It seems like everybody is obsessed with their gut at the moment. This isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it’s great news! Your gut affects literally every aspect of your health and performance, from your immune system to your brain. This is why probiotics and high-quality prebiotic supplements have become so popular over the last few months.
As more people have been using probiotics, we’ve seen a swift rise in the number of questions we get asked about using probiotics for maximum effect. One of the most common questions we get asked is: how do you know when a probiotic is working?
This is an extremely common question among users of any supplement, but it is particularly frequent among probiotics users. That’s because probiotics don’t work right away; there are no immediate effects that you can “feel”. They are much more subtle and insidious than that.
So, how do you know when probiotics are working?
How to tell if your probiotic is working
Probiotics do not have immediate effects which you can feel. They are unlike energy supplements or nootropics in that regard. The benefits of using a probiotic supplement take a while to become apparent.
You can usually tell if a probiotic is working for you after about 2 weeks of using it consistently.
By that point, your gut microflora should be thoroughly overhauled, and your microbiome as a whole should have been transformed into one packed with healthful, friendly bacteria species.
The signs of such an overhaul are usually quite clear:
- Reduced bloating
- Reduced stomach cramps
- Fewer food cravings
- More regular bowel movements
- Better quality bowel movements
These are usually the first signs that a probiotic is working, and they can start to happen anywhere from 5 days to 2 weeks after you start using a probiotic supplement.
If you have been using a probiotic for 2 weeks and you feel absolutely the same, then you are wasting your time and money, and potentially making your digestive health WORSE!
Probiotics are not the right supplement for every person in every situation. Sometimes they can exacerbate digestive issues and make microbiome imbalances worse.
Learn more about prebiotics: