How long before eating should you take probiotics? Is it better to take them in the morning or evening? Can you take them continuously? We provide the answers to these and other questions.
Probiotics are ‘friendly bacteria’ which are normally already present in the human body.
Taking probiotic supplements to boost your levels of beneficial microorganisms is a very effective way of helping to maintain balance in your gut microbiota and support your health in general (1).
But they need to arrive in your gut in the right condition in order to deliver these health benefits…
It’s a frequently-asked question: what time of day should you take probiotics? Morning or evening?
The truth is it doesn’t really matter whether you take your probiotics in the morning or evening. What’s important is the viability of your supplement (2):
For convenience, it’s easier to take your probiotics in the morning, 15-30 minutes before breakfast (but make it a light breakfast, not brunch). That way, your probiotics will retain their efficacy.
However, if you think you’ll forget to take them in the morning, or find they give you a few side-effects at first (such as gas) which are harder to cope with during the day, then you can carry on taking your probiotics in the evening. Just make sure you do so before a light dinner or with a light snack just before bed (when you’ve had a few hours to digest your dinner). You thus have a few different options.
First and foremost, it’s important to follow any instructions on the probiotic label.
If there are no specific recommendations, it’s a good idea, as explained above, to take your probiotic in the 30 minutes before – or indeed with - a light meal or snack.
Generally speaking, probiotics are not one-off cures, so you shouldn’t expect to see an immediate effect in the hours following supplementation.
That’s why we talk about a course of probiotics: it’s more a long-term ‘treatment’ designed to rebalance the gut flora.
Thus it usually takes several weeks of supplementation, alongside an appropriate diet, to feel the first effects of probiotics.
There’s still the question of how long a course of probiotics should last, and how many times a year to take them. Firstly, the period of probiotic supplementation depends on the reason you’re taking them:
Whatever the circumstances, it’s important to follow the recommendations for each probiotic formulation to optimise benefits.
No. It’s better to take breaks from time to time, rather than continue supplementing with probiotics for long periods without interruption. This is for two main reasons:
And if your problems persist after taking one or more courses of probiotics, be sure to consult your doctor.
To end, here are 4 examples of effective probiotic supplements and formulations:
References
15 Days
Well,It was yesterday I started using it but I can tell the supplement is working perfect,will definitely still give best comments once I'm done using it ...
ANTHONY Oluwaseun Ugwu
15 Days
Great products, fast delivery.
Nujood ALHADDAD
25 Days
Easy and quick
Derya Iren
25 Days
Quick delivery, big choice of supplements. Good quality.
Val
28 Days
Great vitamins at a great price! I buy Bacillus subtilis which I really can’t find anywhere else which is great for intestinal health. 5 stars to Supersmart Vitamins.
Loli Vaughan
29 Days
Easy way to order. Fast delivery. Transporter FedEx was very polite and called me 1 hour before delivery.
TAJC Katja
31 Days
So far i have really liked the products. The service was fantastic. Delivery from Europe to Australia only took a few days. So good. Thank you.
BROWN Dianna
36 Days
I have been customer for over 15 years and have found their products to be the best.
Del Chandler
45 Days
Fast deliveries, trusted quality
RiikMaria
55 Days
I got what I ordered; no problems; I appreciate having been able to pay by bank transfer
STAEHLI C
72 Days
Great company to deal with. I receive their products quicker than my orders from Sydney Australia. Well done.
HARDY Chris
79 Days
Fast and easy once again.
Niels Groving
83 Days
The shipping & delivery is quite efficient to me !
LEUNG Wing Chau
84 Days
Easy to deal with, good website and excellent product
STONEHOUSE Kim
85 Days
Well from my placing order to delivery !!!
DILLON Patrick M