How To Know if Probiotics for Gut Health Are Right for You

You have probably heard a lot of talk about gut health recently, maybe on social media in particular, or advertised on products you pass in the store. It’s a good thing that gut health is being talked about now since it wasn’t for a long time.

An estimated 60 to 70 million Americans suffer from digestive issues tied to their guts according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). With so many people experiencing symptoms of an imbalance in their gastrointestinal system, it’s no wonder that gut health is finally being discussed! It may also make you wonder why the topic was so untouched in the past.

A likely reason is that the symptoms of an irritated gut are ones that Americans consider normal and are used to living with. However, we assure you that while these symptoms are normal (clearly affecting many people), they aren’t ones you should be content to live with, since there is a simple treatment solution: probiotics. Before we delve into whether probiotics are right for you, let’s take a closer look at some of the gut imbalance symptoms plaguing Americans.

Symptoms of an Unhealthy Gastrointestinal Tract

The symptoms of an unhealthy gastrointestinal tract (which includes your small and large intestines, esophagus, mouth, and stomach) are much more frequent amongst people than most realize. They include bloating, tell-tale digestive problems (like diarrhea, constipation, gas, and unusual stools), tiredness and trouble sleeping, sweet cravings, mood imbalances and irritability, migraines and headaches, and more.

You can see why gut imbalances often go unrealized since these symptoms can reasonably also be connected to other issues. However, no one should have to live with these issues, especially if they can be easily treated through the inclusion of probiotics.

What Do Probiotics Do To Help Your Gut?

The simple solution to eradicate the symptoms of an imbalanced gut is by taking probiotics for gut health. This method is incredibly easy and accessible; you don’t even need a prescription to partake in the consumption of probiotics, since health practitioners understand that essentially everyone can benefit from an increase in their healthy bacteria levels. You can even consume healthy microorganisms in other ways, and probably do often! (More on that in a little bit).

Probiotics are living microorganisms that work with the bacteria in your GI system to aid in its natural processes. These healthy bacterias and yeasts increase once inside your body so that they fill all the available space, leaving no room in your tract for the multiplication of bad bacteria.

They also aid in your GI tract’s natural function of breaking down the foods you eat into vitamins, nutrients, and energy. Additionally, they reduce the number of bad bacteria that enters your blood with the nutrients that are sent throughout the body by forming a wall inside your intestines that contains the germs in one location.

How Long Does It Take To See Results?

Probiotics are meant to work in accordance with your natural bodily functions to create long-lasting results, so more important than how quickly you see results is how well the probiotics work and that they continue to be effective. However, you can expect results within a few weeks. Within two to eight weeks is a reasonable timeline, but some people notice a change in a matter of days.

What Other Ways Can You Support Your Gut?

Aside from taking probiotics, which is the best way to ingest large healthy quantities of good organisms, you can also consume good bacteria by eating certain foods. Pickled vegetables (like kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickles), sourdough bread, kefir and yogurt, kombucha, tempeh, miso, cheddar cheese, feta, and gruyere cheese are all great foods to add to your diet to support your gut.

Takeaway

The key question to ask is how you can know whether probiotics are the right step for you in supporting your gut health. Based on the sheer number of Americans who experience digestive imbalances that correspond to their gut health, and based on the common symptoms of an unhealthy gut, the odds are high that you also suffer from an indisposed gut. If you can relate to any of the symptoms indicating an issue in your GI tract, probiotics are right for you.

And since probiotics are safe, low maintenance, and inexpensive treatment options, we think probiotics are right for pretty much everyone—it’s the surest way to support a healthy gut microbiome.

We aren’t the only ones who feel this way; it has finally become common knowledge that everyone can benefit from higher levels of healthy living organisms in their bodies to protect their immune function, aid in their digestive system, and fight off bad bacteria. Don’t settle for living with an imbalanced gut any longer—go feed your gut flora some tasty good bacteria!