Well the answer is yes and no. It depends on what you expect them to do.

Most people think that probiotics will help them improve their beneficial bacteria in their gut and get rid of the bad bacteria. But there is no research showing that probiotics permanently change the gut microbiome (resident bacteria in the gut) they are more likely to have a transient effect meaning that, whilst you take them they are beneficial, but as soon as you stop they are no longer effective.⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾

If you are using probiotics to help with gastrointestinal issues or just for general health, it is important to remember everyone has very different microbiomes, which will react differently to different strains of probiotic. There is no such thing as a perfect strain of probiotic bacteria no matter how much manufacturers advertise that they have. You will need to try a few and see what works best for you.

The balance of bacteria in your gut depends on your diet, environmental factors, other lifestyle factors and even genetic factors. In order for good health, you need to have a diverse range of good bacteria in your gut.  Dysbiosis is a term used when there is more bad bacteria and less good bacteria. 

So what make bacteria good or bad? All bacteria produce by-products called post-biotic’s, or lipopolysaccharides (LPS). LPS from good bacteria dampen inflammation and help immune function, while LPS from unhealthy bacteria produce an inflammatory response. Therefore bacteria that promote an inflammatory response are considered bad bacteria, and bacteria that have an immune-modulating effect are called good bacteria.

The beneficial effect when you take a probiotic is that it may have some anti-inflammatory effects and beneficially support your immune system but it is not going to completely change your microbiome.  As soon as you stop taking it, the benefits will go.

The only way to completely change your microbiome is through improving metabolic factors, diet and other lifestyle choices. 

Why would you want to improve your microbiome? Well your gut microbiome has a huge impact on your health, mood and behaviour it can even effect your blood sugar stability, autoimmunity and some diseases.⁽³⁾

Some Common Symptoms of Dysbiosis (too much bad bacteria)

·      Constipation

·      Lower abdominal pain

·      Alternating Diarrhoea and Constipation

·      Bloating

So for those suffering with gut symptoms outlined or are worried about other health issues, taking a probiotic may well help but a better longer lasting approach would be to change your diet. 

Achieving this can be different from person to person the basics that will help everyone are as follows:

-      Reduce or remove sugary foods, foods high in trans fats and processed foods

-      Increase the amount of vegetables in your diet, aim for 5-6 portions or more of different veg everyday

-      Increase fibre intake – eating more vegetables is part of this but you can also add more fibre into your diet by soaking chia seeds or psyllium husk in a glass of water and drinking this daily.

One of the reasons this approach is more beneficial than taking probiotics on their own is that eating a diverse range of vegetables, will increase the diversity of your microbiome and increasing fibre will help your gut bacteria survive as this is the fuel they need ⁽⁴⁾.  

As The Human Microbiome Research Project has found the more diverse your gut bacteria is the healthier you will be ⁽⁵⁾.

References:



(1)   Reid Gregor, Gadir Azza A., Dhir Raja - Probiotics: Reiterating What They Are and What They Are Not. Frontiers in Microbiology 2019 Vol10;pg 424 -https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00424

(2)   Han Shengyi, Lu Yanmeng, Xie Jiaojiao, Fei Yiqiu, Zheng Guiwen, Wang Ziyuan, Liu Jie, Lv Longxian, Ling Zongxin, Berglund Björn, Yao Mingfei, Li Lanjuan - Probiotic Gastrointestinal Transit and Colonization After Oral Administration: A Long Journey. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology 2021 Vol 11;pg 102 https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fcimb.2021.609722

(3)   Integrative HMP (iHMP) Research Network Consortium. The Integrative Human Microbiome Project: dynamic analysis of microbiome-host omics profiles during periods of human health and disease. Cell Host Microbe. 2014;16(3):276-289. doi:10.1016/j.chom.2014.08.014

(4)   Myhrstad MCW, Tunsjø H, Charnock C, Telle-Hansen VH. Dietary Fiber, Gut Microbiota, and Metabolic Regulation-Current Status in Human Randomized Trials. Nutrients. 2020;12(3):859. Published 2020 Mar 23. doi:10.3390/nu12030859

(5)   Human Microbiome Project Consortium. Structure, function and diversity of the healthy human microbiome. Nature. 2012 Jun 13;486(7402):207-14. doi: 10.1038/nature11234. PMID: 22699609; PMCID: PMC3564958.

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