Probiotics can help with bloating in a few ways. They can help to restore the balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut, which can help to reduce inflammation and gas production. Probiotics can also help to digest food more effectively, which can help to reduce bloating.
Probiotics and gut health
Eight of the studies showed significant benefits of probiotics in treating IBS symptoms, including reducing bloating. Participants who took probiotics were also able to poop more easily, which could in turn help to reduce constipation and gas that can cause bloating.
If you are taking a high quality, multispecies and multistrain supplement, you can expect to notice initial improvements and health benefits of probiotics in your digestion as early as the first 1-2 weeks after starting your probiotic. Depending on how sensitive you are, many people feel a difference after a few days.
Better Digestion
Digestive conditions like gas, constipation, bloating, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal issues are global problems. These conditions are a clear sign of poor gut health because your digestive system doesn't have enough good bacteria to help digest food.
Consuming probiotic food such as yoghurt (make sure there's “live active cultures” under the nutritional label) and Yakult, helps extract nutrients and break down food for the body, effectively regulating digestion.
In addition, even though taking too many probiotics in one day doesn't pose an extreme risk like overdose, it can cause digestive discomfort and side effects such as diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and gas.
A common question about probiotics is whether it is ok to take probiotic supplements every day. Whilst there may be a few exceptions to this rule, the general answer is yes, it's safe, and usually recommended, to take them daily. It's important to understand that probiotics are a natural supplement and not a medicine.
Some reports have linked probiotics to serious infections and other side effects. The people most likely to have trouble are those with immune system problems, people who've had surgery, and others who are critically ill. Don't take probiotics if you have any of those issues.
Increased intestinal gas is one of the most common reasons you might be bloated. The foods you eat and how you eat them are the main culprits for increased gassiness. Causes of gas include: Swallowing air from drinking through a straw, or chewing gum.
Probiotics are most effective when taken on an empty stomach. Taking probiotics at least 30 minutes before a meal will reduce the time it takes for the good bacteria to get to your gut. Probiotics are dietary supplements containing beneficial bacteria naturally occurring in your intestinal tract.
Probiotics may help you lose weight and belly fat
In particular, studies have found that certain strains of the Lactobacillus family can help you lose weight and belly fat. In one study, eating yogurt with Lactobacillus fermentum or Lactobacillus amylovorus reduced body fat by 3–4% over 6 weeks (29).
The short answer: It takes most people 2 to 3 weeks to feel significant benefits when they start taking probiotics. That's because probiotics need time to accomplish their three key goals: increase your good bacteria count, decrease your bad bacteria count, and reduce inflammation.
It's important to take the recommended dosage of probiotics for bloating, which is typically one to two capsules per day. You may need to increase the dosage if you're taking antibiotics or have a particularly difficult time with bloating.
The ideal time to take probiotics is right before bed because "the gut is pretty inactive at night. If you think about it, you don't usually wake up in the middle of the night to poop,” says Patricia Raymond, MD, a gastroenterology and internal medicine physician and clinical advisor for Gastro Girl.
When you start taking a probiotic supplement, you introduce good bacteria into your gut. This may lead to a number of benefits such as healthy digestion and regularity, plus less bloating and gas, which means more abdominal comfort.
Some may wonder about possible safety concerns associated with long-term use of a supplement. The good news is probiotics are not likely to cause harm over the long term. While there haven't been any long-term studies yet, numerous studies and reviews have found probiotics to be safe for adults, children, and infants.
Excessive flatulence can be caused by swallowing more air than usual or eating food that's difficult to digest. It can also be related to an underlying health problem affecting the digestive system, such as recurring indigestion or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Read more about the causes of flatulence.
Probiotics may quickly treat some minor issues. For example, a person with minor diarrhea may see symptoms go away in a few days. For overall digestive health, it can take a few weeks of regular use before a person notices the effects.
Probiotics are used to improve digestion and restore normal flora. Probiotics have been used to treat bowel problems (such as diarrhea, irritable bowel), eczema, vaginal yeast infections, lactose intolerance, and urinary tract infections.
“Don't take a probiotic supplement with hot food and drinks such as tea or coffee as this can lessen the chance of the bacteria getting to your gut unharmed. Give it 30 minutes after taking them before you reach for the teapot.”
In addition, probiotics might have synergistic effects with vitamin D, through improving the expression of vitamin D receptors [9]. Therefore, modulating the microbiota-gut-brain axis by probiotics plus improving vitamin D levels might provide a novel target to treat mental and metabolic disorders.