How Long Do Probiotics Stay In Your System?

Probiotics are highly beneficial bacteria for gut health, making them an integral part of our daily lives. However, it's well-known that probiotics don't have a permanent effect.

This raises the common question: How long will probiotics last in your system? And what happens to the body if we stop using them? Let's explore these questions in this article.

How Long Do Probiotics Stay In Your System?

Probiotics, although providing many health benefits, are found in yogurt, fermented foods, dietary supplements, and beauty products.

Probiotics have reached global sales exceeding $40 billion and are forecasted to continue growing [1].

However, Probiotics typically only exist in the body for a short period. Normally, they only last for about 10 days [2].

This means that to maintain the benefits of probiotics, you need to use them regularly.

However, prolonged use of probiotics may lead to health decline, characterized by increased inflammatory cytokines and increased cardiovascular risk indices, and some gut bacteria associated with inflammation tend to flourish.

These findings underscore the importance of cautiously monitoring and using probiotics to protect overall health [3].

How Long Do Probiotics Last In The Gut?

The gut is where probiotics typically concentrate and exert their primary effects. However, the time they exist in the gut is short, usually only about 10 days.

After discontinuing probiotic use, the population of these beneficial microorganisms in the gut may quickly decrease, especially if not supplemented with other foods or probiotics.

What Happens When You Stop Taking Probiotics?

When you stop using probiotics, it will take about 1 to 3 weeks for the body's gut bacteria to return [4].

However, to maintain long-term changes, you may need to "nourish" healthy bacteria with sufficient "food." Similar to other living organisms, bacteria need nutrients to survive and thrive.

This means that maintaining a balanced and nutrient-rich diet can help bacteria survive and thrive for a long time.

How Long Do Probiotics Take to Work?

Depending on what you are using Probiotics for, you may see improvements in symptoms anywhere from a few days to a few months.

They may also reduce the risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) in children and adults under 65 when taken within 2 days after antibiotic treatment [5].

Another study involving a total of 741 participants, from newborns to 36 months old, who were treated with Lactobacillus (a probiotic) for 4 to 24 weeks showed that it may help reduce skin inflammation symptoms in children [5].

Therefore, the time for probiotics to take effect will vary from person to person, depending on age group and individual lifestyle habits. We are all different, so we will need Probiotics to take effect at other times.

Can You Get Long-Term Effects from Taking Probiotics?

Probiotics are not bacteria that exist permanently, like the strains of bacteria present in the gut. After entering the gut for a while, the supportive treatment to eliminate harmful bacteria will be excreted through bowel movements.

Additionally, as mentioned above, prolonged use of probiotics may have adverse health effects. It will increase inflammatory cytokines, improve cardiovascular risk indices, and expand leukocyte collections in the colon after using probiotics for a long time.

Furthermore, long-term use of probiotics will make the body dependent on them, affecting our digestive system.

What Happens When Your Gut Is Not Balanced?

When your gut is imbalanced, harmful bacteria will thrive, causing digestive issues such as bloating, indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, gastric ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, poor absorption of nutrients [6]...

Moreover, gut health also affects mood, memory, skin condition, and weight.

The gut-brain-skin theory of acne by Stokes and Pillsbury shows that emotional states can disrupt the gut microbiota, increase intestinal permeability, and contribute to systemic inflammation.

A study has supported this theory, showing that gut bacteria and probiotics can affect the severity of acne by influencing inflammation, oxidative stress, blood sugar control, lipid levels, and mood [7].

Therefore, if your gut is not balanced, it will significantly affect your overall health.

Ways to Maintain Your Gut Balance and Health

To help your digestive system function optimally, adhere to the following principles.

• Limit processed foods and optimize your diet by incorporating plenty of fiber and healthy fats.
• Ensure you drink enough water and maintain a relaxed mindset to reduce stress.
• When eating, focus on your food and chew thoroughly to aid digestion.
• Engage in regular physical exercise to stimulate gut activity and maintain overall body health.
• Build a scientific and healthy diet.
• By combining these methods, you can effectively protect your digestive system and maintain long-term gut health.

Conclusion

Probiotics are an important part of gut health and exist in the body briefly after discontinuing use. Regularly using probiotics and combining them with a healthy diet is crucial to maintain gut health.

However, excessive use of probiotics may cause adverse effects on health.

Therefore, building a reasonable and scientific diet and lifestyle is important to ensure gut health is maintained in the long run.