Best Time to Take Probiotics

Probiotics and gut health trends are becoming all of the rage in the world of nutrition, but why is that?

In this article, we’ll talk about what probiotics are, why they’re helpful, and when the best time to take them is.

What Are Probiotics

In an ecosystem, you have plants, animals, fungus, land, air, sunlight, and water. Different organisms eat other organisms creating an entire life cycle. This cycle starts with the smallest creatures and ends with the apex predator. When these apex predators die, they are consumed by fungi and bacteria, which brings the life cycle full circle. Every organism needs one another in order to survive and keep each other’s populations in check… 

Now, you might be wondering if you accidentally clicked on the wrong blog … or if I completely lost my marbles, haha but I haven’t, promise. I brought up and briefly, explained an ecosystem because in many ways, your body is an ecosystem too.

There are tens of millions if not billions of bacteria both inside and outside of your body. Some of these bacteria are good while others are bad. The bad bacteria cause infections, stomach problems, and a variety of other health-related diseases. Good bacteria (probiotics) help your body in many ways.

For example, good bacteria helps with digestion as well as building a strong immune system to help fight infections and out-of-control inflammation.

These good and bad bacteria balance each other out creating a healthy biome within your body, which helps your body operate at an optimal level.

The problem is, many of our habits create an environment that’s dangerous for those good bacteria. Stress, lack of sleep, poor eating habits, and other stuff cause a lot of those good bacteria living within us to die. These bad habits also give the bad bacteria an advantage they wouldn’t normally have.

Probiotics can help you reclaim your health by replacing those missing probiotics with new ones.

That way your body can operate at a more optimal level than before and fight back against those bad bacteria.

When to Take Probiotics – What’s The Best Time to Take Probiotics?

Depending on the probiotic supplement you’re looking at, the “when” recommendation is going to look different. That “when” recommendation is also going to look different based on where you’re getting your information from. Some websites say early in the morning, while others say after each meal.

The reason why there are so many differing opinions on this topic is that we simply do not have a definite answer yet. There just isn’t enough information yet for us to give a definite answer.

Most people make recommendations based on strategy and logic.

For example, some people say you should take your probiotics before you eat because that’s when your stomach acids are at their lowest. They say this increases the chance that those bacteria will survive the digestion process and make it to where they need to in your digestive tract.

Others make the argument that it doesn’t matter how much stomach acid is or isn’t in your stomach. If the probiotic bacteria are the only things in your stomach, they’re the only things your stomach acids will digest.

These experts are of the opinion that you should take your probiotics with food. That’s because the food will increase the chance that the probiotics will survive, even if it increases the amount of stomach acid in the body.

At 1st Phorm, we’re of the opinion that the best time to take your probiotic supplements is when you can remember to take them, but preferably with food. Not only is it useful because the food protects the probiotic bacteria from stomach acid, but those probiotics need food in order to survive.

Can You Take A Probiotic Before Bed?

Yes you can! Different probiotics are formulated to do different things. Also, probiotics are added to different supplements as part of the blend. Some supplements use formulas that are made to help improve sleep and they also contain probiotics… These probiotic supplements should be taken before bed as you wouldn’t want to take them during the day. You’ll know if the probiotic supplement is meant to be taken before bed, because it will explicitly state it on the bottle or container.

Now, if you are taking a product like Opti-Greens 50 that has a probiotic in it… you can take it any time of the day! Same with a stand-alone Probiotic supplement. Can be taken before bed, in the morning, with food, etc…

Is It Ok To Take A Probiotic Every day?

Yes. Probiotics are like every other type of supplement out there. They come in different strengths.

So depending on the probiotic you get, what your goal is with using a probiotic, and your lifestyle the answer to this question might vary… but in MOST cases, taking a probiotic every day is not only ok… it’s highly recommended! 

Many supplements out there require that you take them 1 to 3 times a day, typically with a meal and 12-16 oz of water to have the desired effect.

Get The Probiotics You Need With 1st Phorm

1st Phorm has an awesome probiotic supplement for those who are looking to add probiotics to their routine!

Now, depending on your goals, and what other supplements you want or need … two of our most popula products contain probiotics in them. The first one isMicro Factor and the second isOpti-Greens 50.

You can, and most people do, use these two products together as part of their daily stack! Then if you are looking for additional probiotic support you can add more probiotics into your supplement routine.

If you’re wanting to improve your health, and you think that probiotics are the way to make those improvements, come and check out 1st Phorm today!

*This post was written by Will Grumke. He is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, NASM Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist, NASM Certified Weight Loss Specialist, NASM Certified Behavioral Change Specialist, and CrossFit Level 1 Trainer.