Every Day Probiotics

Yes, it is safe and generally advisable to take a probiotic supplement daily. Good bacteria only colonize in the gut for a few weeks and research(1,2,3) suggests that taking regular digestive supplements helps to complement the microbiome and support gut health*.

Reference
(1). Mimura, T. et al. (2004). 'Once daily high dose probiotic therapy (VSL#3) for maintaining remission in recurrent or refractory pouchitis'. Gut, 53(1): 108-114 (2). Morelli L et al., 2004. 'Utilisation of the intestinal tract as a delivery system for urogenital probiotics'. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology; 38(6): 107-110 (3). Jacobsen et al., 1999. 'Screening of probiotic activities of 47 strains of Lactobacillus spp. by in vitro techniques and evaluation of the colonisation ability of 5 selected strains in humans'. Applied and Environmental Microbiology; 65 (11): 4949-4956
Read More

Some people like to take specific probiotic strains at certain times, for example during pregnancy, or during the winter flu season. However, most people prefer to take a daily probiotic supplement on an ongoing basis to maintain the microbiome and support gut health*. Research to date(3) suggests that long-term use is fine, and the body does not become dependent on the probiotics.

Reference
(1). Mimura, T. et al. (2004). 'Once daily high dose probiotic therapy (VSL#3) for maintaining remission in recurrent or refractory pouchitis'. Gut, 53(1): 108-114. (2). Jacobsen et al., (1999). 'Screening of probiotic activities of 47 strains of Lactobacillus spp. by in vitro techniques and evaluation of the colonisation ability of 5 selected strains in humans'. Applied and Environmental Microbiology; 65 (11): 4949-4956
Read More

If looking for alternatives to UK probiotic brands like Symprove, you should compare the cost, the recommended daily amount, and the quality of the strains. A high-quality supplement always lists the full strain names of the bacteria, not just the species, so you can check the supporting research. Optibac Probiotics Every Day is a great alternative to Symprove and other similar UK brands; it out-performs most comparable products not only on price, but also on quality of the strains it contains.

The number of strains of friendly bacteria is not the most important factor to consider when choosing a probiotic supplement. It is far more important to select a supplement containing high quality probiotic strains which have been featured in numerous clinical studies. Optibac Probiotics Every Day contains robust strains of the highest quality, including the world-renowned Lactobacillus acidophilus/helveticus Rosell-52 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus Rosell-11®, scientifically proven to survive stomach acidity and reach the gut alive(1).

Reference
(1). Nagulesapillai, V., Belvis, J., Tompkins, T. and Girard, S.-A. (2017), Detection and Quantification of Probiotic Strains in Clinical Fecal Samples of Healthy Adults by Real-time PCR. The FASEB Journal, 31: lb207-lb207. https://doi.org/10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.lb207
Read More