Long-term probiotic use generally improves gut health, digestion, and immunity, reducing issues like diarrhea, constipation, and respiratory infections, with benefits like better bowel regularity and short-chain fatty acid production. While mostly safe, potential (though rare) risks include temporary gas/bloating as the gut adjusts, and in severely immunocompromised individuals, opportunistic infections; also, ongoing research explores antibiotic resistance gene transfer concerns.
Taking probiotics daily generally improves gut health, digestion (less diarrhea, constipation, bloating), and immunity by adding beneficial bacteria, but can cause temporary gas, bloating, or stomach discomfort initially as your gut adjusts; the effects are strain-specific, so choosing the right probiotic for your needs, often with a doctor's guidance, is key, and while usually safe, high doses can cause minor issues, while good quality probiotic foods are also a great option.
Studies have reported minor gastrointestinal symptoms, such as abdominal cramping, nausea, soft stools, flatulence, and taste disturbance, occurring in subjects receiving probiotics.
Acid Reflux and Probiotics Research
A 2020 systematic review in Nutrients analyzed 13 studies on probiotics and GERD symptoms. Of the 14 comparisons reviewed, 11 showed improvements in symptoms like heartburn, regurgitation, and indigestion.
The symptoms may include:
Research shows that certain probiotic strains can reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), like regurgitation, abdominal pain, and bloating. These include: Lactobacillus gasseri. Bifidobacterium lactis.
For the most efficient results, we recommend a minumum 3-month course of treatment for any probiotic supplement. If your skin or digestive issues are more chronic or long-lasting in nature, you can extend the supplement use past three months or as long as desired.
Research shows that probiotics can treat and even prevent conditions such as gastrointestinal (GI) tract infections, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), lactose intolerance, allergies, cystic fibrosis, urogenital infections, diarrhea, high cholesterol, eczema and certain cancers.
Signs of bad gut health include digestive issues like bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, and heartburn; skin problems such as acne or eczema; mood changes like anxiety or depression; fatigue; sugar cravings; and unintentional weight changes, all stemming from an imbalance in your gut microbiome (dysbiosis). These symptoms can signal that your gut isn't processing food and eliminating waste effectively, impacting overall well-being, notes Healthdirect and GoodRx.
Those who take probiotics or prebiotics can experience bloating and flatulence. Doctors advise people who are pregnant, breastfeeding or immunosuppressed to avoid them. They no longer recommend taking them after most antibiotics, since studies show they can delay recolonization of the gut with “good” bacteria.
What are the best probiotic strains for older adults?
Furthermore, if you tend to be sensitive to histamine containing foods, it might be helpful to try and maintain a low histamine diet to lower the concentration of biogenic amines in your gut as you get used to new probiotics. Furthermore, a low FODMAP diet may help with some side effects.
Signs you might need probiotics include frequent digestive issues (bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation), frequent infections (colds, sore throats), skin problems (acne, eczema), mood changes (anxiety, brain fog), and fatigue, especially after taking antibiotics or when your gut health seems off despite a healthy lifestyle. These symptoms often point to an imbalanced gut microbiome, which probiotics can help restore by introducing beneficial bacteria.
Sugars and artificial sweeteners like sucralose, saccharin and aspartame in carbonated drinks from regular or diet sodas can kill the good bacteria in the gut. Sugars from these drinks also act as food sources for bad bacteria in the gut, helping them grow and overpower the probiotic supplements.
Because most probiotic strains are transient, they gradually disappear from your gut within about 1–4 weeks after stopping. Any benefits you experience—like more regular bowel movements—will likely fade as your gut microbiome returns to its previous state.
Possible harmful effects of probiotics include infections, production of harmful substances by the probiotic microorganisms, and transfer of antibiotic resistance genes from probiotic microorganisms to other microorganisms in the digestive tract.
3 important supplements for everyone
Nassar notes that most adults don't need to be too worried about their magnesium levels. "For the average person who maintains a well-balanced diet, it's rare to be deficient in magnesium," Dr. Nassar says. That's because it's naturally found in many foods.
Taking a a few weeks' break (1 month, for example) between courses of probiotics is generally recommended in order to allow the gut to regulate itself and perform its functions unaided (6) — especially if you are taking two consecutive courses of the same strain.
Foods That Help Prevent Acid Reflux
Interactions between your drugs
There were no interactions found between omeprazole and Probiotic Formula. However, this does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. Always consult your healthcare provider.
Yes, GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) can indirectly cause puffy eyes or swollen eyelids through related conditions like Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR) (silent reflux) or chronic sinusitis, where stomach acid irritates the throat and nasal passages, leading to inflammation that can manifest as facial/eye puffiness, dry eyes, and discomfort, although direct causation is less common than systemic inflammation or allergic responses linked to gut health.
Taking too many probiotics may cause digestive symptoms like gas, bloating, and nausea. But a large dose of probiotics is unlikely to cause dangerous side effects in healthy people. It's a good idea to work with a healthcare professional to make sure you're taking the right probiotic for you.