Today, most people are no strangers to the benefits offered by probiotics. From advertisements to commercially-available food products, everyone is touting the ‘probiotics inside’ tagline. Chances are that you are already supplementing your diet with this miracle bacteria. But what happens when you do everything right but see no measurable positive effects of taking probiotics? This could be highly disappointing. However, if your probiotic supplements are not working for you, there could be a number of reasons for it. Finding out why your probiotic is not working for you could help you make the necessary changes, so you can also benefit from these friendly bacterial strains.

How Probiotics Work

The environment of your gut is akin to a diverse tropical forest that has a number of species of bacteria that are creating an ecosystem to efficiently absorb all nutrients, reduce the impact of toxic elements, and boost your immune system. In order for your gastrointestinal tract to function optimally, it is important that the bacterial balance is maintained at 85% good bacteria or probiotics versus 15% of other bacteria. In current fast-fast paced lives, there are a number of factors that upset this balance and derail your gut system, such as the use of antibiotics, environmental elements, stress, lack of sleep, and use of antibacterial soaps. Creating a healthy gut ecosystem requires good bacteria, and this is where probiotics come in. Available in convenient tablets and other formats, probiotic supplements serve to balance your gut and help you steer clear of digestive issues like bloating, gas, diarrhea, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Research also indicates that probiotics offer a whole host of benefits including improved mental clarity, better skin, and a healthy immune system.

Possible Reasons Why Your Probiotics Are Not Working

Having your hopes dashed does not feel good. Before giving up on this gut-healthy supplement, let us have a look at the potential reasons why the probiotics you are taking are not actually affecting you.

The strains in your chosen probiotic are already dead.

Probiotic bacterial strains are quite sensitive. They need to be handled, packaged, and consumed correctly. Unlike vitamin or fish oil pills that just need to be popped at your convenience, some probiotic supplements have specific instructions attached to it. For example, most probiotic supplements need to be refrigerated – from the time they are manufactured, all the way to transit, on the shelves, and at your home. Many a time, this essential aspect is ignored during transit. If your chosen probiotics require refrigeration and were not handled correctly, you may have ended up with an expensive placebo which is chockful of dead strains that are no good for your health. Remedy: Choose probiotics that can survive without or do not require refrigeration at all. Not only will this ensure that you have access to the maximum number of living organisms in your supplement, but you can also easily carry your supplements with you while you travel. Traveler’s diarrhea is a cruel reality, and staying up-to-date on your probiotics can help you avoid this inconvenient truth.

The probiotics are being killed in your digestive tract.

In order for the probiotics to be effective, they have to reach the target area, which is your gastrointestinal tract. Stomach acids present a war zone for probiotics, and studies show that 96% of probiotics die when they come in contact with stomach acids. Most probiotic supplements are encased in vegetable-shield capsules which dissolve in stomach acids. Ensure that the probiotic supplement you have chosen have a solid delivery system that gets the living organisms all the way to the target area. Remedy: Choose probiotic supplements that have a delayed-release system with a duration long enough to ensure that the probiotics cross the stomach acids without getting destroyed such as LoveBug’s Bio-Tract delivery method.

Your chosen probiotic supplement is more concerned with species than strains.

The most common bacterial species used in probiotics include Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Other species you are likely to see are Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Escherichia. However, under each of these species exist a number of specific strains of probiotic bacteria which provide different benefits to users. A lot of companies focus only on the species of bacteria while ignoring the strains. Perhaps, the strains within the supplement you have chosen are not the right ones for your needs. Remedy: Ensure that the probiotic supplement is backed by scientific study and that the packaging mentions the specific strains in it.

You are taking an incorrect dosage or missing days.

Your probiotic BFF can only work if you make sure that you are taking it in a timely manner and in the right amount. It is important to read the labels on your supplement so you are taking the right dosage. If you are taking antibiotics, space your probiotic intake at least 2-3 hours away. Remedy: Take the right dosage based on your specific needs. Use your smartphone to set reminders so you take your supplements consistently and as directed.

Evaluate Your Probiotic Today

Choosing the right supplement is key to ensuring that your probiotics actually work like you want them to. LoveBug Probiotics’ supplements have premium strains of probiotic bacteria that are clearly mentioned on the bottle. The 5-10 billion live cultures are delivered in tablet format. The patented BIO-tract technology guards the live organisms through the stomach acid barrier and releases the bugs over a long 8-10 hour duration. This technology makes LoveBug Probiotics 15 times more effective than other capsules in the market. These non-GMO, sugar-free, soy and gluten-free tablets do not include any unnecessary ingredients and do not need to be refrigerated either, making them the most viable supplement for you.