Nobody wants to release stomach gas in public and be the source of a horrible foul smell. This type of situation is quite embarrassing and people who have extreme gas may be shy to go in public places knowing that they can inadvertently fart and smell. As such, you might want to find a mean of prevention if you are experiencing excessive flatulence. Fortunately, this is not a curse and solutions are available to eliminate that risk. Probiotics are a good example of something that works well to treat different types of gastrointestinal discomfort, including gas.
Even though probiotics are not known to cure definitively diseases, they are powerful to reduce many gastrointestinal symptoms. In fact, beneficial probiotic effects on gastrointestinal symptoms are widely recognised by the scientific community. For example, probiotics have been shown to be beneficial for people suffering from the irritable bowel syndrome by reducing the pain and the gravity of the symptoms, such as bloating and flatulence. In these patients, all probiotic strains tested, including many Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species (the most common types of bacteria in commercially available probiotics) as well as Streptococcus salivarius ssp. thermophilus had beneficial effects on gas. Furthermore, probiotics containing Bacillus coagulans have also been shown to reduce gas in otherwise healthy people. Furthermore, probiotics have been shown to be efficient against bloating and abdominal distension in patients suffering from several other types of functional gastrointestinal disorders. Another study testing one particular type of probiotic, namely Bifidobacterium lactis, suggests that probiotics might be powerful to reduce many other functional gastrointestinal symptoms, such as constipation, diarrhoea and vomiting, without any reported harmful side effects. Finally, probiotics containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis has also been shown to reduce bloating in people suffering from functional bowel disorders.
The scientific community has still not extensively studied probiotics’ side effects. However, no study have found yet any harmful side effects and probiotics are though considered as safe products when used according to the good dosage. It is then very important to respect the good dosage of probiotics in order to avoid getting harmful effects and symptoms. Some people have therefore reported having had mild gastrointestinal discomforts, such as mild bloating or gas, at the beginning of their probiotic treatment. It is perfectly normal to experience mild gastrointestinal discomforts while the body is getting used to the probiotics and restoring the balance within its intestinal bacterial community. These side effects should be temporary as your body is adjusting to the probiotics and should last only a few days. However, if the experienced symptoms are really bad, getting worse with time or causing you real problems, it could be a sign that this particular type of probiotic is not good for you, as it can vary among different individuals. You should then consider switching for another type of probiotics that might be better for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have a newborn / infant /baby / toddler / newborn who has bad gas, should I give probiotics?
It is always best to consult a doctor before giving probiotics to young children.
Can I give my dog probiotics for his gas?
Yes, it is possible to give probiotics to your dog in order to help him with his gas or with other gastrointestinal symptoms. However, as the intestinal microbiota of human and dog are different, it is not recommended to give probiotics formulated for human to your dog. You will have to buy probiotics especially formulated for dog instead. If you want more information about it, it is recommended to talk to your vet.
Best probiotics for gas?
People using Probacto Probiotics obtain usually good results in order to minimize gas. If the brand of probiotics that you are currently using does not help you with your gas or makes it worse, you should consider switching to Probacto Probiotics.
Why do I get gas after taking probiotics?
Some people are experiencing mild gastrointestinal symptoms when they begin to take probiotics. If you respect the good dosage of probiotics, these effects should be temporary as your body adjusts to the probiotics and as the balance in your gut’s bacteria community is restored. However, if these symptoms are not disappearing with time or are getting worse, it may be a sign that this particular probiotic is not good for you and you should consider switching strain.
What is the best form of probiotic to take for gas? Pills, powders, tablets?
It has been shown that the probiotic form does not matter to reduce gastrointestinal symptoms. In fact, make sure that the probiotic you are using contained active living strains of bacteria and that it is stored according to the manufacturer’s recommendations as some probiotics has to be refrigerated.
Is the acidophilus strain of probiotics good for gas?
In a meta-analysis including many placebo-controlled studies with patients suffering from the irritable bowel syndrome, all probiotic strains tested, including Lactobacillus acidophilus, were efficient to control gas. Even though there could be some individual specificity, we could infer that this strain might be efficient to control gas in healthy people, as the results obtained were pretty clear.
Do probiotics cause gas and diarrhoea?
Mild gas and diarrhoea are susceptible to occur when you start taking probiotics. However, these symptoms should remain mild and should disappear within a few days, as your body adjust to the dosage of probiotics and the balance of bacteria in your gut is restored. However, if these symptoms persist or get worse, you should make sure that you use the right dosage of probiotics, as taking too much probiotics can cause diarrhoea due to an overload of bacteria in your gut. If the dosage is right and you continue to experience diarrhoea, you should switch probiotic type in order to find the one that is better for you.
Do probiotics cause gas and constipation?
Mild diarrhoea is more often observed as a temporary side effect than constipation when you start taking probiotics. In fact, constipation is not a common side effect of probiotics and you should explore other causes if you are experiencing it.
Do probiotics cause gas and bloating?
Mild gas and bloating are the most common side effects of probiotics. However, they should remain mild and disappear within a few days. However, if these side effects are really bad or getting worse, it might be the sign that you should switch probiotics.
Do probiotics stop gas?
Many studies have shown that several probiotic strains are efficient to greatly reduce stomach gas. Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, the two type of bacteria most commonly found in probiotics, are among the strains that have been shown to be beneficial in gas reduction.
How come when I take probiotics I get terrible gas?
You should not experience terrible gas when using probiotics at the right dosage. In fact, mild gas can occur in the transition period when your body is adjusting to the probiotics. However, if gas is becoming a real problem or if it gets worse, it may be a sign that this particular probiotic is not good for you. In that case, you should considered switching probiotic strains.
Can I take probiotics while pregnant?
It is always best to consult a doctor before taking probiotics while pregnant.
Do vegan probiotics help with gas?
Vegan probiotics generally means that they are dairy-free and produced consistently with the vegan philosophy. However, vegan probiotics generally contain the same strains of bacteria than non-vegan ones, meaning that they have potentially the same effects on the human body. It is therefore interesting to note that vegan probiotics might be a good choice for people intolerant to lactose, as they are certified dairy-free.
Do probiotics cause my gas to be worse smelling?
Some people have effectively reported that their gas smelt worse than before when taking probiotics. If this happen, especially if you are experiencing other gastrointestinal side effects, it could be a sign that this type of probiotics is not good for you and that you should try other types. However, it is perfectly normal that your gas as well as your stool smell differently than before when taking probiotics, as the ecosystem of bacteria in your gut changed.
Can probiotics control gas?
Many studies made with several strains of probiotics and involving healthy people or people suffering from different gastrointestinal pathologies have shown that probiotics are efficient in the reduction of gas.
Do probiotics cause gas to be trapped?
As mild bloating can be experienced when you start taking probiotics, trapped gas can also be experienced. However, if this condition does not resolve within a few days, you might consider switching probiotic type in order to find one that is better for you.
What is the best strain of probiotics for gas?
In a meta-analysis including many placebo-controlled studies with patients suffering from the irritable bowel syndrome, all probiotic strains tested have been found to be efficient against gas. They included many different strains of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus as well as Streptococcus salivarius ssp. thermophilus. We can infer from this meta-analysis that these probiotics might have the same effects on healthy people, as the results of this study were quite clear. Furthermore, probiotics containing Bacillus coagulans have also been shown to be effective in gas reduction in healthy people. As probiotics can have different effects on different individuals, there is no probiotic strain that can be considered as the best. However, there is a probiotic strain out there that is the best for you and you have to find it.
Will doing a probiotic enema help with gas?
Probiotic enema has only been studied in order to treat patients suffering from extreme gastrointestinal disorders or infections. As such, the specific beneficial effects of probiotics on gas have only been studied using orally administered probiotics. Between you and me, why bother to do a probiotic enema for gas reduction when orally administered probiotics work well?
Will probiotic drinks help with gas?
There are no reported differences in the efficacy of the different forms of orally administered probiotics on gas reduction. As such, probiotic drink containing live probiotics and kept under the proper conditions is considered as effective as other forms of probiotics against gas.
How do probiotics compare with gas-x for gas? Can you take them together?
Probiotics and Gas-X are both efficient against gas. It is interesting to note that the efficacy of both depends on the individual, meaning that one can be better than the other for a specific person. However, probiotics might be a better choice for people who want a more natural way to reduce gas than medication. There are no known contraindications to use both at the same time, but you should get the advice of a doctor or a pharmacist before taking both at the same time.
References:
Didari, T., Mozaffari, S., Nikfar, S., & Abdollahi, M. (2015). Effectiveness of probiotics in irritable bowel syndrome: Updated systematic review with meta-analysis. World journal of gastroenterology: WJG, 21(10), 3072.
Guyonnet, D., Schlumberger, A., Mhamdi, L., Jakob, S., & Chassany, O. (2009). Fermented milk containing Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010 improves gastrointestinal well-being and digestive symptoms in women reporting minor digestive symptoms: a randomised, double-blind, parallel, controlled study. British journal of nutrition, 102(11), 1654-1662.
Kalman, D. S., Schwartz, H. I., Alvarez, P., Feldman, S., Pezzullo, J. C., & Krieger, D. R. (2009). A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group dual site trial to evaluate the effects of a Bacillus coagulans-based product on functional intestinal gas symptoms. BMC gastroenterology, 9(1), 85.
Ortiz-Lucas, M., Tobias, A., Saz, P., & Sebastián, J. J. (2013). Effect of probiotic species on irritable bowel syndrome symptoms: A bring up to date meta-analysis. Rev Esp Enferm Dig, 105(1), 19-36.
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