There are trillions of bacteria living symbiotically within you, specifically within your colon — we call this the microbiome. Each person’s microbiome is unique to them; environment, genes, medication, and diet dictate what your microbiome looks like. With that in mind, it is important to curate the types and amounts of probiotics you take to suit your personalized health journey.
Probiotics are ‘friendly’ bacteria that live in your digestive tract. These bacteria make up an important part of your microbiome and play a crucial role in the immune system, digestive system, nervous system, and hormone health; they help digest and absorb nutrients from food, protect your intestinal lining, prevent increased permeability (leaky gut), and contribute to the production of serotonin — the ‘feel good’ hormone.
A balanced microbiome with gut-friendly probiotics and less pathogenic bacteria and yeast is a crucial component of maintaining your overall health. When you have an imbalanced microbiome, you may experience mood disorders, anxiety, sugar cravings, weight gain, and digestive disturbances.
We can determine your levels of friendly bacteria and the presence of pathogenic bacteria, yeast, and parasites by conducting a comprehensive digestive stool analysis. The results may help your naturopathic doctor determine the proper probiotic blend for you, and help develop a targeted antimicrobial or antifungal treatment — personalized to your specific needs.
There are cases when taking probiotics may have a negligible or adverse effect on your digestion — if you are taking supplements and do not notice any improvement in your symptoms, there could be an issue with the quantity or quality of the supplement you are taking.
There is a greater risk of harmful effects from probiotics in people with compromised immune systems or severe illnesses. Please consult your naturopathic doctor before taking any probiotics.
If you notice that your symptoms have worsened since taking the probiotics, then the culprit of your digestive issues is small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).
The test for SIBO is a non-invasive breath test, completed over 3 hours at home. The exhaled air is tested for different types of gases that the bacteria give off. The results are returned often returned within 1 week and your naturopathic doctor may help you address your SIBO with the use of safe antibiotics and/or herbs that target the specific types of bacteria causing the infection.
The test for SIBO is a non-evasive breath test that is completed over 3 hours at home. The exhaled air is tested for different types of gases that the bacteria give off as a by-product. Results are often returned as quickly as within 1 week and treatment can start. Treatment options include the use of safe antibiotics and/or herbs that are known to target the specific types of bacteria causing the infection. After a recovery period, you can start taking the right probiotics to balance your microbiome.
Click here to book an appointment with our team of experienced Naturopathic Doctors and take a step forward in your health journey.
Dr Tasreen Alibhai, ND
References:
1) https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/probiotics-what-you-need-to-know
2) https://www.vitaliahealthcare.ca/vancouver-digestive-system-treatme nt/#gut