6 things a stomach doctor wants you to know about probiotics

Probiotics can help boost your immune system

Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts. We think of these as 'good' bacteria which are either the same or similar to the ones found in the human gut already and which exert beneficial effects on the health. Probiotics help to keep your gut healthy which, in turn, has a positive effect on your immune system and overall health.
Woman experiencing abdominal pain

Probiotics can't replace medicine

Taking probiotics (whether that's supplements or eating more of them in your diet) probably won't improve all symptoms on their own. Probiotics cannot replace medicine, though they can be used to supplement existing treatment. It would be beneficial to use probiotics as a preventative measure, but it is important to recognise that they cannot be used to relieve symptoms on their own. Particularly in conditions such as IBS, each patient is individual and probiotics are not a one-size fits all treatment method.
Man looking at bottles from medicine cabinet

Tom Merton

There are different types of probiotics

Lactobacillius and Bifidobacterium have been shown to have the greatest benefit on gastrointestinal symptoms. Lactobacillius support immunity, fight harmful bacteria and encourage bacterial balance. Bifidobacterium inhibit harmful bacteria, support immune system response and aid healthy gut community. Specific strains provide different uses, though many people can benefit from probiotics for general health and wellbeing. You can usually take these probiotics as a combination in tablet form.

Probiotics can help with bowel problems

Probiotics can improve your bowel health, particularly for milder conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and bloating. IBS is a 'functional gut disorder' and there is evidence which shows that probiotics can improve the symptoms of IBS. They have been shown to help regulate bowel movements and relieve bloating, pain and gas. I have seen patients benefit from taking probiotics – particularly those suffering from IBS.

Healthy people probably don't need probiotic supplements

There is no evidence to suggest that people without health problems need to take probiotics, although I would argue that they can be part of normal healthy diet - some foods contain the same probiotic benefits as supplements. Food, such as live cultured yoghurts, kimchi, raw cheese and sauerkraut, contain probiotics, so I would recommend healthy people eating these foods if they would like a probiotic boost without taking supplements.
Woman lying in bed with hands on stomach

Probiotics are not a replacement for poor diet
Once you have the right probiotics in your gut, it important to keep them strong in order for them to have a positive effect. Probiotics need prebiotics to thrive – these are nondigestive carbohydrates which act as fuel. These occur naturally in non-digestible fibre, in the form of food such as whole grains, raw fruit and vegetables; essentially healthy food we require in a balanced diet. Probiotics are not a replacement for poor diet – all probiotics work differently and it is unclear exactly how they exert their effects.