When to take probiotics

P is for Probiotics

‘Probiotics’ are friendly bacteria that exert a positive benefit when we ingest them, they often come in supplemental form but are also found in some fermented foods and drinks. Probiotics are transient and don’t take up residency in the gut forever, but they do have very good clinical evidence for helping with certain conditions such as IBS, vaginal infections and travellers diarrhoea whilst taking them. Optibac has a lot of reaserch behind their products and they have specific strains for specific conditions.

It’s important to choose the right ‘strain’ of bacteria for the condition or symptom you are looking to help with, always look for the letters and/or the numbers at the end of the name - e.g Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM. Lactobacillus is the Genus, acidophilus is the species and NCFM is the strain. The strain gives you all the information on what it does within the body. You can use the strain name to look up the research to see what it’s been proven to help with.

Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM has been clinically proven to help with digestive issues like IBS bloating and pain, so you would choose a product containing this if you wanted help for those conditions. If you want to find out what a supplement will help you with, then look at the ingredients and see what strains are in there - however, do be warned that not all supplement companies will disclose the strains in the product, some will not say even the species!

Probiotic foods like kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut and kimchi all contain probiotics, but again, it’s hard to know what strains you are getting in there. These foods and drinks will offer global benefits, and should most certainly be consumed in your diet on a regular basis, however, if you suffer from histamine issues, it’s best to avoid fermented foods and take probiotic strains that will not exacerbate a histamine issue.