To start their journey through the digestive tract, probiotic bacteria need to be able to survive the stomach environment. Even robust strains will find this a challenge, so to give them the best chance of survival probiotic supplements are best taken in the morning with, or just after, breakfast.
The reason for this is that the acid in our stomach is at its lowest level in the morning 1 , and this acidity is buffered still further by the presence of food in the stomach.
Stomach acid is an important defence against pathogens as it helps to kill harmful bacteria as they enter the stomach in our food and water. In this way, it helps to prevent foodborne disease and is very useful. However, in a similar manner, it can also damage certain probiotics as they pass through the stomach to the gut 2.
So, to sum up, we can see that timing can be a key factor to ensure the survival of probiotics through the harsh stomach environment.
By taking a probiotic supplement in the morning with breakfast you can ensure that the bacteria travel safely through the acidic stomach environment and arrive at their destination in the gut. It is important to select robust strains of bacteria that are naturally resilient to acidic conditions and have been tested to ensure their viability at different acid levels 3. To learn more, read Do probiotics survive stomach acid?
Once through the stomach, the probiotic bacteria embark on the next stage of their journey. Other strains may pass through the small intestine and take up residence when they reach the large intestine or bowel.
Where probiotics choose to reside is governed predominantly by the specific conditions in different areas of the gut including pH levels of acidity or alkalinity , oxygen levels, and the type of bacteria in the microbiome 4.
Some areas of the gut have more oxygen available like the small intestine, whereas other areas have little or no oxygen like parts of the large intestine, making those areas only suitable for certain strains of bacteria that do not need oxygen to survive. Additionally, the pH differs at different points along the digestive tract, with the small intestine typically being more acidic than the large intestine.
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This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. See more conditions. Request Appointment. Healthy Lifestyle Consumer health. Products and services. What are probiotics and prebiotics? Answer From Katherine Zeratsky, R. With Katherine Zeratsky, R. Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information.
Please try again. Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Show references Probiotics: In depth. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Accessed May 7, Khanna S, et al.
They're usually added to yoghurts or taken as food supplements, and are often described as "good" or "friendly" bacteria. Probiotics are thought to help restore the natural balance of bacteria in your gut including your stomach and intestines when it's been disrupted by an illness or treatment.
There's some evidence that probiotics may be helpful in some cases, such as helping prevent diarrhoea when taking antibiotics, and helping to ease some symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome IBS. But there's little evidence to support many health claims made about them.
For example, there's no evidence to suggest that probiotics can help treat eczema.
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