Comparing This Probiotic To A Drug
Scientists compared the 57% improvement in colonic transit time of this probiotic to a prescription constipation medication called prucalopride.
They reviewed previous clinical studies of prucalopride, which lasted from four to 12 weeks longer than the two-week probiotic study.9
The reviewers found that prucalopride improved colonic transit times by 19%,9 far less than the 57% improvement seen in the high-dose probiotic trial.
The drug prucalopride has also been associated with a number of side effects, including headaches, abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhea.11
Health Issues Linked To Constipation
Constipation can make life miserable. Its associated with a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, and overall mortality, as well as to a disrupted microbiota that may have negative effects throughout the body.2,6
Constipation is also linked to a higher risk of cancer. This may be due to increased inflammation or prolonged contact between stool carcinogens and the tissue lining the colon.5
Are There Any Foods That Can Help With Bloating
Yes, there are certain foods that can help with bloating. Foods high in fiber help push bulk through the intestines, reducing bloating. They also reduce gas and increase bowel movements to prevent constipation. Soluble fiber absorbs water and becomes a thick gel-like substance that helps food pass through your system faster for better digestion.
Examples of foods high in soluble fiber include:
oatmeal
apricots
Read Also: Whats The Best Probiotic Supplement
Free Of Artificial And Harmful Ingredients
Avoid any supplement that contains harmful ingredients like preservatives, binders, chemicals, fillers, artificial colors, flavors and blenders. Prefer supplements that have naturally extracted probiotics. If you are allergic to some ingredients then make sure the product you choose doesnt contain any of them.
Best Probiotics For Constipation
If you are trying to find a probiotic for constipation, it is best to look for something that contains the strains known as bifidobacterium and lactobacillus. These are a couple popular ones with those strains:
It can be helpful to find a probiotic supplement that contains a number of different strains of this bacteria.
If you are looking for a supplement, it is often best to stay away from ones that have dairy, yeast, gluten or soy in them since they can be common irritants, especially if your gut is already imbalanced.
These substances can disrupt the gut, which isnt ideal.
Ultimately its best to look for a probiotic supplement that includes the ingredients that you need to encourage regular bowel movements.
Make sure that you do your research in order to ensure that you are making the right choice for you. The guidelines mentioned above should help you find a suitable product. With time, you should surely see some favorable results.
For more articles on probiotics, check these out:
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Considerations When Taking Probiotics For Constipation
If youre considering taking probiotics to increase stool frequency, its also helpful to evaluate any and all other factors that might be contributing to the problem.
Is there anything else you can do to influence your digestive health along with taking probiotics? If medically appropriate, see if you can:
- Up your water intake.
- Consume more soluble fiber that will act as prebiotics for your good bacteria.
- Increase your activity level.
- Ask your doctor if any medications youre taking can be contributing to constipation and if there is an alternative.
While probiotics are safe for an overwhelming majority of people, those who are dealing with critical health conditions should consult a probiotic-literate healthcare professional for medical advice.
Finally, sometimes people feel temporary side effects when they begin taking a probiotic supplement. Gas, bloating, and general stomach upset can occur as the gut microbiota rebalances.
This generally subsides after a few days but if it doesnt, here are a few tips:
- While its best to take probiotics on an empty stomach, you could try taking your supplement with food while your body adjusts.
- Reduce the amount youre taking and gradually increase the dose.
- Make sure there are no ingredients in the supplement you might be allergic to, like gluten or dairy.
- Consider trying a product that contains different strains of bacteria.
Best Probiotic For Constipation
Many of the above listed benefits of prebiotics stem from our top pick: Performance Lab Prebiotic.
Performance Lab Prebiotic delivers a more reliable and comfortable microbiome support compared to probiotics alone.
Though, it still includes probiotic support by stimulating the activity of key bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium, found in the gut. This benefits the digestive system, immune function, and nutritional status without the need to overload the gut with new strains.
This prebiotic supplement supplies an advanced upgrade on standard probiotics, feeding our guts existing bacterial colonies to promote healthy growth in harmony with your body.
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Clostridium Difficile Associated Diarrhea
C.difficile-associated diarrhea is a common nosocomial and community-based medical condition. While typically linked to antibiotic induced disturbance of the intestinal microbiota, CDAD is now increasingly identified in patients without recent antibiotic exposure. Antibiotic therapy with metronidazole, oral vancomycin and now fidaxomicin makeup the current treatment paradigm. Recurrence of CDAD remains a clinical problem. In 1994 a trial reported that S. boulardii offered for 4 weeks after antibiotic therapy reduced overall CDAD recurrence rates. However, the finding was only significant for those with a history of recurrent CDAD. A follow up study, designed to be confirmatory, did not find S. boulardii to significantly reduce CDAD recurrence after standard therapy. Though a favorable trend was found in patients treated with high-dose vancomycin in the latter study, the clinical significance of this is less clear. Lactobacillus probiotics have been tested as single species and as combination probiotic products for preventing CDAD recurrence. While some results have been promising, most studies are underpowered, have methodological flaws, or have not been reproduced.
While controversy exists, current society guidelines and expert opinion panels state that existing data are not sufficient to justify recommending available probiotics for preventing primary or recurrent CDAD., ,
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Validated In Rigorous Clinical Trial
Scientists set out to test B. lactis HN019 in a randomized, placebo-controlled, triple-blinded clinical study.7
Triple blinding means that no one involved in the study in any way is allowed to know which treatment is active and which is a placebo.
Researchers divided 88 men and women who suffered from moderate constipation into three groups.7
One was given 1.8 billion colony-forming units of B. lactis HN019 once daily. A second was given 17.2 billion CFU of B. lactis HN019 once daily. A third group was given a placebo.
At the end of 14 days:7
- Subjects who took a low dose of B. lactis HN019 had colonic transit times that were 18.5 hours faster, a 31% improvement.
- Subjects who took a high dose of B. lactis HN019 had colonic transit times that were 28.1 hours faster, a 57% improvement. This means that these individuals went from the slower than normal colonic transit times typical of moderate constipation to values considered to be in the normal range.
Digestive discomfort questionnaires were also completed by participants. The high-dose probiotic recipients reported, on average:7
- A 52% decrease in abdominal pain,
- A 48% decrease in nausea, and
- A 42% decrease in constipation.
Taking this probiotic was shown to be completely safe and did not result in any adverse effects, which mirrors the findings of other studies involving B. lactis HN019.7
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Physiologic Benefits Of Probiotics In Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Probiotics are live microorganisms with a vast array of therapeutic potential for gastrointestinal disease. They have been studied and used in many gastrointestinal disorders, with growing evidence for use in pouchitis, Clostridium difficile colitis, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, and IBS. The emerging multifactorial pathophysiologic paradigm of IBS may create adjunctive probiotic therapeutic opportunities.
Probiotics have a beneficial effect on intestinal mucosa via several proposed mechanisms that include suppression of the growth and binding of pathogenic bacteria, improvement of the barrier function of the epithelium, and alteration of the immune activity of the host., Probiotics secrete short chain fatty acids, an action that results in decreased luminal pH and production of bactericidal proteins. Butyric acid, a byproduct of bacterial fermentation of fiber, has been shown to nourish colonic enterocytes, enhancing mucosal integrity., The DNA of probiotic organisms has also been shown to inhibit apoptosis of epithelial cells., In addition, probiotics may improve bowel dysmotility.
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What Else Helps With Constipation
Alongside these most effective strains of probiotic to take for constipation, traditional advice will also help. This includes:
Ensuring you drink more water. There is some evidence that sparkling water works even better than plain water.
Increasing your intake of especially soluble fibre foods like beans, oats, citrus fruits, apples, strawberries, and peas. Recent research indicates that insoluble fibre foods like bran, nuts and seeds may actually make the problem worse especially in cases of IBS.
Exercise which has been shown to reduce the symptoms of constipation
Caffeinated coffee stimulates the gut and research at the University of Iowa shows can be 60% more effective than just drinking water.
Eating prebiotic foods the foods that feed probiotics in the gut. These include garlic, onions, leeks, chicory, artichokes, asparagus, dandelion leaves and bananas.
Yes, and prunes really are a natural laxative!
But for many people the usual advice really is not enough to solve their constipation problem.
Hence probiotics, to help keep things move regularly through your digestive system.
This article was written by Colin Rose, a Senior Associate Member of the Royal Society of Medicine, who has been writing on science for 40 years.
If you found this article helpful and believe it can help others who are concerned about constipation or other gut health issues, then please share it. You can also follow me through the icons below.
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Best 7 Probiotic Supplements For Constipation: That Surely Work
| Probiotics |
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| Check the Price |
Among the list, we have choosen naturenetics as our first preference as it is the most often prescribed probiotic supplement by medical professionals. Unlike other brands, it is third party tested for potency, contains innovative packaging to maintain the potency and other beneficial factors. It may a bit costly but totally worthy for whatever you pay.
Should Probiotics Be Taken On A Low Fodmap Diet
The low FODMAP diet is one of the proven methods for treating IBS.
It involves first eliminating most FODMAPs from the diet for a 3-8 week period so that you are virtually symptom-free. Then you begin to systematically reintroduce them in order to identify the culprits, followed by a modified diet long term.
For this to work, its important that other possible triggers of digestive stress are minimized. That includes caffeine, spicy foods, fatty foods, alcohol, and fiber supplements among other things. Removing these ensures that if symptoms do occur, you will be able to trace it back to an exact FODMAP group.
While probiotics can be highly beneficial, some people experience a worsening of symptoms. Given this risk, its typically not recommended to start a new probiotic supplement during any phase of the low FODMAP diet.
The exception is if you already use a probiotic supplement before starting a low FODMAP diet. In this case you you can continue to do so throughout.
Summary: Some people may experience even worse digestive symptoms when starting a new probiotic supplement. This will compromise the results of a low FODMAP diet, so its not recommended to do them at the same time.
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Florassist Gi With Phage Technology
Florassist GI from LifeExtension is #2 on our list because of its unique formula. Not only does it have the necessary strain to end your constipation woes, but it also makes use of bacteriophage technology.
The bacteriophage in this supplement is designed to target specific strains of bad bacteria. These bad bacteria inhibit the flourishing of your guts good bacteria.
Theres a constant balancing act involved with the population of good and bad bacteria. Unfortunately, a lot of factors make it unfavorable for good bacteria, including dietary and environmental changes. The Phage Technology included in Florassist capsule helps to even the odds.
If part of your concern is your overall gut health, then Florassist GI is your better choice in this list.
What Are The Best Probiotics For Constipation
As stated earlier, we all have a slightly different range of bacteria in our guts, so choosing the best probiotics can be challenging. Of interest, we combed through the scientific literature and noted that studies which showed positive results most commonly used the following bacteria:
- Lactobacillus casei
- Bifidobacterium lactis
- Bifidobacterium longum
This is perhaps rather an intimidating list, but these results can be boiled down to just two recurring themes – principally Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains. This is further backed up from studies examining bacterial differences between individuals with or without constipation. One such paper reports that Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus have been shown to be significantly less abundant in adult patients with constipation
So, when it comes to choosing a probiotic this data suggests that you would be wise to select an option which:
Our own probiotic supplements – both our probiotic powder and our tablets – use a patented blend of friendly bacteria known as LactoSpore, which includes Lactobacillus sporogenes as discussed above.
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Use Of Probiotics For Travelers Diarrhea
Travelers diarrhea is a common side effect when visiting developing countries due to eating or drinking contaminated food or water. Research has shown that as many as 38-79% of people may develop TD while travelling. A systematic review and meta-analysis published in 2019 looked at whether probiotics are effective in the prevention of TD. The study found that not all probiotic strains were effective for preventing TD and highlighted that strain-specificity is an important factor when choosing an effective probiotic. Only one probiotic, S. boulardii, was significantly effective for the prevention of TD. So keep this in mind for when COVID traveling restrictions are lifted!
Example: Florastor® CFU/Dose: 5B/sachet or capsule, Dose/day: 1-2 sachets or capsules approved by Health Canada
Probiotics Even Inactive Ones May Relieve Ibs Symptoms
- By Anthony Lembo, MD, Contributor
Irritable bowel syndrome is a chronic gut-brain disorder that can cause a variety of uncomfortable gastrointestinal symptoms including abdominal pain and diarrhea, constipation, or a mix of the two. IBS can reduce quality of life, often results in missed school or work, and can have a substantial economic impact.
Physicians diagnose IBS by identifying symptoms laid out in the Rome Criteria, a set of diagnostic measures developed by a group of more than 100 international experts. Limited diagnostic testing is also done, to help exclude other conditions that could present with similar symptoms.
Although the precise cause of IBS remains unknown, recent research suggests that an imbalance in intestinal microbiota and a dysfunctional intestinal barrier may be involved in the development of IBS in some people. Because of this, methods to restore the microbiota have been explored as treatment for this condition.
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Best Foods For Constipation
Eating well is a great way to help your body stay regular. Foods that professionals often recommend to help avoid occasional constipation include high fiber foods. An easy way to know if a food contains fiber is to remember that all plant-based foods have fiber in them. That means fruits, vegetables, and many vegetarian proteins like beans and lentils are strong sources of dietary fiber. Whole grain breads are another source of fiber, and many supermarkets carry a range of whole grain bakery products these days. Bonus: Not only is fiber good for maintaining regularly, but it also acts as food for beneficial bacteria you find in the best probiotic for constipation.
Best Probiotic For Allergies
Probably the best anti-allergy probiotic strain is Lactobacillus paracasei.
L. paracasei has been shown to improve symptoms in subjects with hay fever across a number of studies. In adults with grass pollen hay fever, a fermented milk made using L. paracasei reduced nasal itching and congestion.13 In kids with hay fever, L. paracasei reduced nasal itching, sneezing, and eye swelling.14
L. paracasei also reduces eczema, probably by strengthening the skin barrier and improving water retention.1516
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How Can Probiotics Help Constipation
With any digestive issue, this would often result in an imbalance of the gut microbiome. This is where probiotics may prove some help and assistance with getting everything back in balance.
As we have established, probiotics can help restore the natural balance of our gut flora. While it is not yet concluded whether this would be helpful for already healthy individuals, it appears probiotics may be beneficial in situations where the gut has been compromised by illness or treatment.
Some research suggests that probiotics may be helpful in cases where an individual has taken a course of antibiotics, or is seeking to ease symptoms of IBS, which often include constipation.
Though, there are a few issues with probiotics that are worth taking into consideration:
- Probiotics are classed as a food, so are not always regulated to a quality standard
- The product may not contain the bacteria stated on the label
- The bacteria contained in the product are live and fragile, meaning they may not survive long enough to reach your gut
- The product may not contain enough bacteria to have an effect
So, while probiotics are generally harmless for most of us, it may burn a hole in your pocket as opposed to making a meaningful difference to your gut flora.
Does this mean that there is an effective alternative?
