I recently wrote a review on the Visbiome GI Care probiotic and I had a reader comment asking for any tips on the optimal time to take probiotics. I had wondered this myself many times in the past and I was especially curious about what happened related to if you eat food with your probiotic and the impacts of stomach acid which led me to research further into this topic.
Optimal Time to Take Probiotics
This post will go into explaining when the best times to take a probiotic might be as well as discussing whether taking probiotics during times like fasting is even effective at all.
There is quite a bit of nuance to this question but the main conclusion I came away with is that science and people in general aren’t entirely sure. Things like the strain of probiotic, food, and individual response are all variables to consider.
That doesn’t mean we can’t piece together data points from studies, anecdotal experiences, and logic to form a reasonable assumption of a range where it might be best to consume probiotics.
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Studies
One study showed that it didn’t matter either way what schedule was used, supplementation was still successful.[3]
Another study showed “Enumeration during and after transit of the stomach and duodenal models showed that survival of all the bacteria in the product was best when given with a meal or 30 minutes before a meal (cooked oatmeal with milk). Probiotics given 30 minutes after the meal did not survive in high numbers. Survival in milk with 1% milk fat and oatmeal-milk gruel were significantly better than apple juice or spring water.”[4]
My Thoughts
Consistency
As some of the studies showed, it seemed like overall consistency worked out in some of the cases regardless of the specific routines or schedules/protocols followed. As some people say with fitness, the best workout routine is the one that you enjoy doing and that you’ll be able to stick with.
The same logic applies here – if taking the probiotic becomes a habit with lots of barriers/annoyances involved you’ll be less likely to stick with it.
Antibiotics
If you are taking antibiotics alongside your probiotics that may be defeating the purpose unless the probiotics are specifically designed to work with/for antibiotics. You could consider taking one in the morning and one at night. This goes for both conventional and herbal antibiotics, you should strongly consider if you certainly need antibiotics before using them.
Either way, refer to medical provider opinions and instructions on labels first.
Brand Specifications
If you’re taking a quality product (something like Visbiome, Pendulum Life, or Seed) the company themselves have likely tested the product in extremely strict conditions for survivability both inside and outside of your gut. In this case, it may be best to follow the instructions the bottle/packaging provides for you as they may be suited to your specific product.
If they don’t specify, you can always move toward what the research or other lines of thought may suggest.
Different Strains
As we saw from some of the studies linked and discussed, different strains may behave differently. If you’re specifically taking a specific genus, species, or strain that was studied and shown to be effective with carbs for example, or 30 minutes before a meal then it would make sense to try that protocol.
Stomach Acidity
Studies have linked increased times of stomach acid secretion to an individual’s circadian rhythms with peak acid secretion being seen around 10 pm to 2 am.[1][2] On the other hand, stomach acid may be more relaxed near breakfast time when no food has been consumed recently and stomach acid secretion has leveled off.
With this established, taking a probiotic 30 minutes before breakfast may be optimal.
Verdict
Given everything I’ve just read, it’s likely that I would attempt to line up probiotic genus, species, and strain to any available study data for optimal results. That aside we could potentially assume that 30 minutes before breakfast might be a good middle ground for anyone – and experimenting with fibers or fats like milk or oatmeal may also be beneficial.
Trusted Sources
Conclusion
I love answering questions based directly on reader comments because I know that it’ll be relevant and helpful to a lot of people – so hopefully you enjoyed this fresh perspective on the optimal time to take probiotics and got a lot of value from it.
Feel free to leave any opinions, thoughts, or constructive criticism for this post or the content/site overall.