Everyone’s gut microbiota is unique! Genetics play an important role in its composition. The microorganisms in the gut, mainly bacteria, establish a “partnership” with it that begins at birth.
Probiotics can, on their part, help improve digestive health markers by rebalancing this intestinal flora. They also play a role in the immune system.
The speed at which they start working can vary from person to person. This depends on several factors :
- the type of probiotics you take and the amount of strains ingested
- the reason for taking them and the severity of the microbiota imbalance
- your general health condition
Let’s explore together the different time frames it may take for probiotics to show their effectiveness, supported by studies.
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In case of diarrhea, bloating or constipation
To relieve short-term symptoms, such as reducing diarrhea, bloating, or constipation, some probiotics can act in just a few days.
For example, in this European study conducted in 2000, 287 children aged one month to three years hospitalized for acute diarrhea were divided into two groups. Group A received simple oral rehydration (placebo), while group B received oral rehydration containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus.
The results showed that the duration of diarrhea in the first group was three days on average versus only two and a half days in the second.
This more recent study conducted in 2010 demonstrated that when combined with rehydration, treatment with probiotics can reduce the duration and frequency of infectious diarrhea to only two days.
Following antibiotic treatment
Certain antibiotic treatments are known to be responsible for digestive disorders, particularly diarrhea. The occurrence of diarrhea is explained by an imbalance in the intestinal bacterial ecosystem linked to this antibiotic therapy. It’s also called dysbiosis.
If this is your case, I recommend taking probiotics for at least a month.
A meta-analysis involving 25 randomized and controlled studies, comprising 2800 patients, monitored the frequency of diarrhea in the two months following exposure to an antibiotic.
The probiotic treatment (Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus faecium) varied from 5 days to 8 weeks post-antibiotic therapy. The risk of antibiotic-related diarrhea decreased from 27% to 12%, a reduction of more than half.
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For the immune system
For chronic diseases or general immune health, I believe it is beneficial to take probiotics for several weeks to several months.
Consumed daily, probiotics can start to be effective after two weeks of supplementation.
However, their benefits are more noticeable between the 3rd and 4th weeks of supplementation. This is the time they need to effectively colonize the intestines and reclaim the place that is rightfully theirs.
In case of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
As shown in this 2011 study, for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), supplementation with Saccharomyces boulardii for 4 weeks allows for a significant improvement in symptoms compared to the control group.
This more recent study, based on the administration of Bacillus coagulans demonstrates optimal efficacy after 90 days of treatment for IBS with a significant improvement in patients’ quality of life.
In case of traveler’s diarrhea
Traveler’s diarrhea, or a traveler’s curse, occurs when we consume food and drinks contaminated by an infectious agent.
This meta-analysis including twelve studies testing the effectiveness of probiotics in preventing traveler’s diarrhea shows that 85% of traveler’s diarrhea cases were prevented by taking probiotics.
I advise you to take your probiotics a few days before departure, continue throughout the stay, and keep going for a few days after returning.
The travel destination might influence the effectiveness of the probiotic. Make sure to adhere to the storage conditions as well as the proper follow-through of the regimen.
My tips for optimizing your probiotic intake
To improve daily digestion, I recommend 1 to 3-month courses of treatment interspersed with stops of the same duration.
I recommend not taking probiotics continuously for more than 6 months in a row to preserve the balance of the target microbiota.
The best time to take them is in the morning, on an empty stomach, 15 to 20 minutes before breakfast.
In some cases, supplementation can last up to 6 months, especially if you suffer from extensive candidiasis. It occurs in this case, in several stages: intensive, treatment, maintenance. For each of these phases, a different dosage is recommended.
Most people tolerate probiotics well. However, don’t hesitate to discuss with your doctor before including them in your diet.
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Sources and scientific studies
S Guandalini, L Pensabene, M A Zikri, J A Dias, L G Casali, H Hoekstra, S Kolacek, K Massar, D Micetic-Turk, A Papadopoulou, J S de Sousa, B Sandhu, H Szajewska, Z Weizman, 2000. Lactobacillus GG administered in oral rehydration solution to children with acute diarrhea: a multicenter European trial.
Allen SJ, Martinez EG, Gregorio GV, Dans LF, 2010. Probiotics for treating acute infectious diarrhea (Review).
Lynne V McFarland, 2006. Meta-analysis of probiotics for the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and the treatment of Clostridium difficile disease.
Lynne V McFarland, 2007. Meta-analysis of probiotics for the prevention of traveler’s diarrhea.
Chang Hwan Choi, Sun Young Ji, Hyo Jin Park, Sae Kyung Chang, Jeong-Sik Byeon, Seung-Jae Myung, 2011. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial of saccharomyces boulardii in irritable bowel syndrome: effect on quality of life.
Muhammed Majeed, Kalyanam Nagabhushanam, Sankaran Natarajan, Arumugam Sivakumar, Furqan Ali, Anurag Pande, Shaheen Majeed, Suresh Kumar Karri, 2016. Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 supplementation in the management of diarrhea-predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome: a double blind randomized placebo-controlled pilot clinical study.
