5 Best Probiotics For Leaky Gut – How They Help With Leaky Gut
Leaky gut is becoming very common these days. It is caused by many different things, such as viruses, bacteria and even gluten.
When your intestinal lining becomes damaged, which can be caused through stress or consuming toxins (such as whatever foods you’re intolerant to), it can lead to also become very difficult for nutrients to pass through this lining and cause your body to experience a slowdown in the ability to perform its normal functions.
This is when choosing the best probiotics for leaky gut come in the picture. Probiotics are essential for a healthy gut.
They don’t just help digest food but also keep your immune system strong and improve your overall health. With so many strains of probiotics and benefits to consider, it can get challenging when you’re trying to find the best one for leaky gut.
Does Probiotics Help With Leaky Gut?
Probiotics are live microorganisms (bacteria or yeasts) that have health benefits for humans. These may be added to the diet as bacteria, yeasts or on the surface of foods. Hundreds of probiotic strains to choose from – different ones provide different benefits. But how does probiotics actually help with leaky gut?
Probiotics are a holistic approach to healing leaky gut.
Probiotics are the good bacteria that live in your gut and help with digestion, among other things. They can be found in foods like yogurt, kimchi, and kefir.
There are many different strains of probiotics and they all have different benefits. Some strains are better for fighting off infections, while others help with digestion or immune function.
Probiotics help in rebalancing the gut microbiota.
Probiotic supplementation has many benefits, including helping with leaky gut syndrome. Probiotics help keep the lining of your intestinal tract healthy by crowding out bad bacteria and yeast while promoting the growth of good bacteria like Lactobacillus acidophilus, which helps break down lactose milk sugar and other sugars that may not be digestible by the body alone.
Probiotics also boost immunity, fight infections and prevent or treat diarrhea caused by antibiotics or other medications.
While it’s possible to get enough probiotics from foods such as yogurt or kefir, many people take supplemental capsules or powders instead—and for good reason: Some studies have shown that taking probiotics can help reduce symptoms associated with leaky gut syndrome.
4 Ways Probiotics Help With Leaky Gut
1. Probiotics Can Prevent Yeast and Bad Bacteria
Probiotics are live bacteria that you can eat or take as a supplement. They can help to balance the bacteria in your gut and make it more difficult for bad bacteria and yeast to grow.
This can have a positive effect on your leaky gut, because it will prevent the bad bacteria from coming into contact with the lining of your intestines and causing damage.
2. Probiotics Can Support Your Tight Junctions
Your tight junctions are the gatekeepers of your gut. They are what keep food and bacteria from leaking through your intestinal wall and into your bloodstream.
If you have leaky gut, it means that these gates aren’t working properly. Probiotics can help strengthen them so they do their jobs better, which is why probiotics are used to treat leaky gut syndrome.
3. Probiotics Can Reduce Leaky Gut Markers
Probiotics can help reduce the levels of leaky gut markers, which can lead to a number of health problems.
These markers include LPS (lipopolysaccharide), zonulin and interleukin-6. The first two are bacterial products that cause inflammation, while interleukin-6 is an inflammatory molecule released by white blood cells when they’re activated.
4. Probiotics Can Break Down Foods and Turn Them Into Nutrients
Probiotics are the good bacteria that help your body digest food. When you have leaky gut, these good bacteria can’t do their job properly, so your body starts to break down foods into harmful chemicals.
Probiotics can break down foods and turn them into nutrients for your body, so they’re a great way to help with leaky gut.
6 Scientifically Proven Studies That Show How Probiotics Can Help Leaky Gut
Many studies show very promising results for treating leaky gut with probiotics. This is good news, because leaky gut syndrome drives autoimmune disease and increases the likelihood that you’ll get sick from bad microbes. One of the best ways you can protect yourself against leaky gut is by taking probiotics.
Here are six studies whose results support the topic. While the abstract and methodologies could become highly technical and scientific for documentation purposes, I would like you to read through the results and see the effect of probiotics in healing leaky gut in these different case studies.
I have also provided the active links that would lead you directly to the research pages.
Study #1 – Lowered zonulin in a group after 14 weeks of a multi-species probiotic.
BACKGROUND: Probiotics are a new class of nutraceuticals that claim to improve athletes’ gut health, redox biology, and immunity, but there is little data to back up these claims.
METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment was conducted to study the influence of probiotic supplementation on intestinal barrier, oxidation, and inflammatory markers at rest and after strenuous exercise.
RESULT: In this study, the probiotic therapy reduced Zonulin in the feces, a sign of increased gut permeability. Furthermore, probiotic treatment improved TNF- and exercise-induced protein oxidation. These findings point to the potential benefits of probiotic use in trained males.
Study #2 – Beneficial effects on the genes that regulate leaky gut in a 7-day trial of Lactobacillus Rhamnosus
ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to see how three Lactobacillus plantarum strains affected the small intestine barrier function in-vivo, and gut mucosal gene transcription in human volunteers.
The strains were chosen for their distinct effects on TLR signaling and rearrangement of tight junction proteins, which could result in positive effects in a stressed human gut mucosa.
RESULT: Based on this clinical study, L. plantarum TIFN101 caused the most pronounced probiotic qualities with particular gene transcriptional effects on repair processes in healthy participants’ damaged gut.
Study #3 – Probiotic species reduced markers of leaky gut compared with placebo
AIM: To assess if spore-based probiotic supplementation of 30 days of oral could lower dietary endotoxemia.
METHOD: Dietary endotoxemia post-prandial was assessed (n=75) healthy males and females.
The serum endotoxin concentration at 5-h post-prandial of the subjects in the study increased by at least 5-fold from pre-meal levels and were tagged as “responders,” and they were randomly assigned to either a placebo (rice flour) or a probiotic supplement that is commercial spore-based Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus indicus (HU36), Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus subtilis (HU58), and Bacillus clausii, for 30 days.
RESULT: The current study’s primary findings are that orally administered spore-based probiotic treatment improved symptoms of “leaky gut syndrome.”
Study #4 – Positive effects of probiotics when treating intestinal impairment after a GI infection.
BACKGROUND: Probiotics may be useful in treating pediatric acute gastroenteritis. The impact of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) on gastrointestinal function, immunological responsiveness, and clinical results in Indian kids with Rotavirus or Cryptosporidial diarrhea is described here.
METHODS: children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years with gastroenteritis who tested positive for Cryptosporidium species or rotavirus in stool, where coinfections have been eliminated, have been randomized to LGG or placebo once daily for 4 weeks.
Baseline demographic and clinical information was gathered. Sera were tested for immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies to rotavirus and Cryptosporidium, as well as the ratio of lactulose to mannitol for intestinal permeability was assessed at baseline and at the end of follow-up.
RESULT: In conclusion of this study, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) has an immunomodulatory impact and may be effective in reducing rotavirus diarrhea bouts.
The improvements in intestinal functionality in children with cryptosporidial gastroenteritis and rotavirus infection highlights the probiotics importance in addressing intestinal damage following infection.
Study #5 – Probiotics can promote intestinal repair in the human gut
AIM: To see if a 30-day course of oral spore-based probiotic supplementation might lower dietary endotoxemia.
METHOD: A total of 75 healthy men and women were examined for post-prandial dietary endotoxemia. The concentration of the serum endotoxin 5-h post-prandial of the subjects increased by at least 5-fold from pre-meal levels, and tagged “responders,” and they were randomly assigned to either a placebo (rice flour) or a probiotic supplement that is commercial spore-based Bacillus subtilis (HU58), Bacillus indicus (HU36), Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus clausii, and Bacillus licheniformis, for 30 days.
At the end of the supplementation period, the dietary endotoxemia test was performed once again. An automated chemistry analyzer was used to evaluate triglycerides (enzymatic) and dietary endotoxin (LAL).
As a supplementary, exploratory assessment, biomarkers of serum disease risk were assessed using multiplex, bead-based assays.
RESULT: As well as in this case study, the primary findings are that spore-based, oral probiotic treatment improved symptoms of “leaky gut syndrome.”
Study #6 – Probiotics can reduce fungal infection and improve food intolerances
AIM: The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of nystatin against Saccharomyces boulardii in preventing fungal colonization and invasive fungal infections in extremely low birth weight infants.
METHOD: A prospective, randomized comparative study of preterm newborns with a gestational age of 32 weeks and a birth weight of 1,500 g was carried out.
They were randomly assigned to one of two groups: S. boulardii or nystatin. Weekly skin and stool cultures were performed for colonization, and blood cultures were performed for invasive infections.
RESULT: The supplementation of prophylactic S. boulardii is as efficient as nystatin in decreasing intrusive fungal infection and fungal colonization, more successful in reducing clinical sepsis and the number of sepsis attacks, and has a good effect on feeding intolerance.
Best Probiotic Foods for Leaky Gut
An unhealthy gut is the underlying cause of many health conditions. Therefore, selecting the right probiotic foods for a leaky gut is not simply a matter of taking a pill and hoping for the best: good gut health is also dependent on what we eat. Here are some of the best probiotic foods which can help improve gut health and reduce risks these conditions:
Yogurt
Yogurt is a dairy product made from milk that has been fermented by bacteria. The fermentation process helps to preserve yogurt, which makes it a great food for people with leaky gut.
The bacteria in yogurt are known as probiotics and help to keep your digestive system healthy. Some types of probiotics can also help heal your digestive tract after it has been damaged by medications or food allergies.
Pickles
If you’re looking for a probiotic food that will help your leaky gut get back on track, then look no further than pickles. Just like their name suggests, these salty little guys are packed with probiotics—and they can be a great way to help relieve your symptoms of leaky gut.
The reason why pickles are so good at healing your leaky gut is because they contain lactobacilli, which are beneficial bacteria that help your body digest food and fight off harmful bacteria.
They also have a lot of B vitamins, which help reduce inflammation in the digestive tract and promote regular bowel movements.
The best part is that you don’t have to stop eating pizza or burgers to get these benefits—you can just eat pickles instead! In fact, if you’re suffering from constipation or diarrhea, eating pickles may be just what you need.
Kefir
Kefir is a fermented milk product that originated in Eastern Europe. It is prepared with kefir grains, which are made up of bacteria and yeast. These grains are added to milk and cultured for several days, creating a thick consistency that resembles yogurt.
The reason kefir is one of the best probiotic foods for leaky gut is because it contains lactic acid-producing bacteria and yeast, as well as healthy yeasts called Saccharomyces boulardii.
This combination helps maintain balance in your digestive system and prevent leaky gut syndrome by preventing harmful bacteria from taking over its lining. Kefir also helps promote regularity and bowel movements.
Kombucha
Kombucha is one of the best probiotic foods for leaky gut. This fermented tea beverage is made with a yeast-and-bacteria combination that helps to improve your digestive health. The fermentation process also increases the amount of enzymes and probiotics in kombucha.
The enzymes in kombucha help to break down food while the probiotics help to support healthy digestion. This makes kombucha an excellent choice for those who have leaky gut syndrome, as it helps to repair the damage caused by leaky gut.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apples are high in pectin, which helps to regulate intestinal flora. Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid, which helps to maintain a healthy balance of good bacteria in the gut by inhibiting bad bacteria growth. The acetic acid also helps to break down food and remove toxins from the body.
Apple cider vinegar can be added to soups, salad dressings, sauces and marinades. It can also be taken as a daily tonic or used as a mouth rinse after brushing teeth.
There are really no “downsides” to consuming probiotic foods, but there are a few things to keep in mind.
First, you should always make sure that the food you’re eating has been pasteurized. This means that it has been heated to a specific temperature for a specific amount of time. It’s important that the heat kills any microbes or bacteria in your food so that you don’t get sick from eating it.
Second, make sure to store your probiotics in an airtight container in the fridge. This will help keep them fresh and prevent them from going bad too quickly.
Third, don’t eat too much at once! If you take too many probiotics at once, they can cause side effects like bloating or diarrhea—and those aren’t very pleasant experiences for anyone.
You might also want to consider taking probiotics in supplement form. This way, you are certain about the amount of probiotics that you will be taking, and which would best address your needs.
5 Best Probiotics For Leaky Gut – Top Probiotics Brands (2022)
What is the best probiotic for leaky gut?
Many people aren’t aware that probiotic foods can help you manage leaky gut. The best probiotic brand for leaky gut are the ones that not only has live active cultures but also helps to heal and seal the lining of your digestive tract. The market is booming with probiotic drinks and tablets, so it’s helpful to know which are the best for you.
With the right supplement, you can experience healing in as fast as two weeks.
Probiotics 60 Billion CFU
This naturally-inspired probiotic supplement has 10 different strains, which comes with a patented bottle that is shelf-stable, ensuring product stability.
This probiotic daily blend has organic prebiotic fiber blend, which naturally supports the digestive environment of the body, and helps maintain the natural stomach balance.
Pros
- This contains 60 Billion CFUs for each serving
- Contains 10 probiotic strains, 60 Billion CFUs, and a prebiotic blend that’s organic
- Contains non-GMO ingredients
- Shelf-stable and vegan-friendly
- Does not contain unnecessary binders
- Does not contain common allergens such as gluten, soy, egg, wheat, milk, shellfish, or peanuts and other preservatives
- Intended for adult use
- Third-party tested for potency and purity of formula
Cons
- Watch out for signs of allergic reactions or any other sensitivities when using the product. Immediately stop if any appear, and consult with a medical professional.
Probiotic 40 Billion CFU
This probiotic formula is professional grade and doctor-developed. Considered as industry-leading capsules, these are designed with a patented blend of probiotic strains and CFUs including Lactobacillus acidophilus plantarum paracasei and Bifidobacterium lactis.
This product claims to restore healthy bacteria and boosts digestive and immune health, increases vitamin production, and encourages everyday comfort.
Pros
- This product has a patented formula for delay-release probiotics
- Comes in capsule form, easy to take daily
- Provides 40 billion CFUs, formulated together with an exclusive stomach acid protection and delivery system, allowing probiotic strains to survive stomach acid and reach deep into the small intestine to promote healthy gut
- This advanced strength formula can also reach your large intestine, achieving maximum absorption and giving you digestive benefits for overall health
- Dairy-free and gluten-free, with no refrigeration required
- Manufactured in the US by adhering to strict GMP guidelines.
- Each batch is third party tested to ascertain that the ingredients are safe, potent, and pure
- The formula’s strength is maintained until its expiration date
Cons
- Contains maltodextrin which is considered a filler
- Check for any reactions such as gas or bloating, discontinue use if such symptoms occur and consult with your doctor
Hyperbiotics Pro-15 Probiotic
This product boasts of 15 times survivability of probiotic organisms, which means that they are released over an 8 to 10 hour period, so they can bypass your stomach acids and reach deep into your intestinal tract, where these organisms are needed most.
With this, you can experience the benefits that probiotics that this product has to offer.
Pros
- Replenishes beneficial bacteria to promote both immune and digestive health.
- This product supplements your weight management goals, as gut flora plays a role in both weight management and metabolism.
- PRO-15 IBS helps in creating a microenvironment within your digestive system, and encourages nutrient absorption. This boosts your mood and gives you a more energetic feeling.
- Quite different from most probiotics, the beneficial bacteria in this product are released at consistent levels all throughout the gastrointestinal tract. This patented delivery method has a delayed release, which helps reduce digestive upset.
Cons
- Observe any signs of gut trouble or diarrhea after taking any probiotic. While a cleanse is expected, if you experience persistent diarrhea, immediately stop taking any supplement and consult your doctor.
PRO45: #1 Clinical Grade Probiotic Formula
This product features 45 billion live CFUs derived from 11 powerful probiotic strains, which helps in boosting the growth and vitality of good gut flora, giving you a balanced and a healthy gut.
Pros
- Encourages a healthy gut microbiome, contributing to your immune system’s ability to fight against any harmful pathogens or toxins
- Gives a better digestive health, so you can experience less bloating after a meal
- Pro45 believes in having a balanced gut and a balanced mind. This formula can also enhance cognition, and can help improve your mood.
- This formula is non-GMO, and is dairy-free, soy-free, and gluten-free
- Certified vegan
- Does not require refrigeration
Cons
- The amount of CFUs delivered might not be enough, be sure to consult with a medical professional before incorporating any new supplements into your diet, for you to also determine the correct probiotics to purchase.
Optima – Probiotics 25BCFU
This cutting-edge Gut Health Formula combines all of the gut cleaning big hitters into an one potent dose intended to get your body performing the way it should, resulting in reduced fatigue, more energy, better stamina, and improved mood. A healthier digestive system also aids in waste elimination and weight loss.
Pros
- All-natural probiotic supplement
- Promotes better digestion
- Reduces inflammation in your body
- Encourages healing from leaky gut syndrome
- Gives you better bowel movements
Cons
- This natural formula is packed with powerful ingredients, unique enzyme blends, with absolutely no fillers. No allergic reactions or sensitivities have been reported so far.
How Much Probiotics Should You Take?
If you’re looking at how much probiotics you should take in a day, you’ll need to consider a few factors.
First and foremost, you’ll want to make sure that the supplement is made from probiotic strains that have been proven effective at treating leaky gut.
Second, you’ll want to consider how much of each strain is in each dose. You’ll want a high number of CFUs (colony-forming units) per serving so that you can get enough good bacteria into your system quickly and effectively.
Third, it’s important to know whether or not the product contains any additional ingredients besides just the probiotic strains themselves (and if so, what those ingredients are). The fewer ingredients there are in an effective probiotic supplement for leaky gut symptoms, the better.
3 Benefits of Leaky Gut Supplements (Such As Optima Gut Health Solution)
We have seen a good list of leaky gut syndrome supplements, as well as a list of probiotic strains for leaky gut in the case studies at the previous section of this article.
But how else can leaky gut supplements benefit you? Here are more reasons why you should include products such as Optima in your daily gut regimen:
Support Gut Microbiome – Keep the “Good” Bacteria Alive
The microbiome is a community of microorganisms that live in your digestive tract, where they help you digest food, synthesize vitamins and nutrients, and maintain your immune system. A healthy microbiome also helps to prevent inflammation and leaky gut.
In fact, one of the main causes of leaky Gut Syndrome is an imbalance in the gut microbiome. This means that there are too many harmful bacteria in the digestive tract compared to good bacteria.
The main cause of this imbalance is poor diet. When you eat foods that contain chemicals or toxins that disrupt your digestive system, it can cause damage to your intestinal walls and allow harmful bacteria into your bloodstream.
This is why leaky gut supplements are so important. They help keep the “good” bacteria alive by providing them with nutrients they need to thrive and multiply while also reducing inflammation in your body so that harmful bacteria cannot grow as quickly or easily.
Help You With Food Digestion – Absorb More Nutrients From Your Food
Leaky gut supplements can help you improve your digestion and absorb more nutrients from your food. The supplements work by repairing the lining of your intestinal wall, which helps to prevent irritation from undigested food. This can help you feel better and reduce the amount of gas you experience after eating.
Build a Strong Intestinal Wall – Keep Toxins From Escaping Out Into Your Bloodstream
The gut is your body’s biggest barrier to the outside world. It’s a crucial line of defense against harmful bacteria, viruses, and toxins. But when you have leaky gut syndrome, that protective barrier gets compromised—the tight junctions in your intestinal wall become too loose, allowing particles of food and waste to escape through into your bloodstream.
This can lead to a whole host of problems: immune dysfunction, inflammation, autoimmune disorders, and even cancer. Luckily, there are things you can do to help heal leaky gut syndrome and build a strong intestinal wall.
One of the best options is taking leaky gut supplements before bedtime. These products contain ingredients like glutamine which helps repair damage, aloe vera which soothes inflammation, and L-glutamine peptides which promotes healing.
“Gut” Some Answers?
Which Probiotics Are Best for Leaky Gut?
Probiotics are the good bacteria that live in your gut. They help you digest food, keep your gut healthy, and even fight disease.
The most important thing to understand is that you need a lot of different types of probiotics for leaky gut. That’s because there are many different kinds of bad bacteria that can cause leaky gut.
And you can’t just take one probiotic and expect it to solve all your problems—that’s not how it works. You have to make sure you’re taking enough different strains of good bacteria so that they can fight off all the bad stuff in your gut.
The best probiotics for leaky gut also contain prebiotics, which are foods for the probiotics in your body. Prebiotics help them grow and multiply so they can do their job better.
Can Probiotics Fix Leaky Gut?
YES. Probiotics are often used as a treatment for leaky gut syndrome because they can help to heal the lining of your intestines and prevent further damage from occurring.
If you have leaky gut syndrome or have been diagnosed with it by a doctor, taking probiotics can help keep your condition under control while you work towards healing your leaky gut naturally through diet changes and lifestyle modifications.
How Long Until Probiotics Heal Leaky Gut?
Probiotics can take a while to start working, but they can be effective in healing leaky gut even if they don’t kick in right away.
If you take probiotics for leaky gut, it may take anywhere from a couple weeks to a few months for them to really start healing your intestines. If you’re taking them for inflammatory bowel disease, however, you may see results within days or weeks—it depends on how severe your condition is.
Conclusion
Probiotics contain no known side effects, are relatively inexpensive, and only serve to benefit your health. If you think that taking probiotics may help you, the first step is understanding what they do and how they work.
Finding the right probiotic can be a bit of a challenge, but I hope I’ve given you some tools to help get you started along the way.
The change might be a long one, but taking steps now can provide plenty of benefits down the road. If you are currently experiencing leaky gut syndrome, start taking the right probiotic today and let me know how you are doing in the comments below, or through email!
