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From years of using different probiotics, I have developed some simple rules of thumbs on the use of probiotics. These rules have worked very well with probiotics from my favorite source: Maple Life Science™. Their probiotics show both manufacture date and expiry date. Typically they arrive within a month of the manufacture date direct from the manufacturer. IMHO, high probability from being alive at arrival.
Do one Species at a time
Maple Life Science™ probiotics are usually single species with just FOS as an additive. My usual preference is taking probiotic powder dissolved in warm water at least one hour away from any meals. Bacteria in your gut has to enter somewhere — and that location is the mouth. You may want to also alter your mouth microbiome so it is less likely to repopulate your gut bacteria with undesirables.
My typical pattern is doing one probiotic for 2 weeks and then rotate to another. See below for the rationale.
How do I know that they are different probiotics?
I could send them off for testing, but what I have observed is this:
- They are often slightly different colors
- They tastes differently
I do not know definitively if they are as claimed, but I do see that they are different.
Are there any changes within a week?
I monitor myself after starting each probiotics. I expect at least one of the following to change:
- Smell of farts
- Number of farts
- Frequency of stools
- Characteristics of stools using the Bristol stool chart
- Changes on my smart watch monitoring
- Changes of sleep patterns
- Change of eating habits/food preferences
- Changes of mood or alertness
If there are no changes, then I label the bottle as “No effect” and put it at the back of the refrigerator shelf. To me, probiotics should change the microbiome is some observable way. The above are indicators of change. This does take some self-awareness of each.
Personal Example: My wife has Crohn’s disease. Whenever she starts to have a flare, she takes Mutaflor (E.Coli Nissle 1917) probiotics and within 1-2 hours the flare ends. Probiotics impact should be apparent in hours or a few days.
Dosages titration
When I try a new probiotic, I usually start with the standard dosage. If there are no apparent change happening in 3 days, I double the dosage (and keep doubling every 3 days for up to 14 days). In practical terms:
- Day 1: 1 capsule
- Day 4: 2 capsules
- Day 7: 4 capsules
- Day 10: 8 capulses
- Day 13: 16 capsules
The logic is simple: there may be less viable bacteria (for some reason) and thus more capsules are needed to get effective dosages to induce a change.
Probiotic Rotation
To me, the purpose of probiotics is to change the microbiome, typically, a dysbiosis. The metabolites and bacteriocins being produced by the probiotics will alter the population by either increasing metabolites that may feed (increase) other bacteria or decrease other bacteria by the bacteriocins. In other words, I view the probiotics as a course correction around a reef.
Bacteriocins Resistance
Bacteriocins are natural antibiotics. Many antibiotics are derived from bacteriocins. This means that bacteriocins resistance needs to be considered. Typically, most of the targeted bacteria has some bacteria that are resistant to some form of antibiotics. These resistors will prosper because their sibling competitors are no longer there. I have read several studies that found pulsed or rotated antibiotics were more effective than continuous antibiotics. My take away is simple: “a course of probiotics” followed by rotation. How long should the course be? I take the duration from the typical duration of prescribted antibiotics (10-14 days).
Some known bacteriocins are listed below
- Nisin – produced by Lactococcus lactis.
- Pediocin PA-1/AcH – produced by Pediococcus acidilactici.
- Enterocin AS-48 – produced by Enterococcus faecalis.
- Colicin A – produced by Escherichia coli.
- Colicin E1 – produced by Escherichia coli.
- Microcin J25 – produced by Escherichia coli.
- Plantaricin E – produced by Lactobacillus plantarum.
- Plantaricin F – produced by Lactobacillus plantarum.
- Leucocin A – produced by Leuconostoc gelidum.
- Helveticin I – produced by Lactobacillus helveticus.
- Lactocin MXJ 32A – produced by Lactobacillus coryniformis.
- Enterolysin A – produced by Enterococcus faecalis.
- Salivaricin – produced by Lactobacillus salivarius.
- Pyocin S2 – produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
- Microcin E492 – produced by Klebsiella pneumoniae.
- Lactococcin G – produced by Lactococcus lactis.
- Plantaricin JK – produced by Lactobacillus plantarum.
- Plantaricin EF – produced by Lactobacillus plantarum.
- Goadsporin – produced by Streptomyces sp..
- Plantazolicin – produced by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.
Some antibiotics obtained from bacteria:
- Streptomycin – from Streptomyces griseus
- Chloramphenicol – from Streptomyces venezuelae
- Tetracycline – from Streptomyces rimosus and Streptomyces aureofaciens
- Erythromycin – from Saccharopolyspora erythraea (formerly Streptomyces erythraeus)
- Neomycin – from Streptomyces fradiae
- Lincomycin – from Streptomyces lincolnensis
- Rifamycin – from Amycolatopsis rifamycinica (previously Streptomyces rifamycinica)
- Vancomycin – from Amycolatopsis orientalis
- Bacitracin – from Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis
- Gramicidin – from Bacillus brevis
- Polymyxin B – from Bacillus polymyxa
- Teicoplanin – from Actinoplanes teichomyceticus
- Fusidic acid – from Fusidium coccineum (a fungus, included due to bacterial-related antibiotic use)
- Novobiocin – from Streptomyces niveus
- Ristocetin – from Amycolatopsis lurida
- Mupirocin – from Pseudomonas fluorescens
- Tyrocidine – from Bacillus brevis
- Clavulanic acid – from Streptomyces clavuligerus
- Daptomycin – from Streptomyces roseosporus
- Carbapenems (e.g., Imipenem) – from Streptomyces species and related bacteria
Bottom Line
The bottom line is simple: rotate and note changes. If there are no changes,