Probiotics For Men: What You Need To Know
Probiotics for men offer numerous health benefits, including supporting prostate function, boosting metabolism, and improving digestion. Find out how probiotics can benefit your health.
Advertiser Disclosure: We independently select all the products. If you click through links we provide, we may earn a commission.

Key Takeaways
- Prostate Health: Probiotics help reduce prostate inflammation and may support testosterone production.
- Metabolism Boost: Probiotics enhance metabolism, aiding in weight management and body composition.
- Improved Digestion: They balance gut bacteria, promoting better digestion and regular bowel movements.
- Immune Support: Probiotics strengthen immunity by maintaining a healthy gut microbiome.
- Gender-Specific Strains: Certain probiotic strains target male-specific health issues like bloating and prostate function.
Probiotics are bacteria that can benefit your digestive system and, in turn, your overall health. For this reason, they have been getting a lot of attention over the past decade or so.
Men are also taking note of the role that probiotics play in their health. But there is a lot to unpack in terms of specific health benefits, how to incorporate them into your diet, and potential side effects.
For instance, what do probiotics do for men specifically? In the following article, we will explore the answer to this and other important questions about probiotics and men’s health.
Benefits of Probiotics for Men
Probiotic benefits for men are too important to put off, so let’s get straight into the most important ones:
1. Prostate Support
Your gut is linked to many parts of your body. There is the gut-brain axis that affects your cognition and then there is the gut-prostate axis that helps fight inflammation. Probiotics can reduce inflammation in the prostate that can lead to serious issues. Probiotics may also increase testosterone production which could be helpful for prostate function in some instances.
2. Metabolism and Weight
Your metabolism dictates how quickly your body breaks down fats, sugars, and other nutrients. Probiotics help speed up metabolism, which could have a beneficial impact on your body composition, muscle mass, and weight. Research published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences supports this, showing that probiotics are crucial in modulating gut microbiota. This modulation has been linked to beneficial effects on weight reduction and various metabolic processes.
3. Immune Support
Your gut microbiome plays a role in your digestion as well as your immune system and mental state. Probiotics ensure the gut has the right balance of bacteria which also improves the body’s immune system. Research from the Cleveland Clinic found that a healthy gut can make the gut wall less leaky, meaning that a well-protected gut barrier prevents harmful germs from getting to the blood, lowering infection risk. As men get older, especially after 50, both muscles in the digestive tract and slow nutrient absorption can influence their overall health. Changes in diet and lifestyle can lead to low-intensity inflammation, fewer healthy defenses and slower healing. Lucky for us, certain probiotics like Bifidobacterium longum BB536 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 help keep harmful substances out of our bodies by supporting the gut lining. It matters a lot since weakened defenses are common with aging, stress and unhealthy eating. Using targeted gut bacteria in the form of probiotics can help you recover from poor food choices, enhance gut health and have a healthier body. When choosing probiotics, look at the strain, as every kind can have different advantages, mainly for sensitive digestion.
4. Improved Digestion
Of course, another of the indispensable benefits of probiotics for men is improved digestion. Probiotics feed the good bacteria in your stomach so that your digestive system can more effectively break down foods and maintain normal digestion.
Diet and Lifestyle Factors That Boost Probiotic Benefits
You have kimchi and kombucha—are there more ways you can use probiotics? There’s more to the answer than just what you eat.
Eat Lots of Foods With Prebiotics
Think of prebiotics as helping your probiotics to thrive. Garlic, onions, bananas, asparagus and even oats are good for the bacteria in your gut, allowing them to continue to function and help you benefit.
Hydrate Well
If you don’t drink enough fluids, it can affect your digestive system. Probiotics are carried through your system more easily with plenty of water, so remember to drink.
Deal With Stress in the Best Way You Can
When things get busy, stress can mess up the balance of gut bacteria in your system. Taking probiotics is good, but including habits such as meditation, taking walks or practicing yoga can strengthen the positive results for your body.
Keep Moving
Exercise isn’t only beneficial for your arms. Moving around during the day encourages a broad and healthy mix of bacteria in your gut, working with your probiotic foods.
Combining these actions with your diet full of probiotics makes your health even stronger.
How Long Do Probiotic Benefits Last? Understanding the Duration of Probiotic Effects
How long do probiotic benefits last after you begin taking them? Here’s the straightforward answer: they only work as long as you keep taking them. Probiotics should be taken daily to help your gut, digestion and general immunity. When you stop using probiotics, their impact on your health decreases as these bacteria aren’t permanent in your system.
Probiotics sometimes cause a very brief period of changes when you first begin using them. During the early days, it is possible to experience bloating, more gas or changes in how your digestive system works. These symptoms will usually disappear on their own and shouldn’t cause concern.
Real results take time to happen. After regular use for a couple of weeks, most people become aware of the benefits. Every day probiotic intake is as important as exercise for overall gut and wellness health.
If you want to aid digestion, strengthen your immunity and increase your metabolism, remember to take probiotics every day. Knowing the duration of probiotic benefits helps you plan correctly and enjoy the best advantages from your supplements.
Strain Specificity Matters in Probiotics
How each probiotic works depends on the specific strain found within the product. Bifidobacterium longum BB536, Lactobacillus plantarum LP01 and Bifidobacterium breve BR03 are popular probiotic strains backed up by research on digestive comfort and regularity. Checking for entire strain names shows that the supplements are open about what they contain. Regularly using these selected strains helps keep the gut in balance, a key factor for men’s general and gut and immune health.
Common Sources of Probiotics

Now that we know about the benefits that probiotics offer for men, you are probably wondering what foods contain probiotics? The good news is that there are a lot of different foods that you can start eating today that will up your probiotic gam,e including:
- Yogurt
- Buttermilk
- Kefir
- Cheese
- Kimchi
- Miso
- Pineapple
- Oranges
- Watermelon
- Sauerkraut
- Pickles
- Kombucha
- Apple cider vinegar
How to Incorporate Probiotics into Your Daily Routine
Incorporating probiotic foods into your regular diet can be a challenge because, as you can see from the above list, not all probiotic foods are super-common in Western cuisine. Still, you can easily incorporate them into your daily routine simply by having them around.
Stock your fridge and pantry with a supply of probiotic foods so you will always have them on hand. Then, start looking up some simple recipes that can make eating these foods a treat instead of a chore.
Another great way to incorporate probiotics into your daily routine is by taking a convenient probiotic supplement.
If you’re using antibiotics, you should start or keep taking probiotics to help keep your gut healthy, since they can destroy all types of bacteria. It is best to space out your probiotic dose by 2-3 hours both before and after your antibiotic so more good bacteria can survive.
Maintain your intake of probiotics by taking them regularly while you use the antibiotics and stay on them for one to two weeks afterward. Regardless of the time you eat them, having probiotics daily can aid gut bacteria and help reduce some of the common digestive problems that come after using antibiotics.
Can Probiotics Help with Specific Men’s Health Concerns?
Do men take probiotics? More and more of them certainly are because they have been proven to help with specific male health concerns. One of the most common issues among older men is enlarged prostate and general prostate health.
According to Dr. Robynne Chutkan, MD, Probiotics have been shown to improve not only digestive health but also support key functions like metabolism and prostate health. Regular use can help men achieve a balanced gut, which is essential for overall well-being.
Studies conducted by the National Institutes of Health and other leading health organizations have confirmed that probiotics can benefit prostate function and help reduce the risk of serious prostate issues.
The method of action has to do with probiotics’ ability to generate folate. Specifically, strains like bifidobacterium and lactobacillus appear to be beneficial for maintaining good prostate function and lowering the risk of prostate complications.
While researching, we found this insightful video from Medical Centric that offers valuable information on the Probiotics For Men. It provides a comprehensive perspective backed by medical expertise.
How Do Probiotics Interact with Sex Hormones in Men?
Research has discovered an unexpected relationship between sex hormones and probiotics which demonstrates how they specifically affect what men need regarding their probiotic intake. The interaction between probiotics and the body changes through hormonal differences which especially include testosterone and estrogen levels in the gut microbiome. Certain probiotic strains demonstrate superior effectiveness for males.
Research currently examines how probiotics support mental health functions in addition to their established benefits for gut health. Studies suggest they may help manage conditions like anxiety, depression, and possibly Parkinson’s disease. These effects may be influenced by sex hormones, highlighting the importance of a personalized approach to probiotic supplementation.
What to Look for in a Probiotic Supplement for Men
Probiotic supplements provide an easy and effective way to add more probiotics to your diet, especially as men’s health probiotics grow in popularity. However, for men over 50, who often face challenges with digestion, nutrient absorption, and heart function, it’s especially important to carefully choose the right probiotics to support these needs. Here are some tips on how to choose the best probiotic supplements for men:
- Varied Formula - Maintaining a diverse gut microbiome has been proven to be beneficial for general health. That’s why it’s important to choose a supplement that offers a wide variety of probiotic strains.
- 3rd Party Tested - One of the marks of a good probiotic supplement is 3rd party lab testing. This ensures that the supplement is devoid of outside contaminants and that it is actually effective.
- Reviews - Look for a probiotic supplement with a good amount of reviews from other men. This will allow you to gain an insight into which products appear to hold the most benefit for men specifically.
- Multi-Strain Formulas Targeting Age-Related Concerns: Probiotic blends for aging men often include strains that treat typical problems they face:
- Label Transparency: Look for packages that display particular probiotic strains and their counts, CFUs, so you always know.
Gut Function: As we age, problems with our gut function often start due to changes in the gut microbiome. Consuming strains such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium is good for supporting proper digestion and a healthy gut.
Heart Health: A strain called Lactobacillus plantarum is said to help maintain cholesterol which matters for the heart as people get older.
Nutrient Absorption: Lactobacillus reuteri and similar strains play a role in absorbing B vitamins which support your energy and health as you age.
Do Probiotics Have Any Side Effects?
It should be noted that probiotics are deemed generally safe by most leading health authorities. They can cause some minor side effects; but they mostly have to do with changes in digestion which is normal and can only be expected.
For instance, many people who have never taken a probiotic before report an increased frequency of bowel movements when they first start. This side effect is normally short-lived, though, and goes away as your body gets used to the effects of probiotics.
Other minor side effects include moderate bloating, grumbling stomach, and other digestive issues.
FAQs
References
Flawless Bloom has strict sourcing policies and relies on primary sources such as medical organizations, academic institutions, governmental agencies, and peer-reviewed scientific journals. Read more about how we ensure our content is accurate, thorough, and unbiased by reading our editorial process.
- The Gut-Prostate Axis: A New Perspective of Prostate Cancer Biology through the Gut Microbiome: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10000196/
- Probiotics: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/14598-probiotics
- Probiotics supplementation in the treatment of male infertility: A Systematic Review: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11152433/