How Much Probiotics Should I Take? Dosing Guidelines

How much of a probiotic supplement should you be taking every day in order to see positive results?

Probiotic bacteria are special microorganisms which confer a beneficial effect on their hosts when there are enough of them available within the digestive system at the same time.

Benefits due to supplementation with these bacteria continue to catch the attention of a wide array of researchers around the world. There are numerous clinical trials under way currently studying the specific effects of various bacterial strains and species.

Research includes the effect probiotics may have on obesity, certain types of cancerous tumors, constipation, respiratory illness, cholesterol and autoimmune disorders like IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), Crohn’s Disease and IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease).

Because of the potentially wide range of uses, many health conscious individuals have added them to their daily health regimen. Before starting on a probiotic supplement, the question of dosage should be addressed.

This leads many people to ask their doctor, “How much probiotics should I take?”

Probiotics

Digestive Supplement

Gut Health

Digestion

Immune Function

How It Works:

• Supports a healthy immune system & microflora
• Promotes digestion & nutrient absoprtion
• Combats pathogenic bacteria; Improves metabolism

Dosage:

Between 1 - 10 Billion CFUs per day

Safety:

Rated Likely Safe

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How Much Probiotics do you Need?

Probiotic bacteria are found naturally throughout the body of mammals, including humans, wherever there are mucous membranes. A majority of these tiny but powerful helpers are located within the mouth, vagina and digestive tract.

In fact, within the average adult, these microorganisms account for over three pounds of total body weight.

Collectively, the gut bacteria are referred to as the gut microflora. In the digestive tract, beneficial bacteria outnumber pathogenic bacteria by about 8 to 2, meaning that generally about 75% of the bacteria in the GI tract is composed of the good guys.

When something causes the system to go out of balance, unfriendly bacteria and yeast can step in to colonize available space and throw the whole system out of order. This is when it becomes important to take the right amount of probiotic supplements to get the microflora back into a healthy balance.

About 70% of our immune system is found within the gastrointestinal tract, meaning an imbalance in the flora can throw the immune system off track. As studies suggest, this may be implicated in some autoimmune disorders and in allergies.

Besides keeping the gut in balance and promoting proper immune function, probiotic bacteria break down foods we eat, converting sugars into lactic acid and other byproducts. Some of these byproducts keep the pH levels within the stomach low, making it difficult for many pathogenic organisms to survive.

Other probiotic organisms specifically aid in the absorption of nutrients. Deciding how much of a probiotics you should take will depend on the symptoms being experienced and the type of probiotic species needed to address it.

Recommended Probiotic Dosages

When taking a probiotic supplement, the microorganisms need to be viable (alive) when you take them (or when they are freeze-dried in capsules or pills).

When selecting a probiotic, limit selection to those which clearly state on the label that the number of microorganisms in each dose are guaranteed to be viable at the time of ingestion.

If a supplement needs to be kept refrigerated, then it needs to be kept in temperature controlled settings from the time it is manufactured — including storage time and during the shipping process. Bacteria can be very sensitive to heat, moisture and oxygen and not many will survive if exposed to deleterious environments.

Daily dosage of a general probiotic supplement containing a combination of several bacterial species typically ranges from 1 billion to 10 billion colony forming units (CFUs).

For antibiotic-related diarrhea (a frequent cause for probiotic supplementation), doses ranging from 5 billion – 20 billion, once or twice daily, are recommended. Doctors typically recommend supplementation for 1-2 weeks following antibiotic medications.

Doses for specific symptoms will vary depending on the species and strain of bacteria being taken, as well as the unique microbiome of the individual using the supplement. Today, most doctors are knowledgeable about probiotic effectiveness and can offer clear advice to their patients depending on their symptoms and medical history.

You should also speak to a doctor to determine appropriate dosages for infants and children.

Although probiotics are not proven to treat medical conditions, there is a wealth of scientific data and research available which suggest certain species and strains of probiotic bacteria do, in fact, have a beneficial effect on certain conditions.

Research is under way in universities and laboratories around the world to try to understand the exact mechanism of action underlying the results obtained in many double-blind, placebo-controlled studies.

What Probiotics to Take

Because every individual’s system is different, and each person’s system responds differently to supplements and medications, it may take some experimentation to find the right dose and the right species for the symptoms currently being experienced.

For example, individuals with IBS share large amounts of data online regarding which probiotics have been helpful to IBS sufferers, and exact doses and combinations of doses.

When determining how much and what strains to take, there are many reliable resources available, including your doctor, which can help establish what dose and frequency are best for you.

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