- When should you take probiotics?
- Consistency is Key
- Should probiotics be taken on an empty stomach?
- Why doesn’t Goodbac recommend a specific time?
- Best Time of Day for Probiotics?
When should you take probiotics?
The best time to take probiotics is a hot topic, with various sources offering different advice on the optimal time of day or meal to take your probiotic supplement. At Goodbac, we believe that the timing of your probiotic intake—whether with or without a meal—is unlikely to significantly impact its effectiveness.
Consistency is Key
While there is debate over the best time to take probiotics, there is a general consensus that taking a probiotic regularly is important. Following the manufacturer’s recommendations is essential for optimal benefits. For Goodbac products, this means taking your probiotic supplement every day. Missing doses is more likely to affect effectiveness than the timing of your intake. Therefore, the best time to take your probiotic is whenever it fits best into your daily routine.
Should probiotics be taken on an empty stomach?
Opinions vary on whether probiotics are best taken on an empty stomach, within 30 minutes of a meal, or with a meal. Here’s why these suggestions are made:
Empty Stomach: When your stomach is empty, its acidity is lower, and transit time is faster. This can help probiotics survive the harsh stomach environment and reach your gut alive.
Should probiotics be taken with a meal?
With a Meal: A study by Tompkins2 found that non-encapsulated bacteria survived best when taken with a meal or 30 minutes before a meal. This suggests that taking probiotics with food can enhance their survival through the digestive tract.
Why doesn’t Goodbac recommend a specific time?
Several factors influence how many live bacteria reach your gut, including the type of bacteria, their quantity, and the protection they receive. While stomach acidity can affect the survival of some bacteria, others are more resilient.
At Goodbac, we personalize your probiotic supplement to include bacteria strains tailored to your needs, rather than just those resistant to stomach acid. We ensure effective numbers of bacteria by making fresh, high-quality probiotics with more than 5 billion CFU of each strain, greater than 35 billion CFU in total, in your personalised product. Our advanced technologies protect your bacteria through:
- Enteric Coated Capsules: The capsules containing your live bacteria act as a shield against the acid in your stomach. This means they are resistant to the acid in your stomach and do not breakdown until they have passed through the hostile stomach and reached the intestines.
- Enteric Coated Bacteria: The bacteria within each capsule are themselves coated with five protective layers. This coating is called microencapsulation and is another form of protection for the bacteria from the harsh environment of the upper gut.
Due to these measures, the limited research on timing doesn’t apply to our products. Thus, the time you take your Goodbac probiotic, and whether it is with or without a meal, is unlikely to significantly impact its effectiveness.
Best Time of Day for Probiotics, morning or evening?
Opinions vary on whether probiotics are best taken in the morning or the evening. Here’s why these suggestions are made:
Take probiotics in the morning: Taking probiotics with breakfast is often suggested due to the general regularity of breakfast time and because stomach acid is lower in the morning.
Take probiotics in the evening: At night our stomach acid production naturally reduces providing a less hostile environment for the probiotic.
When the bacteria within a probiotic product are present in high numbers, these bacteria are fresh, alive and adequately protected against stomach acid – then the timings do not matter. Taking a quality product every day is much more important that the small differences made by timings.
Focusing on personalisation, quality, and advanced protection, Goodbac ensures that your probiotics are effective, regardless of the time you take them.
- M. Toscano, R. De Grandi, L. Stronati, E. De Vecchi and L. Drago, "Effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 and Bifidobacterium longum BB536 on the healthy gut microbiota composition at phyla and species level: A preliminary study," World Journal of Gastroenterology, vol. 23, no. 15, pp. 2696-2704 , 2017.
- Tompkins et al. (2011) The impact of meals on a probiotic during transit through a model of the human upper gastrointestinal tract. Beneficial Microbes; 2, 4: 295-303.