You’ve probably heard 100 times by now how important your gut health is for your overall well-being—and that the healthy bacteria (a.k.a. probiotics) that live in your digestive system play a huge role in keeping that gut health in tip-top shape. Show
After all, these probiotics help us digest food, destroy microorganisms that might trigger disease, and even produce vitamins. Our bodies naturally house both good and bad bacteria, but as long as the two are in balance, our immune system stays strong, which is crucial for our general health, explains Sarina Pasricha, M.D., M.S.C.R., a Harvard-trained, double-board certified gastroenterologist with the Delaware Center for Digestive Care in Newark, Delaware. In fact, probiotics have been shown to help us fight off everyday bugs, overcome irregularity in the bathroom, and manage digestive conditions. Given their many benefits, it’s no wonder many of us have added probiotic supplements to our daily routines. Thing is, benefiting from a supplement isn’t quite as simple as just remembering to take it at some point every day. Turns out, when we take our probiotic supplements actually has a pretty big impact on just how much they’re able to do for our digestive system. Here’s what top gut experts—and the latest science—have to say about when (and when not!) to take your probies. When NOT To Take Your ProbioticsMost experts and studies assert that if there’s one time of day not to pop your probiotic supplement, it’s first thing in the morning. “Probiotics are living organisms, [so] they need food, water, and warmth to survive and multiply,” explains David Friedman, N.D., C.C.N., author of Food Sanity: How to Eat in a World of Fads and Fiction. “In the morning, conditions are not optimal for probiotics simply because there is not enough food or water for the bacterial strains to flourish.” Another reason the early A.M. isn’t ideal probiotic-taking time: Your stomach is super-acidic. “In a fasted state, or when you have an empty stomach, your stomach is more acidic and has a pH around two,” explains Robert Zembroski, D.C., D.A.C.N.B., M.S., functional medicine specialist, clinical nutritionist, and author of REBUILD. It’s hard for probiotics to survive this harsh, acidic environment, so fewer make it through the stomach to the intestines, where they work their magic. “The biggest danger for probiotics is the powerful acids in the digestive system, which are meant to break down and disintegrate materials that travel through it,” says Friedman. “If enough acid overcomes the coating of a probiotic capsule, it could kill the delicate strains.” When TO Take Your ProbioticsAfter you eat, your stomach’s pH rises to about a four, which is much less acidic and easier for probiotics to survive, so it’s best to take your probiotics alongside a meal, says Friedman. “By consuming your probiotic with food, you provide a buffering system for the supplement and ensure its safe passage through the digestive tract,” he says. “Plus, aside from protection, food also provides your probiotic with the proper nourishment it needs to survive, grow, and multiply once in your gut.” A study published in the journal Beneficial Microbes found that probiotics taken with a meal—or even within 30 minutes of eating something—survived in much higher numbers than those taken 30 minutes after a meal. You see, about a half hour after you eat, the pH of your stomach once again becomes more acidic (and hostile towards probiotics). The study also noted that probiotics taken with food containing healthy fats had the greatest survival rates, so the authors recommend the meal you take your probiotics with contain some fat. Related: 6 Possible Reasons Why You’re So Gassy If you’re new to probiotics and notice that you’re gassier than usual after taking them, pair your supplement with dinner so you sleep through any of the unpleasant side effects. This effect usually occurs when someone who has an overgrowth of bad bacteria takes a probiotic supplement that also contains prebiotics, non-digestible fibers that feed gut bacteria (which many probiotic supplements do). That bad bacteria can feed on the prebiotics and produce a whole lot of gas, explains Lauren Deville, N.M.D., author of The Holistic Gut Prescription. Don’t worry, though, if you stick to your supplement regimen, your gut bacteria should balance out in a few weeks and any gas issues should dissipate. Diggin’ What’s Good? For more essential health facts, tips, and inspiration, join our Facebook communities, Eating Healthy and Staying Fit, today! Many bacteria are associated with illness, but probiotics are good for your health. These beneficial bacteria can be found in a variety of foods, beverages and supplements. It's best to take probiotics on an empty stomach or with a meal, specifically one with fatty foods. Advertisement Read more: 13 Surprising and Beneficial Probiotic Foods Video of the Day Probiotics and Gastrointestinal HealthYour body is full of different types of bacteria. According to an August 2016 study in the PLOS Biology Journal, there may be as many bacteria in your body as there are cells. A June 2017 study in the Biochemical Journal reported that there are as many as 100 trillion bacteria in your digestive system alone. Advertisement Fortunately, these aren't disease-causing bacteria, like the ones that can cause pneumonia or tetanus. These bacteria help your body function properly. According to a March 2019 study in Nature Microbiology, these bacteria can help modulate body and metabolic functions, including your immune system, central nervous system and mental health. To maintain the right amounts and types of bacteria in your body, you essentially need to ingest more of them. These are known as prebiotic bacteria and probiotic bacteria. Advertisement Both prebiotic and probiotic bacteria colonize parts of your gastrointestinal system. Probiotic bacteria are particularly important, because they can help improve the digestion and absorption of nutrients, modulate immune system function and protect your body from the disease-causing bacteria. Read more: 7 Signs Your Gut Is Out of Whack Commonly Consumed Probiotic BacteriaAccording to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the most common probiotic bacteria belong to Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species. Certain yeasts can also be used as probiotics. Advertisement Harvard Health Publishing states that common probiotics you might find in foods, beverages and supplements include:
Advertisement Advertisement All of these probiotic bacteria are considered healthy. However, the NIH explains that they don't all play the same role in your gastrointestinal system. Just because a bacteria like Lactobacillus acidophilus may be able to help prevent a certain disease doesn't mean other Lactobacillus species will be able to do the same thing. Similarly, Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus acidophilus may be found in the same food products, like yogurt, but they're not equivalent to one another. Advertisement Natural Sources of ProbioticsProbiotics can be found in supplements, foods and beverages. A variety of different foods contain probiotics, including fermented products like:
Advertisement Consumption of any of these foods or drinks means that you'll naturally take in their probiotics. However, the type and amount of probiotics in each product can vary substantially. For instance, all yogurt products are made with healthy Streptococcus and Lactobacillus probiotic bacteria (specifically, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus). However, if these bacteria are heated while the food product is being made (during the pasteurization process, for instance), the bacteria will die. This results in some yogurt products being rich in probiotics, while other products are not. Advertisement Unfortunately, many food processing methods associated with food sterility can prevent you from ingesting live and active beneficial probiotics. It also means that cooking your probiotic-rich products, particularly at very high temperatures, also has the potential to kill their beneficial probiotics. Advertisement Because there's so much variability in the probiotics you can obtain in your diet, many people choose to take supplements in capsule, tablet or powdered form. The National Institutes of Health says that prebiotic and probiotic supplements are the third most common dietary supplement after vitamins and minerals. While there's nothing wrong with consuming probiotic supplements, you should still try to consume probiotic foods when possible. According to a July 2012 article in Nutrition _and an April 2016 study in the _Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition Journal, foods may be better carriers for probiotics compared to supplements. The additional ingredients in foods can help protect probiotics as they pass through your gastrointestinal tract and stomach acid. Read more: Which Type of Yogurt Is Best? The Pros & Cons of 13 Different Kinds Probiotics on an Empty StomachAccording to a December 2011 study in the Beneficial Microbes Journal, people who take probiotics in supplements should take them before or with meals. If you take probiotics after your meals, smaller amounts may reach your gastrointestinal tract. This essentially means that it's fine to take probiotics on an empty stomach. If you want to take probiotics with food, that's fine too. However, probiotic survival was optimal when fatty foods were consumed. This doesn't mean you need to take your probiotics with a spoonful of oil or butter, though. Even low-fat dairy products can help probiotics pass through your gastrointestinal tract. Other healthy fatty foods include nuts, seeds, avocado, coconut and fatty fish, which are all rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, as well as many other animal products. Although you may have heard that the best time to take probiotics is before bed, this is rarely true. However, you could consume yeast-based probiotics, like Saccharomyces boulardii, before bed. The Beneficial Microbes Journal study found that this probiotic was not affected by food consumption or food type. You should also technically be able to consume microencapsulated or enteric-coated probiotic supplements before bed. These types of probiotics are protected from your stomach acid and don't require the other components found in foods to reach your intestines. However, according to a June 2016 study in the Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition Journal, the protection microencapsulated products can provide varies from product to product. This means that you might be best off consuming your probiotics before or with food, regardless of the form they come in. What happens if you take probiotics on an empty stomach?Seeing as acid is stimulated by consumption of food, it is thought that taking probiotics on an empty stomach (mainly first thing in the morning) is better because there is less residual acid in the stomach.
Should you take probiotics on full or empty stomach?Some probiotic manufacturers recommend taking the supplement on an empty stomach, while others advise taking it with food. Though it's difficult to measure bacteria viability in humans, some research suggests that Saccharomyces boulardii microorganisms survive in equal numbers with or without a meal ( 6 ).
What is the best time of day to take a probiotic?While the time of day is ultimately up to you, this expert suggests that probiotics may be most effective if you plan to take them about 30 minutes before a meal — and most effective if you take your supplement before breakfast.
When should you not take probiotics?One theoretical risk of probiotics is if someone has an immune system weakened by illness or medication, that person could get sick from probiotics. Another concern about probiotics is that they're considered dietary supplements, not drugs.
|
Can i take probiotics on an empty stomach
Copyright © 2024 kemunculan Inc.
