Our gut is home to trillions of bacteria. You read that right!
Contrary to our notion that ‘bacteria’ are bad, not all of these microorganisms are actually bad; there are the good ones too. In fact, we need to grow more healthy bacteria for a healthier life! We need these helpful bacteria to ward off diseases and keep our system in balance.
Sadly, due to unhealthy lifestyle, poor diet, stress and taking certain medications, the number of health-friendly microorganisms can decline. In some cases, our system can be overrun by rogue bacteria. These unhealthy bacteria strains can invade the healthy environment of your gut resulting in an array of symptoms such as bloating, constipation, diarrhea, food allergy, excessive gas, and dry skin. The best probiotic for gas or constipation offers solution to these common symptoms.
An article by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics highlights the importance of keeping the right balance of good bacteria in our gut. Numerous studies also support the health benefits of probiotics or “good” bacteria!
You might be wondering: how long does it take for probiotics to work? To answer this question, it is best to understand what probiotics are.
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are live microorganisms (bacteria and yeasts). They are naturally occurring in the gastrointestinal tract but are often found in yoghurt, dairy products and other food sources, or taken as food supplements.
Probiotics work by preventing bad bacteria from colonizing the gut, reducing toxins, promoting good digestion, and boosting the immune system. Berkeley Wellness lists some of the proven health benefits of probiotics.
About 70% of the body’s immune system is located in the gut helping fight against ‘bad’ bacteria, viruses, molds, and other harmful substances that can get into your system. Specialists recommend a healthy balance of good and bad bacteria: 85% good bacteria and 15% bad bacteria. The best probiotic for constipation works by restoring the normal balance of good and bacteria in the gut. How long does it takes for probiotics to work is also dependent on the ratio of good and bad bacteria.
So, how do you keep the right number of good bacteria in your belly? Simple: ingest more probiotics!
How to maintain healthy levels of probiotics?
Probiotics are present in dietary sources such as yogurt, dairy products and other fermented food products. There are also many other food products that are fortified with ‘good’ bacteria. Increasing fiber and living a stress-free, healthy lifestyle can also help maintain an environment conducive for probiotics.
While diet can be a source of probiotics, it only provides short-term solution.
The fact is: diet alone cannot replace the number of good bacteria we lose every day. Taking supplements like Klaire Labs probiotics is still the most reliable way of maintaining healthy levels of ‘good’ bacteria.
But when it comes to probiotic supplements, not all labels are the same. For instance, Digestive Enzymes Prebiotics and Probiotics from Zenwise Labs may work well for you compared to other garden of life probiotics available in stalls. Zenwise Labs’ Advanced Digestive Enzymes is formulated using natural plant-based enzymes. It contains 1 Billion probiotics that can help restore your gut’s health. It is rated among the best probiotic for gas and constipation (read also: how effective probiotic is for constipation).
Although the dietary supplements industry is regulated, there is no way to validate the claims of each label. This makes our original question, “How long do probiotics take to work?,” even more contentious.
How Long Does It Take for Probiotics to Work?
Probiotic supplementation works this way: you take in probiotic supplement with healthy bacteria, good bacteria multiply, good bacteria outnumber bad bacteria – health benefits become apparent.
Some people might think that probiotics doesn’t work since they don’t see any immediate result. The truth is that as soon as you ingest probiotic supplements, the good bacteria already start work except that the benefits do not become apparent instantly. Once good bacteria multiply and its population is restored, the digestive system is regulated and the symptoms are resolved. This is how the best probiotic for constipation works exactly.
The bacterial generation time can determine how long it would take before you can notice the health benefits of probiotics.
The two most common probiotic strains used in supplements are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, because of their very short generation time. Their number can grow double in just three hours, which means they can work almost instantly. Other probiotic strains can take longer hours or even days to multiply but these strains offer long-term health benefits. Schwartz Bioresearch 40 Billion CFU Probiotic Supplement contains almost all known probiotic strains. But what’s great with this best probiotic for constipation is that it guarantees potency until the very day of expiration – it’s not something every probiotic supplement guarantees.
Take note, however, that the bacteria generation time is not the only determinant in the efficacy of probiotics. There are also many other factors that can affect how long it takes for probiotics to work.
Everyone is different and responds to probiotics differently. As such, the time at which the benefits of probiotics will become apparent or felt may vary depending on your state of health, lifestyle and many other factors. Generally speaking, if your immune system is compromised or weak, you will notice improvements shortly, in a few days or weeks.
However, if you already have a good health and are taking probiotic supplements for preventive reasons, the health benefits may not become immediately obvious. Either way, always remember that probiotic supplements continue to work within your system, balancing your gut’s microflora, boosting your immune system and ensuring better health.
With continued, probiotics can help ensure that your gut has the proper balance of good and bad bacteria. This will help you fight any potential infections that can attempt to invade your system. Probiotics should be a good line of defense against the many health problems that can arise due to bad bacteria, viral or yeast infections that start in the gastrointestinal tract; not to mention, its many other health benefits!
