We’ve seen a huge surge in popularity for probiotics in recent years. It’s amazing to see, and people are understanding the benefits of using probiotics as part of their everyday lives.
But with anything that we take, we always wait and look for the benefits. When will this take to kick in? When am I seeing the benefits?
It’s something a lot of people feel when they’re trying to lose weight and think they’re seeing no change!
So, when we’re dealing with probiotics, how are we meant to confirm that they’re working? How long is it meant to take for these probiotics to work?!
Don’t worry, we’ve got these answers for you. We’re going to look at all of your burning questions surrounding probiotics - along with some other handy bits of information you might need to know!
What Are Probiotics Exactly?
Probiotics are a type of microbe that is live - normally this is good bacteria or yeast. If you take probiotics responsibly, you can notice some great health benefits from it.
There’s great difficulty in assessing what probiotics work and how beneficial they are though, due to the fact that the market has become massively saturated with brands and products with ludicrous claims.
Probiotics can be purchased in different formats. You can buy pills or creams or you can opt for buying foods that have probiotics within them - often these are found in yogurts.
Understanding if they’re working or how they’re working will largely depend on what you’re using the probiotics for.
For example, if you’ve chosen to take probiotics to counteract something like diarrhoea, you’ll notice if the probiotics are taking effect much quicker than for other reasons.
A lot of people will take probiotics to promote good gut health - and if this is the case, it can be much more difficult to analyze the benefits in terms of time. It’s more of a test of time.
What Are Probiotics Supposed To Do?
Probiotics are a way to promote good bacteria in the gut. Often, you can find foods like cheeses or yogurts that say they have probiotic effects in their product.
Balance in the gut is important in overall good health. The good bacteria is supposed to counteract bad bacteria and restore your guts normal functionality.
Good bacteria is often found in dairy products due the way they are made, particularly through the sugars in most dairy products known as lactose.
When people choose to take probiotics, they are often doing so to fight against problems like diarrhea, IBS symptoms, nausea, vomiting or stomach cramps.
The success rate of whether probiotics works entirely on these conditions is unclear, but many have reported benefits from them.
When Should I Expect Results?
You can’t rush the results of probiotics, if they even work on you at all. Some people will see benefits from probiotics much quicker than others, and there might be a variety of reasons for this. These reasons might include:
You’ve Not Taken Enough
Probiotics work by having colony forming units (CFU) of good bacteria working its way through your gut.
Not taking enough of the probiotics will see little to no results, or it might take much longer. Be careful not to overdo it though, if you’re planning to increase your intake.
You’ve Not Read The Label
Probiotics come in plenty of different ways. If you’ve decided to take probiotics in pill form for example, you should always read the label for guidance on how and when to take them.
If you’ve not followed the guidance, you may not be receiving the correct dosage and therefore will not see any benefit from probiotics - or you will in a long while.
You’ve Taken The Wrong Probiotics
There are many different strains of probiotics and not all work for every symptom. It’s a good idea to speak with a doctor or food expert to know which probiotics will work for your condition.
Bad Storage
Probiotics need to be stored correctly, whether that is the food they are in or the other formats. Check the labels on how to store the product so you have the strongest efficacy.
You’ve Got A Bad Product
Sometimes, you just get a dud. It happens! The bacteria has to survive through a lot of processes before it gets to you, and has to survive even further to get into your gut.
Often, they simply do not get that far and you’re left with a poor product. You’ll simply need to try again!
How Do I Know Which Probiotic To Take?
The best way to confirm the probiotic is right for you is to speak with your doctor or other expert. You’ll need to explain your condition(s) and why you think probiotics might be of benefit.
Remember, not all probiotics will be the same for beneficial use for your condition and there are a variety of different conditions that can potentially benefit from probiotics.
Can I Do Anything To Help Probiotics Work?
You can do a couple of things to increase the likelihood of probiotics working for you. The first and foremost is to continue with a healthy diet and active lifestyle. You’ll notice benefits much quicker and easier this way.
Always ensure you’re storing the probiotics correctly so that you avoid any situation where the product might end up as a dud.
You can do this by checking the label or asking someone in the store that you’re purchasing these products from.
Speaking of checking the label - ensure you take the right dose. You don’t want to under or overdo it on the amount of probiotics as it can affect the amount of CFUs that you’re receiving.
Finally, speak with your doctor about your condition first and ensure you’re going to get the right strain of probiotics for your condition.
The Bottom Line
Probiotics might take much longer to work for some people, so there’s no hard and fast rule of how long it should take to work.
To enhance the chances of the probiotics to work in the first place, take some of these above tips into account and hopefully you’ll see benefits quicker.