What do you all know about probiotics?

[woodsprite]

I went to the drs today. Still testing positive for COVID after a 5 day course of Paxlovid. It's day 12 for me from a my first positive test. They said I have good chest sounds, good oxygenation, and no fever. They think I have an acute sinus infection on top of everything and prescribed a 10-day course of both Doxycycline and Cefpodoxime - 2 strong antibiotics. Dr. suggested that I take a good probiotic of my choice during treatment and at least a few weeks afterward to protect my gut health. Said she couldn't really recommend one since everyone is individual and they're OTC. She thinks I should turn around in 72 hrs. If not, come back in and they'll talk other testing and possible chest x-ray. She didn''t want to order one of those now since I've had so much radiation over the last year w/ cancer treatment and testing.

Anyway....know anything about probiotics? Figure I'd ask what I should look for and do some research before heading out to either the drug store or the Co-Op/Natural Foods store.

[Ponietz]

1. Kim Chee is a real boost to health

Drug stores and gelatin capsules can’t touch kim chee magic. Great flavor to mix with too.
I started eating it a couple years ago. Its effects are tangible for me.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. 1. They need to be refrigerated. Otherwise, the enzymes die.

2. They help you digest food and steer the nutrients to your cells. Otherwise, as you grow older, you have less digestive ability. You lose the benefits of eating healthy.

3. Be prepared for enhanced process of elimination. Not strictly diarrhea, but increased volume and frequency.

[Delmette2.0]

3. Strong antibiotics can kill off the good bacteria in your gut.

Probiotics can help reestablish the good bacteria and ward off diarrhea or constipation. This has helped several family members including myself.

[sdfernando]

4. There are certainly a lot of probiotic choices out there. Definitely want to be taking them

when on antibiotics, especially strong ones, as they kill the good bacteria along with the bad. There are a lot of foods as well that can help. Fermented foods like sauerkraut are good. Don't just look at probiotics though...prebiotics are also good to take.

[Hela]

5. Foods are better than pills, IMO

My rheumatologist recommended that I work on my gut health for lupus and autoimmune issues. I started with pills but didn't see real improvement until I started eating more probiotic foods. I think the steady intake of fermented foods is better and produces better results. I started out with one food per day and built up to the three per day I use now; I still take probiotic pills at bedtime on an empty stomach (I use Culturelle). They're not cheap.

I drink 8 ounces of plain kefir in the morning, have 6-8 ounces of yogurt with lunch, and drink some kombucha in the afternoon or with dinner. I also use miso, sauerkraut and pickles, but more as condiments than anything else. I do have some jarred kimchi from Trader Joe's, but it packs a punch and isn't my favorite taste.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-super-healthy-probiotic-foods#TOC_TITLE_HDR_9

[LetMyPeopleVote]

6. I am taking a couple probiotics and they help

My son has been taking probiotics for years and got me to start them about a year ago

[Warpy]

7. I know the science is in its infancy and you should be leery of supplements

although most of them are just acidophilus and won't hurt you any more than a carton of yogurt does, although with less enjoyment and more cash outlay. The problem with more exotic bugs is that we don't know yet which bugs do what and for whom. What might make person A supremely healthy might make person B ill. We just don't know yet.

The only time I would take acidophilus supplements is during and after heavy antibiotic use, chemotherapy using antibiotics, and radiation of and around the bowel, the latter two when foods are not being tolerated well but pills stay down. If you hate cultured milk products, then acidophilus supplements might be a good bet. They're cheaper than the same thing labeled "probiotics."

[BlueTexasMan]

8. fermented foods

Sauerkraut, easy to make and tasty!

[Qutzupalotl]

9. Gut bacteria affect more than just digestion.

They can contribute to other things such as brain fog. I'm told that sugar-craving bacteria in the gut cause intense cravings for more sugary foods, making dieting harder.

You have an opportunity now to change your microbiome drastically. Those antibiotics should kill off most of the bacteria in your gut, the good and the bad. You can take in good bacteria through the foods mentioned upthread, or supplements. I don't like sauerkraut, kimchee or pickles, so my choices are yogurt and kombucha — try to find low-sugar or non-sugar varieties if sugar cravings are an issue for you (they are for me). I've tried Keybiotics (expensive mail order) and a store brand of supplements. I didn't notice any big changes, but somewhat easier digestion, diminished cravings, and a bit more clarity.

[BlueGreenLady]

10. I second Hela's post (#5)

Kifir and naturally fermented foods like Kim chew and sauerkraut are great ways to keep your gut healthy.

[Jirel]

11. They work if you use them right.

The antibiotics can play hell with your gut biome. Probiotics can help fix that much more quickly than if you just let it happen on its own (and it will, just fine, for 99.999% of people). I have never bothered with probiotics after antibiotics, nor has my doctor recommended them, but I did do a good course of them after I had c. diff. My doc gave me a cocktail of probiotics and other supplements, because I really did feel wretched and had a hard time getting back to eating normally for weeks.

Not all probiotics are the same. After antibiotics, you need to rebuild lactobacilli (for example, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus GG), bifidobacteria (such as Bifidobacterium bifidus) and some yeasts (Saccharomyces boulardii). The strains you also may want to look for in a supplement are:
L. casei
L. Rhamnosus GG
L. Plantarum 299v
B. subtilis
B. coagulans lactospore
B. clausii
Generally, you want to take something that gives you about 25 million of these buggies/day for 30 days.

In addition, she recommended L-Glutamine, which helps a somewhat torn-up gut rebuild healthy cells.

Probiotics come in powdered forms in capsules (generally shelf stable, but only for a limited time while fresh), or in refrigerated capsules, which are less stable. There's no difference in effectiveness, as long as they are kept correctly, and not expected to work after months and months of sitting around. Even the ones you get that are freeze-dried and shelf-stable should be keep in a cool, dark place.

[question everything]

12. Just eat yogurt containing live culture

Antibiotics kill both the infectious bacteria and the beneficial ones, disturbing the balance in the digestive track.

Eating yogurt that contains live cultures - the beneficial bacteria - will help stabilize the balance.

This is what probiotics are - supposedly containing beneficial bacteria.

[woodsprite]

13. Thank you all for the information! I feel better equipped to go on a search this evening.

I'll mask up and head to the Co-op to talk to their consultant. I can pick up some yogurt there and some kefir and kombucha (never had either of those before, but willing to give them a try). Think I'll leave the kimchi to try later maybe. I think I've tried it before but it wasn't a flavor that I enjoyed much. I do love sauerkraut though! I had no idea that pickles fit into that category as well. I have a batch of homemade refrigerator pickles that my SIL made.