How Do You Know If Your Probiotic Is Working? Plus, What To Do If It Isn't

Your gut is home to trillions of microorganisms, collectively called the microbiome. They work to aid in digestion, support the immune system, regulate hormones, and generally support gut health.

One of the best ways to support the optimal functioning of your gut is through a well-researched, targeted probiotic supplement, but how do you actually know if it's working?* There are a few telltale signs to look out for—let's dive in.

Other microbial bugs are unfavorable and can negatively impact your health, making you feel sick and sluggish, amongst other things.

How you feel comes down to the overall balance of these microscopic critters.

If there are more good guys than bad guys, then you're probably feelin' good. But sometimes the bad outweighs the good, and gut imbalance occurs.

Consuming probiotics, whether in supplement form or from food, is a good way to work toward a balanced microbiome.* 

Probiotic supplements contain billions of living, beneficial microorganisms.* They typically contain a few different strains of the same microorganisms that already reside in the human body.

When you take a probiotic supplement, you send in backup and add to the population of these naturally occurring microorganisms.

As Robert Rountree, M.D., renowned integrative physician, explains it, "The probiotics are like good cops. We're putting in the good cops, and the good cops can keep watch over the bad guys."*

The new good guys fight against bad bacteria, and promote a healthy gut.* 

The gut is often referred to as the "second brain" because it is interconnected with so many other systems and processes in the body.

By supporting your gut health, you promote not only good digestive health but overall health and well-being.*

That all sounds great in theory, but when it comes down to it, how do you know if your probiotic is actually doing anything?

You can tell if a probiotic is working for you by keeping track of any changes to how you feel before and after (give it several weeks or even months).

Try keeping a journal, so you can see if things are improving. Since probiotics are taken orally and must pass through the digestive tract, digestive-related areas of your health are often the first ones to improve.

Here are a few signs that your probiotic is actually working:*

And take note, just because your health needs aren't improving doesn't necessarily mean probiotics won't work for you. You might need to consume a different strain or increase how much you're taking to see changes.

As for timing, be patient. The more unbalanced your gut flora was at baseline, the longer it will take to achieve balance.*

In most cases, you can expect to see some results within two to three weeks, with additional benefits after six weeks.*

Even if you notice improvements right away, continue taking your probiotic.*

Remember that stress, poor diet, certain medications (e.g., antibiotics), unmanaged illnesses (e.g., SIBO, IBS) can worsen your gut microbiome. Make sure to work with a doctor to ensure these triggers are resolved.

Probiotic supplementation is often useful over the long-term on a daily or regular basis, especially considering probiotics might not permanently colonize the gut.

Not to worry, though, despite not making a forever home of your gut, transient probiotics4 still leave a lasting positive impact.*

If you're looking for a probiotic supplement, then consider a few things to get your money's worth:

Dose, species and strain, and length of consumption can greatly influence how much benefit you receive so choose your probiotic wisely.*