Even if you’ve never taken probiotics, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve probably heard about them.
Arguably one of the most popular wellness trends of the moment, not only can you find probiotics as a dietary supplement, but everything from bottled water to chips are being enhanced these days with friendly microbes — and it’s easy to see why.
With purported benefits ranging from improved gut health and emotional wellness to boosting the immune system and nutrient absorption, there’s really no surprise that health-conscious consumers increased their probiotics usage by an incredible 66 percent due to the pandemic.
While there’s still quite a bit about the gut flora that’s shrouded in mystery, if one thing is for sure, probiotics play a definitive role in many functions within the body and are crucial for good health.
If you’ve recently hopped on the probiotic bandwagon — we couldn’t be more excited for you! The beloved supplement can positively impact your overall wellness in more ways than one. However, to truly reap the wonderful benefits that probiotics have to offer, you can’t simply swallow a capsule all willy-nilly and expect it to work its magic.
Similar to how fat-soluble vitamins are best taken alongside a healthy serving of fat, water-soluble vitamins are best taken on an empty stomach with a tall glass of water to maximize the efficiency of your probiotic when you take the supplement.
Interested in learning more? BioHealth is here to help! Read on as we explore probiotics and gut health to uncover the best time of the day to take your supplement.
First Things First. What Exactly Are Probiotics Anyway?
Probiotics are living microorganisms that offer many health benefits when consumed in the right amounts. A good way to think of probiotics is gut-friendly bacteria found in food, drinks, and supplements. They are essentially the same — or similar — to the microorganisms that already call your body home.
Hold Up — Why Take A Supplement When It’s In Food?
While it’s always better to get nutrients from healthy whole foods, the truth is that more than 90 percent of Americans don’t meet the recommended dietary guidelines, with one in three adults eating fast food every single day.
Sure, a clean diet rich in leafy veggies and fresh fruits will certainly provide your body with the nutrients it needs to run like a well-oiled machine. But the reality is that most of us are not eating as healthy as we should and in turn, are not giving our bodies what it needs to run optimally.
And when the body isn’t functioning at its best, the friendly critters in your gut can quickly become overrun by the bad ones, causing a whole lot of chaos, including tummy troubles, digestive issues, and even skin flare-ups.
Here are some of the reasons why taking a high-quality probiotic supplement may be beneficial to your overall health:
- Maintains the integrity of the gut lining — an important and often underappreciated part of the immune system.
- Promotes a healthy immune response
- Improves absorption of essential nutrients in the gut
- Reduces digestive issues such as gas and bloating
- Regulates how neurotransmitters are produced, which impacts energy, sleep, mood, and more
Not sure where to find a great probiotic? While there are many supplements on the market, the truth is that they’re not all created equal. Some are made with questionable ingredients and icky fillers, and synthetic additives that can do more harm than good.
When shopping for anything that you’ll put into your body, it’s of the utmost importance to purchase from an honest and reputable brand with a true passion for clean, nutritious products — like BioHealth!
An innovative supplement brand focused on high-performance products that taste great; we take great pride in not only creating some of the cleanest products on the planet but also having some of the most advanced flavors in the industry.
To give you the most powerful array of essential nutrients — like probiotics and fiber — ever assembled, we created our all-natural Phyto Fuel Greens powder. Ideal for on-the-go nutrition, this revolutionary supplement is jam-packed with nutrient-rich superfoods for a delicious way to feel amazing all day, every day.
When To Take Probiotics
Now that you know all about probiotics, let’s dive into the best time to take them, shall we?
OK — So It’s Best Taken On An Empty Stomach?
Yes. You see, the natural environment for probiotic bacteria in the gut — that's where they perform all their best to keep bad bacteria in check while assisting in many critical functions.
To get to the gut, however, it’s a pretty difficult journey for the little critters! After taking a probiotic, the bacteria must pass through your stomach, where the environment is quite acidic.
In fact, your stomach is designed to destroy any harmful germs that might make their way further into your body via food and drink. For the probiotic bacteria, this is bad news as long exposure time to stomach acids kills them.
So, with that in mind, the entire goal of taking a probiotic supplement is to get it through your stomach acid as quickly as possible so it can reach the intestines. And one way to help do just that is by taking the supplement on an empty stomach.
Anymore Tips?
As a matter of fact, we do!
To maximize the effects of your probiotic supplement, check out these helpful tips below:
- Choose a high-quality probiotic supplement.
- Check the recommended use instructions on your supplement to ensure you’re taking it properly.
- Ensure proper storage ( for example, does it need to be refrigerated?).
- Consistency is key — aim to take your probiotic every single day at the same time.
- Take your probiotic first thing in the morning, roughly 30 minutes before breakfast.
- And lastly, drink a tall glass of water either just before or as you’re taking your probiotics. This can dilute your stomach acids to help give the friendly bacteria that much more of a fighting chance to reach your intestines.
A Final Word
So, when is the best time to take probiotics, you ask?
The bacteria in your probiotic supplement can quickly succumb to your stomach acid, preventing them from reaching the gut, which is where they work their healing magic.
To help the gut-friendly bacteria on their journey through your stomach, it’s best to take them without food — ideally first thing in the morning, around 30 minutes before breakfast.
You see, when taken on an empty stomach, the probiotic bacteria won’t get slowed down by the food you eat. More time spent in the stomach translates to less live bacteria, making it past the harsh acids to reach your gut fully intact.
To give the ‘good guys’ a golden opportunity to get from point A to point B, take your probiotic supplement with a large glass of H2O without any food first thing in the morning.
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Whether you’re on the hunt for a high-quality probiotic supplement to support optimal gut health or simply craving a phenomenal tasting protein like our Precision Cafe Protein Caramel Macchiato, you can always count on BioHealth to provide you with nutrition that is second-to-none.
Sources:
The Best Time to Take Vitamins – Cleveland Clinic.
CDC Reports Over a Third of Americans Eat Fast Food Daily | AARP
Psychobiotics and the Manipulation of Bacteria–Gut–Brain Signals | NCBI
Probiotics: What is it, Benefits, Side Effects, Food & Types | Cleveland Clinic
Vegetables and Fruits | The Nutrition Source | Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health