What are your thoughts on probiotics?

[wurm]

Should they be taken only if one has digestive issues or should they be used regularly, almost like a multivitamin? I know that eating a proper, well-balanced diet should keep everything going along smoothly, but I'm wondering if it would help at all in overall health maintenance. Any pros or cons from personal experience? I'll probably ask my PCP when I go for my physical in a couple of weeks, but figured I'd ask here as well. Thanks.

[mattkime]

I gave them a try when I was having digestive problems and they did nothing for me. Perhaps they work in some cases but I have my suspicions. There’s no reason to think you need then unless you’re trying to fix a particular problem

[Fritz]

made no diff for me, but my diet has a fair amount of "pro-bio" to it.
Yogurt, kefir, kimchi, no red meat, red wine, hot spice, minimal processed foo.
Getting sleep apnea under control I think has made a bigger difference.
However, pro-bio has helped Owen .... a whole lot, and in turn, our noses.
Phew!

[Bernie]

I am full of it and that is just the way it has always been.
oapbox:

[gadje]

So my son was having some depression / anxiety issues after covid lockdown. He also got stomach pain at the same time. A gastro specialist recommended probiotics. That solved the stomach issues, but interestingly, it also had a positive effect in his mental health. If we forget to give him probiotics for a few days, wife swears that she noticed some mild signs of depression and anxiety returning. We make sure we give him probiotics on a daily basis and it seems to work.

I am not a medical doctor and YMMV.

[Fritz]

an unhappy gut makes for an unhappy being

[pdq]

I fully believe that one's microbiome makes a big difference. (For instance, fecal transplants (eww!) have revolutionized treatment of pseudomembranous colitis.)

I am considerably less sure that one can effectively alter one's microbiome by putting things in the other end (ie eating them).

[Buzz]

I am highly pro probiotics, as well as Benefiber and Metamucil (and/or their generics).
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[Tiangou]

Typical supplements from the supermarket or pharmacy contain the wrong bacterial strains and in tiny quantities. They're just a waste of money. (A couple of billion bacteria is actually an insignificantly small number in this case.)

And a supplement alone will not replace "bad" gut-microbes with "good" gut-microbes. Your gut-microbes are established and adapted to your gut. New microbes will not be able to compete.

That being said, massive doses do exist in some products, notably VSL#3. And if you're destroying your gut-microbes with antibiotics you're likely to see some digestive benefit with a sufficient dose of the appropriate probiotics.

[mspace]

YES.

The "secret" is you have to take enough to get past the stomach acids, so it can get to the small intestine. That means 8-10 Billion for maintenance. If I'm having mold issues, it becomes 20-30 Billion, especially if antibiotics are involved. It sounds like a lot, but it's not.

If you can get enteric coated, less is needed, as the coating helps to protect from the acids on the way.

I've used this one with good results.
https://www.vitacost.com/jarrow-formulas...0-capsules

I went through quite a bit to get this info, which FINALLY cleared up the issues I was having.

I now do maintenance levels every day.