Probiotics Do's and Dont's with PONO ambassador and health professional Conor Dwyer.

With all the conflicting information, out there it can be hard to know the in’s and the outs of probiotics. So here are some do’s and don’ts when it comes to supplementing with probiotic’s.

Do’s

• Take a multi strain probiotic daily to boost gut health and support overall health, wellbeing and vitality.
• Take a probiotic during and after antibiotic administration. Research has shown quite clearly that you SHOULD take probiotics alongside antibiotic therapy and taking probiotics concurrently will reduce antibiotic associated side effects and symptoms such as diarrhoea.
• Dose your probiotic either with food or within 30 minutes of eating. Studies suggest that probiotic bacteria have a much better survival rate when taken with a meal. Dairy or grain based meals optimise this survival rate through the upper gastrointestinal tract.
• Provide your gut with prebiotics by consuming foods such as dairy, fermented foods, cooked and cooled starchy vegetables and rice etc. this gives the probiotics something to feed on.
• Consult your healthcare practitioner if you are concerned about taking a probiotic supplement and whether it is right for you.
• Follow the probiotic storage instructions. Certain strains of good bacteria can only survive in the right temperature conditions.

Dont’s

• Don’t stop taking a probiotic after one course. Probiotic bacteria don’t permanently colonize the gut on their own and need constant support through our diet and lifestyle
• Take probiotics at the exact same time as taking an antibiotic. Whilst you should be taking a probiotic during anti biotic therapy, spread the dosing out by a couple of hours.
• Don’t assume that you are getting a therapeutic dose of probiotics through cultured yoghurts. Yoghurts only contain a small number of probiotics, if any at all! You CAN however add PONO probiotic to your yoghurt.
• Cook or heat your probiotics as this will kill the good bacteria cells. Research shows that probiotics die when heated to high temperatures, however can survive at body temperature.  e.g. If your adding probiotics to your oats in the morning. Don’t add them prior to cooking, only add the probiotics once cool enough to eat!