Based on a combination of research and clinical experience, many practitioners recommend probiotic supplements for patients with Ulcerative Colitis (UC).

Research shows that people with UC have an imbalance among their gut microbes, a condition known as gut dysbiosis. Scientists suspect that dysbiosis plays a role in UC development and progression. Some IBD patients achieve and maintain clinical remission thanks to adding probiotics to their treatment plan. 

Visbiome, formerly VSL#3, is one of the best studied probiotics for UC. But there’s no one-size-fits-all so you might have to try a few probiotics to find out which work for you. Start with a combination probiotic that includes a variety of microbial species and strains. Products containing more than one organism offer a greater chance of success compared to single strain products.

Give yourself at least a week to adjust to a new probiotic. It’s not uncommon to experience gas, bloat, and other uncomfortable gastrointestinal side effects while your gut microbes adjust these invading microbes.

Talk to your healthcare provider before adding a probiotic or any other supplement and keep in mind that a supplement won’t take the place of a healthy diet and lifestyle. We suspect that probiotic supplements work best when combined with nutritious foods, stress management, exercise and other healthy lifestyle modifications.