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Evidence based

Evidence Based

This article is based on scientific evidence, written by experts and fact checked by experts.

Our team of licensed nutritionists and dietitians strive to be objective, unbiased, honest and to present both sides of the argument.

This article contains scientific references. The numbers in the parentheses (1, 2, 3) are clickable links to peer-reviewed scientific papers.

Colon Health & Probiotics: Unpacking the Benefits

Written by on March 14, 2023

The Latest Research & Insights on the Effects of Probiotics on Colon Health.

Key Takeaways:

  • Probiotics have been shown to alleviate intestinal symptoms like gas, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea.
  • The vast majority of beneficial microbial life in your body resides in your colon.
  • Probiotics can improve leaky gut, rebalance the gut microbiome, alter gut chemistry, and reduce inflammation.
  • Probiotics have been shown to improve symptoms associated with colorectal cancer, ulcerative colitis, diverticular disease, IBS, and gut disruptions related to antibiotics.

If a client asked me to recommend a single supplement that would offer the greatest potential for improvement across large swaths of human health, I would choose a probiotic supplement. Probiotics are known for their comprehensive health benefits, including immune health, digestive health, mood, cognition, sleep, hormonal health, cardiovascular health, and metabolic health [1, 2, 3].

Although humans are covered in microbes from head to toe, the vast majority of the beneficial bacteria and fungi that have such a massive impact on your wellness reside in your colon. So it makes sense that fortifying that colony of bacteria through a supplement—alongside a helpful diet and lifestyle—is one of the best things you can do for your health. It also makes sense that probiotics would directly impact colon health as well.

But what does the research say about colon health & probiotics specifically? Are there particular strains or categories that are better for addressing digestive issues than others? Have probiotics been shown to address conditions like ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease? And how safe are these supplements to take? Are there any potential side effects? Let’s do a deep dive into the latest research on colon health & probiotics to help you best understand the risks and benefits.

What We Know About Probiotics and the Gut Microbiome

As I said above, the vast majority of the microbial life in our bodies resides in the large intestine (aka the colon). This includes both helpful and harmful species. A healthy microbiota—one that has a balance of organisms and doesn’t create adverse symptoms—generally means a healthy colon. And probiotics (especially when paired with a supportive diet and great sleep) can help improve your microbiota by refortifying the colon with good bacteria.

Studies have shown that probiotics can improve colon health via the following mechanisms:

  • Improve recovery time from gut imbalances and restore healthy gut flora [4]
  • Help fight and displace harmful bacteria and the toxic byproducts they create in the gut [5, 6, 7]
  • Produce antimicrobial compounds that directly prevent multi-drug resistant bacteria from reproducing [8]
  • Reduce inflammation in the gut [9] 
  • Improve leaky gut syndrome [10, 11, 12]
  • Help strengthen the intestinal wall and promote tissue recovery in the tight junctions of the intestinal lining [13, 14]
  • Improve immune status and function and reducing inflammation [13, 14, 15] 
  • Alter gut biochemistry [16]
  • Increase short-chain fatty acids and modifying pH to improve motility and transit time [17]
  • Stick to the intestinal lining and compete for resources there to indirectly limit multi-drug resistant bacteria [8, 15]
  • Producing SCFAs and aid in butyrate production, the primary fuel for colon cells [18]

All of the following activities are beneficial for your overall digestive health and, ultimately, general health. By strengthening colon health through probiotic fortification, you’re protecting yourself against harmful invaders, whether it’s a virus that might give you a cold or partially digested food leaking through the gut lining and leading to systemic inflammation or food sensitivities.

Colon-Specific Conditions that Probiotics May Help Address

Probiotics are beneficial to the whole digestive system, but they’ve also been studied for their effects on colon-specific ailments. Studies have shown that probiotics are effective at improving symptoms related to:

Combined with my own clinical experience as well as those of other functional health colleagues, this research bolsters the benefits of probiotics for colon health.

Which Kinds of Probiotics Are Most Effective for Colon Health?

The study of specific strains of probiotics is still in its early days, but it seems to be the general consensus that using a diversity of strains, species, and categories is an effective strategy for covering all your bases. You also want a product that measures the CFUs in the billions, ideally the 10s of billions.

Most of the available research didn’t specify particular bacteria over others, but the most commonly analyzed were single or multi-strain probiotics containing Bifidobacteria and/or Lactobacilli species [13, 15, 19, 21, 26, 34].

Lacto acidophilus is a very well-studied bacterial species because it was among the first to be marketed to the public in products like yogurt and Culturelle, but there’s no evidence that it’s any more effective than other Lacto strains. It’s simply gotten more attention.

That being said, one meta-analysis and one systematic review did specify that a multi-strain probiotic that included Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium was the best choice for relieving IBD, especially ulcerative colitis [22, 27].

In our clinic, we’ve found that clients see the greatest and most rapid improvement with a triple therapy approach to a daily probiotic supplement. The triple therapy approach involves supplementing with bacteria across the three main categories:

  1. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium (this is the most common kind you see at your health foods store)
  2. Saccharomyces Boulardii (a well-studied beneficial fungal-based probiotic)
  3. Soil-based probiotics 

By combining these three, you may achieve a synergistic effect that helps rebalance dysbiosis (like SIBO and yeast), remove parasites, and repair the gut wall. Doing all this helps reduce:

  • Gut infections [46, 47, 48]
  • Inflammatory bowel disease [49, 50]

While there’s still more work to be done to better understand the effects of different probiotic strains on various issues and ailments, the cumulative evidence supports our clinical experience that a more diverse probiotic is the best option for most people [8, 14, 16, 27].

Probiotics Safety and Side Effects

Most of the studies looking at the effects of probiotics across the wide array of conditions they may be used for didn’t look at safety. That’s because most researchers consider probiotics to be safe. The randomized controlled trials that did specifically assess safety also considered probiotics well-tolerated and safe when used appropriately [14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 32, 34, 51]. Although there’s likely no harm in consuming an expired probiotic, you always want to check the bottle for time of expiry, as well as whether or not the particular product you’re looking at contains something you’re allergic or sensitive to.

Colon Health & Probiotic

While just about all probiotics are gluten-free, some may be cultured on lactose, and some probiotic caplets and capsules are made with gelatin, which isn’t vegetarian. Some companies also indicate that they are free of GMOs, which is another thing to look for on the label. Everyone is different with different requirements, so be sure to look over the product information before you get to the checkout line.

And, as with any other supplement or medication, you’ll want to make sure you’re storing them out of the reach of children. Many probiotics require refrigeration, so be sure to keep them safe from accidental consumption. This is especially important with gummies and chewable tablets that may seem like candy to a child. Even (and maybe especially) if the probiotic is formulated for children, you want to make sure you’re monitoring the dosage to prevent any unwanted side effects.

Potential Side Effects

There are a few potential side effects of using probiotics, but they’re usually in the short-term until your body acclimates. Short-term side effects may include mild, temporary intestinal symptoms, such as loose stool, constipation, flatulence, appetite loss, abdominal pain, indigestion, or nausea [18].

This is especially true if the one you choose also contains prebiotics in the formulation. That’s because many prebiotics are also FODMAPs. Prebiotics are the foods that feed the bacteria in your gut. Foods like alliums (garlic, onions, leeks), and cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower) are prebiotic foods. In supplements, prebiotics are often named in the label and include things like pectin, oligosaccharides (the “O” in FODMAP), or chicory. If you’re sensitive to FODMAPs, you might specifically opt for a probiotic that doesn’t include prebiotics in it.

That being said, any potential side effects from probiotics are likely less severe than those of laxative products, as those can be habit-forming if used for too long.

Bottom Line on Colon Health & Probiotics

Using a probiotic as part of your daily care regimen is a good thing for your overall health and wellness in general, as well as your digestive health, in particular. Probiotics promote a healthy immune system, hormonal health, metabolic and cardiovascular health. They may also help reduce brain fog and stabilize mood when combined with a supportive diet and positive lifestyle practices.

The potential upsides are plentiful, including relief from a number of digestive symptoms and possibly even more severe digestive conditions such as ulcerative colitis, IBS, and diverticulitis.

If you’d like support on your gut health journey, please reach out to our clinic to book a time to connect. Or, if you’d like to learn more about how probiotics can improve your digestive health as well as your overall health, Healthy Gut Healthy You is a great resource.

The Ruscio Institute has developed a range of high-quality formulations to help our patients and audience. If you’re interested in learning more about these products, please click here. Note that there are many other options available, and we encourage you to research which products may be right for you.

Dr. Michael Ruscio is a DC, Naturopathic Practitioner, researcher, and clinician. He serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Bridgeport and has published numerous papers in scientific journals as well as the book Healthy Gut, Healthy You. He also founded the Ruscio Institute of Functional Health, where he helps patients with a wide range of GI conditions and serves as the Head of Research.
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