Should you take probiotics every day?

Should I take probiotics every day?

Many people are now using probiotics on a daily basis. While they are designed to provide a short-term fix for digestive problems, for many people probiotic supplements, probiotic drinks and fermented foods have become a part of daily life.

There’s nothing wrong with eating fermented foods on a daily basis of course; quite the opposite. Fermented foods can help keep your microbiome full of healthy bacteria, preventing any digestive problems from coming up.

But probiotic supplements are not designed to be used every day. Most porbiotic supplements contain a huge quantity of probiotic bacteria species, many of which you would not normally ingest on a daily basis.

Are there any problems with taking probiotics every day?

Are there any benefits?

Should you take probiotics every day?

Let’s find out!

Taking probiotics every day

Is it good to take a probiotic every day?

The honest answer is no, you should not be taking a probiotic supplement every day. Probiotics deliver huge doses of exogenous gut bacteria. Probiotics provide quick, short-term fixes to certain digestive issues. Using probiotics every day does not address underlying problems, and they can eventually cause problems of their own.

If you end up using probiotics every day, a few things can happen.

First of all, your gut can become somewhat dependent on probiotics; your microbiome can become dependent on the influx of bacteria species to continue functioning properly.

A second and much more serious concern is the imbalances that can result from constantly injectiong billions of CFUs of unusual bacteria species into your gut.

Probiotics are meant to redress and fix imbalances in gut microflora. But using probiotics every day can cause said imbalances.

Better alternative for long-term digestive health

The fact that probiotics can eventually cause their own imbalances in gut microflora composition is precisely why we recommend people use prebiotics rather than probiotics.

Whereas probiotics give you a huge influx of exogenous bacteria to the gut, prebiotics nurture and feed your existing healthy gut bacteria. By selectively feeding your healthy gut bacteria, prebiotic fibers rebalance gut microflora without introducing anything foreign to the gut.

Again unlike probiotics, the best prebiotics are suitable for daily use for prolonged periods of time.