Should I Take a Probiotic if I Have Celiac Disease?
Written By: Kelsey Chadwick MS, RDN, LDN
As a dietitian, I hear about all the latest trends, new products and fad diets. A popular supplement and buzz word is probiotic. Maybe your friend started taking one and swears by it or maybe you’ve been having some constipation so your primary care provider said give a probiotic a try. Now you might be wondering what a probiotic even is and if you should be taking one.
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are live microorganisms that provide health benefits when they are taken in sufficient amounts. Probiotics are often labeled as the “good bacteria.” They are available as a dietary supplement and are also present in some fermented foods. Examples of these live microorganisms are bacteria and yeast.
Probiotics act mainly in the digestive tract, where they may improve the function of your digestive system. You might have noticed the very long and weird names on a probiotic supplement bottle. All probiotics are named by their genus, species and strain. Examples of probiotic names are Bifidobacterium, Bacillus, Enterococcus, Escherichia, Saccharomyces and Streptococcus.
What conditions do probiotics help?
Research has been done in a various areas including allergy and skin conditions like eczema, vaginal health and gastrointestinal health. Specifically, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and clostridioides difficile (C. diff). However, there is no clear research that probiotics are beneficial. Additionally, there is no general recommendation or guidelines that providers can use for patients.
How much should I add to my diet?
Unfortunately, there is no standardized recommended daily intake like there is for vitamins and minerals, so this makes it hard to know where to start. If there is room in your dietary pattern to add in fermented foods, that’s a great place to start! Start with adding in a fermented food a few times a week and gradually increase from there.
What about side effects?
For some people probiotics may cause gas.
What fermented foods contain probiotics?
Foods that contain probiotics include yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, tempeh, kombucha, miso, tamari, sour cream, cottage cheese, aged cheese and buttermilk.
What’s the difference between probiotics and prebiotics?
Probiotics are live microorganisms that provide health benefits when they are taken in sufficient amounts whereas prebiotics are complex carbohydrates (such as inulin and other fructo-oligosaccharides) that microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract use as metabolic fuel. They are found in certain foods and act as nutrition for gut bacteria. Chances are you are already consuming lots of prebiotic foods which include garlic, onions, bananas, asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes and soybeans.
So, should I start taking a probiotic?
In my practice as a dietitian, I always like to look at the big picture and determine what the major nutrition concerns and digestive symptoms you are experiencing. When it comes to celiac disease, taking a probiotic is not necessary. If you have other conditions such as IBS, then it could potentially be helpful. Or if you recently started experiencing digestive symptoms it’s important to work with your doctor and dietitian to determine if you are being exposed to gluten through food or cross-contact or if there is something else going on.
Probiotics can be great for some people, but the research just isn’t there yet in terms of recommending probiotics to everyone. There are a lot of other dietary changes and lifestyle changes that can help manage digestive symptoms outside of supplements.
If you are looking to improve your digestive health there are loads of things you can be doing and it’s not just increasing fiber! I recommend working with your doctor and a registered dietitian for personalized nutrition counseling to get started. If you’d like support, send me a message!
