The Best Probiotics For Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Not all strains of probiotics are ideal for treating irritable bowel syndrome.

Read on to determine the specific bacteria strains you should use for your symptoms.

Bacteria and your gut

Did you know you have ten times more bacteria in your gut than you do cells in your body? It would seem that we are more bacteria than we are human.

With over 100 trillion bacteria making your gut their home, it should come as no surprise that the health of your gut influences so much of your overall well-being. The complex ecosystem that is your gut forms the basis of your immune system. If not for the wonderful beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract, you would be open to infection from bad bugs on a regular basis.

When you take a probiotic supplement, the pill contains strains of specific bacteria that are known to be beneficial to our digestive tract.

Not all strains of bacteria are good for all conditions. In fact, many conditions respond better to specific strains to certain bacteria. While other strains can aggravate a condition. If you have irritable bowel syndrome that tends towards constipation, the recommended bacteria strain is very different than if you have irritable bowel syndrome that tends towards diarrhea.

A healthy community of gut bacteria is a diverse community. Too much of any one strain can cause an imbalance. Therefore, one should be mindful of the type of probiotics supplemented. (1)

What are probiotics?

Probiotics are live microorganisms that are intended to have health benefits. In order for a product to be labeled as a probiotic, there are two features that must be present:

1. They are a live microorganism.
2. They must convey a health benefit to their host.

Although people often think of bacteria and other microorganisms as harmful “germs,” many microorganisms help our bodies function properly. For example, bacteria that are normally present in our intestines help digest food, destroy disease-causing microorganisms, and produce vitamins. Many of the microorganisms in probiotic products are the same as or similar to microorganisms that naturally live in our bodies. (2)

The concept behind probiotics was introduced in the early 20th century, when Nobel laureate Elie Metchnikoff, known as the “father of probiotics,” proposed that consuming beneficial microorganisms could improve people’s health. (3)

Where are probiotics found?

In traditional cultures, probiotics were found in both food sources and the ground. Soil based organisms (SBO’s) are the beneficial bacteria found in dirt. When we ingest vegetables raised in healthy soil, we are able to benefit from the consumption of these bacteria. (4)

In addition to the bacteria found in soils, most traditional cultures would regularly consume some form of fermented food. Fermented foods are great sources of probiotics. Examples of fermented foods include:

• Yogurt
• Kefir
• Kimchi
• Sauerkraut
• Beet Kvas
• Kombucha

Today, a lot of the traditional food sources of probiotics are not consumed.
When was the last time you ate sauerkraut?
Combine this with the heavy use of fertilizers and herbicides/pesticides and you have a culture that is severely deficient in beneficial gut bacteria.

Where do probiotic supplements come from?

Food sources of probiotics are consumed less and less in the modern world. In their wake has come supplemental forms of probiotics. Probiotic supplements have become the new means of attaining beneficial bacteria. These pills or powders are the new transport mechanisms that get the beneficial bacteria into our guts.

The usual sources of supplemental probiotics include:

• Animals
• Soil
• Fermented foods
• Breast milk
• The human digestive tract

To learn more about how to identify the best types of probiotics, see next week’s post.

How do you know you have enough beneficial bacteria?

In those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, it is often thought that there is a “bad” strain of bacteria in their gut. This bad or pathogenic strain of bacteria is what must be causing the symptoms.

While bad bacteria (and yeasts or parasites) could be the cause of the symptoms, another common cause is what is known as deficiency dysbiosis. Deficiency dysbiosis occurs when there are insufficient amounts of beneficial bacteria found in the digestive tract. Having too few of the good bacteria can cause the same symptoms as having too many bad bacteria.

In order to properly evaluate the state of your microbiome, a diagnostic test must be performed. Clinically, the most popular testing methods include:

• Stool cultures
• This is the classic way of determining the type and quantity of bacterial cultures found in the colon. Do you remember your early school days when you cultured bacteria in a petri dish? This is essentially what is taking place with stool cultures.
• With stool cultures, the laboratory tech will try to culture all the bacterial species found in your stool.
• This method of testing is limited to identifying only the organisms that survive the shipping process. As well as only identifying those bacterial strains that are able to be cultured.
• Although it is not perfect, stool cultures are still considered the gold standard for identifying the bacteria found in your digestive tract.
• Urine metabolites
• Metabolites occur after bacteria has digested (metabolized) specific fibers.
• As metabolites are often unique to a specific strain of bacteria, measuring the quantities of metabolites can point in the direction of certain beneficial or harmful bacteria.
• Please note that urine metabolites can not be used to confirm (diagnose) the presence or absence of particular bacterial cultures. Instead, they can be used to point us in the correct direction.
• Genetic testing
• At the time of this writing, genetic testing of the microbiome is still a work in progress.
• With genetic testing, your overall ratios of specific bacteria (both good and bad species) are compared to a database of samples collected from around the world. The hope is that patterns will develop. For example, those with irritable bowel syndrome may have fewer lactobacillus species of bacteria than those with no digestive tract issues.
• Once the research is complete, it is likely to see genetic testing to be the new gold standard for diagnosing digestive system disorders.

Who should take probiotics?

While all of us will benefit from a regular dose of beneficial bacteria, those who have a gastrointestinal illness will likely find great benefit from a probiotic supplement.

Popular strains of probiotics for irritable bowel syndrome:

• Bifidobacterium Infantis (B. Infantus 35624)
• This probiotic is marketed under the brand name Align. It is recommended for those with irritable bowel syndrome to relieve and manage the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome such as abdominal discomfort, gas, and bloating. (5)
• In a recent review of the studies on this strain, it was shown that B. Infantus on its own did not improve common irritable bowel symptoms such as: (6)
• Bloating/distension
• Abdominal discomfort
• Bowel habits
• It was shown that when B. Infantus was compounded with other strains of bacteria, IBS patients experienced significant improvements in: (7)
• Abdominal discomfort
• Bloating/distension
• A separate study found that B. infantus compounded with other bifidobacteria strains was effective in helping children with IBS. (8)
• To conclude, if you are planning on supplementing with the B. Infantus strain of bacteria to alleviate symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, ensure it is compounded with other bacteria strains. (9)
• Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae)
• Technically, this is not a probiotic (or bacteria) species. Instead, it is a beneficial strain of yeast. It is believed to have been originally isolated from the skin of grapes. Historically, it has been used for winemaking, brewing, and baking.
• Recent literature suggests that it may be beneficial for treating irritable bowel syndrome where constipation is the predominant symptom (IBS-C). (10)
• Lactobacillus acidophilus
• As far as probiotics go, this is the celebrity bacteria. You are likely to find this bacteria strain in the vast majority of probiotic supplements available.
• Originally, this probiotic was not thought to help with irritable bowel syndrome as an initial study found no change in symptoms. However, a follow-up study found that abdominal pain was alleviated in those suffering from IBS when compared to a placebo group. (11)
• Lactobacillus acidophilus has not been found to help with bowel consistency or frequency. (12)
• Clinically, we have found this probiotic to aggravate patients who are dealing with inflammation or any sort of intolerance to histamine.
• Lactobacillus casei
• Lactobacillus casei is a normal resident of both our mouth and our digestive tract. It is commonly used to ripen cheddar cheese.
• There was minimal benefit found in using this probiotic for IBS cases. (13)
• Lactobacillus reuteri
• Lactobacillus reuteri is a normal resident of our digestive tract. Though it is not found in all humans.
• Children who were given strains of lactobacillus reuteri were found to get sick less often and have a more robust immune system. (14)
• One study found that lactobacillus reuteri helped to lower abdominal pain in children suffering from irritable bowel syndrome. (15)

The above strains have the most research supporting their efficacy (or lack thereof) in treating irritable bowel syndrome. For more information on everything probiotics, please see next week’s post.

If you have been diagnosed with IBS, probiotics alone will not be enough to remedy your condition. Instead, start your treatment by identifying hidden food allergies or sensitivities. To do this, we recommend following a 30-day paleo reset diet. You can find step-by-step instructions on how to properly implement this here. Should dietary changes not change your symptoms, I would recommend working with a knowledgeable practitioner who is able to run and interpret stool samples.

Now, I want to hear from you.
What types of probiotics have you found to help alleviate your IBS symptoms?

Originally published at Flourish Clinic.