick or have a weak immune system are at risk for a bacterial infection when using probiotics. Probiotics are also not suitable for those who already have an overgrowth of bacteria in their intestines, a diagnosis called SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth).
There are thousands of probiotic strains, which can make choosing the best probiotic for you overwhelming. Common probiotic strains are Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces Boulardii. Most brands use a blend that combines multiple strains of probiotics for the most effective treatment. The supplement fact label will list which specific strains are used in your probiotic with the number of colony-forming units, or CFU. CFU measures the number of live and active bacterias in a probiotic, also known as the dose. Most supplements contain anywhere from 1 to 10 billion CFU per dose but some may have up to 50 billion CFU.
Now, when choosing a probiotic, you have to consider what you are trying to prevent or treat. Probiotics are individual to you, and not everyone benefits from the same combination of bacteria to manage a healthy gut. For example, Bifidobacterium lactis has been shown to prevent constipation while Saccharomyces boulardii can treat diarrhea. Aside from digestive health, certain probiotics, like lactobacillus, can have a positive impact on vaginal health. Let’s review some popular probiotics on the market and discuss which might be right for you!
Culturelle has 12 billion CFUs of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and 200 mg of inulin. Culturelle is a synbiotic since it includes Lactobacillus rhammosus GG as the probiotic, and inulin as the prebiotic. Culturelle is a great probiotic choice for those trying to manage IBS-Diarrhea.
Seed synbiotic combines multiple strains of probiotics in their digestive health probiotic blend plus prebiotic fiber to offer digestive, immune, and dermatological health support. Their probiotic blend includes L. rhamnosus, B. lactis, L. reuteri to promote regular bowel movements while reducing gas and bloating. Seed also includes L. salivarius and B. longum for skin health while adding L. plantarum and B. lactis for cardiovascular health. This probiotic is an expensive but good choice for promoting overall microbiome health rather than trying to manage a condition.
Florastor uses the yeast, Saccharomyces boulardii, which is known to prevent diarrhea in individuals on antibiotics. If you are being treated with antibiotics, we suggest using S. boulardii based probiotics to support your GI system and to prevent further loss of good gut bacteria via diarrhea.
Physicians Choice probiotics use L. reuteri strains that are found in the mouth and intestine. L. reuteri is great for reducing oral bacteria that causes tooth decay and that can travel to the intestines causing IBS symptoms.
Align multi-strain probiotic is another brand that using a blend of L. plantarum, B lactis, and L. rhamnosus to improve gut health. The most abundant probiotic in this supplement is bifidobacterium longum, which is a great strain relieving occasional constipation and IBS like symptoms. If you are someone who struggles with regular bowel movements, this may be the probiotic for you!
Coconut cult has been trending for the past few years due to claims that 1 spoonful a day can improve your gut health. According to the label, Coconut Cult has 16 live probiotic species includes L. lactis, L. rhamnosus, L. plantarum, L. reuteri, and B. longum. While greek yogurt also offers live probiotics, some strains are lost during pasteurization, a process which Coconut Cult skips. This highly potent yogurt option is suitable for supporting overall digestive health for those who can tolerate cow's milk.
The probiotics listed above are just scratching the surface when it comes to the probiotic marketplace. Follow these simple steps when choosing the best probiotic for you:
Ask yourself: what am I trying to accomplish? Managing diarrhea, prevent constipation, maintain a good balance of gut bugs, etc.
Research: find out which probiotic strain has been scientifically shown to help manage your specific condition
Look at the supplement fact label: find a probiotic that uses that specific strain
Avoid proprietary blends or long lists of ingredients. More is not always better, especially when targeting specific symptoms!
Probiotics are a great tool to improve your gut health, but they are very rarely the sole solution. Reach out to our team to provide a comprehensive protocol to improve your gut health!
References:
Ciorba MA. A gastroenterologist's guide to probiotics. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2012 Sep;10(9):960-8. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2012.03.024. Epub 2012 Apr 10. PMID: 22504002; PMCID: PMC3424311.
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