How do you know probiotics are working? 5 CLEAR SIGNS

The best probiotics for men all claim to deliver a range of benefits spanning from improved digestive health to better energy levels.

Indeed, improving the health of the gut microbiome would go some way to enhancing almost every aspect of your health and performance; studies have shown that the state of the gut microbiome affects cognitive function, mood, stamina, and even sexual health and performance.

But for most people, probiotics are an underwhelming supplement experience. Few people ever actually feel probiotics working. In fact, many people claim to never noticing prbiotics working at all.

This is worrying. Many probiotic supplements are extremely expensive; here’s looking at you Bio X4!

If you don’t have clear suigns that your probiotic supplement is working as advertised, then you could just be wasting your money.

To make matters worse, a lot of the benefits promised by probiotics are vague and difficult to measure. We’re certain a lot of people fall prey to the placebo effect – they think their digestion has improved when in fact it hasn’t, or they’ve just been making more efforts to eat more prebiotic fiber.

So how do you know probiotics are working?

How fast do probiotics work?

What are the signs probiotic supplements are doing their job?

Lukcily, there are some clear signs that probiotic supplements are working for you. Let’s go through them.

5 Signs probiotics are working for you

Here are some obvious signs to look out for when trying to figure out if your probiotic supplement is working:

1. More regular bowel movements

The clearest sign of a healthy gut microbiome, and thus the biggest sign that probiotics are working, is a regular bowel. After a couple of weeks using a probiotic (or a couple of days using a prebiotic), you should have noticeably more regular bowel movements. Most people using good quality probiotics to treat a specific gut issue notice more regular and higher quality bowel movements after about 10 days. For people using prebiotics, the difference can actually be seen the very next day.

2. Better appetite control/less snacking

Your gut bacteria help control blood sugar levels by regulating the digestion of carbohydrates and restricting their movements into the bloodstream. A properly functioning gut should lead to optimal control of blood sugar levels. This means no blood sugar crashes, which in turn means no compulsion to snack on sugary food throughout the day.

This is explicitly how supposed weight loss probiotics like Bio X4 claim to work. While there is some truth to their claims, all probiotics will help you stop snacking (which is typically the main enemy when it comes to dieting).

3. Less bloating despite no change in food volume

A gut microbiome in disarray will cause fairly severe and regular bloating. This is because your gut bacteria will not be properly forming the enzymes needed to break diown certain nutrients, and they will be inefficiently digesting the fiber in your intestine, producing excess gas as a by-product.

A clear sign that a probiotic is working is a dramatic and notceable reduction in bloating, stomach cramps and gas, particularly around eating times.

4. Improved sleep quality and higher energy levels

One sign that a probiotic is working that often goes overlooked is an improvement in sleep quality. Studies have found that your gut interacts with your brain in such a way as to augment sleeping patterns. An optimally health gut microbiome fosters healthy sleeping patterns.

So even if you don’t experience signs of digestive discomfort on a regular basis, you might know a probiotic is working based on your better sleeping patterns.

5. Improved mood

Improved mood might be one way you know probiotics are working. While this benefit of probiotics is typically subtle, for some people it might be a glaring sign that their probiotic supplement is working!

If you’re using a probiotic, or considering using one, then keep these things in mind. If you think your probiotic supplement isn’t working, then you can use these signs to gauge how and when, or if, your probiotic is actually working for you.

How fast probiotics work depends on you; the state of your microbiome, your diet, body weight, and lifestyle.

As always, we recommend using a prebiotic rather than a probiotic. Prebiotics use carefully selected plant fibers to preferentially feed your existing healthy gut bacteria. They don’t introduce any foreign bacteria, they work right away, and they are much more suitable for long-term use than probiotics.