Do healthy adults really need probiotic supplements? Experts explain

India has been consuming probiotics for centuries in forms such as dahi, buttermilk, idli, dosa and kanji, long before probiotics came in supplement form with labels.

Probiotics are live bacteria that support gut health. Harvard Health describes it as “gut-beneficial bacteria that create a physical barrier against unfriendly bacteria.”

The demand for dietary supplements and foods high in gut health has increased as studies have highlighted a connection between gut health and improvements in immunity that may reduce the risk of certain diseases.

Since probiotic capsules or pills also promise to have live microorganisms (microbes) that are supposed to give health benefits, the demand is largely driven by awareness about gut health. In India, the probiotic supplement industry is now worth billions; the market reached about Rs 2,000 crore in 2025, according to PharmaTrac data.

And people often take probiotic supplements hoping to maintain gut balance, but can supplements truly deliver on these claims?

While the science behind probiotics is well established, whether probiotic supplements actually work as promised depends on several factors, and more importantly, do healthy adults need them?

Experts weigh in on whether they work as much as they promise.

WHEN IS IT NEEDED?

What’s crucial to understand is the fact that a human gut is home to trillions of bacteria. And the balance between the good ones and the bad ones matters in one’s overall health.

In normal conditions, friendly bacteria in the gut outnumber the unfriendly ones.

So what are the reasons for imbalance in gut bacteria? “Intake of antibiotics is one of the most common reasons for gut microbiome imbalance," said Dr Govind Nandakumar, Gastroenterologist at Manipal Hospital, Bangalore. This happens because antibiotics wash out your entire gut bacteria – the good ones along with the harmful ones. And there is some evidence that probiotics can help prevent and manage diarrhoea, particularly caused by antibiotic use or bacterial infections

Dr Nandakumar also noted that in some cases, such as alcohol intake or very high intake of processed foods, lead to such imbalances. Also, people with underlying conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) or other diseases may have a gut microbiome imbalance.

While probiotics are gut-friendly and replenish gut bacteria, popping them daily is not recommended. "As clinicians, we prescribe when we notice that there is an imbalance in your microbiome," stated Dr Nandakumar.

So, taking a probiotic every day is not recommended. "It is not even advised for individuals with conditions like IBS or IBD to take it daily. It’s given for a few days, and then we reassess the symptoms," he said.

Dr Nandakumar explained that “the idea is to repopulate your gut with certain good bacteria, not to feed it. You need bacteria to harbour your gut and grow."

Although probiotics from food or supplements may help individuals with IBS and IBD.

GUT HEALTH AND IMMUNITY

It has long been known that the number of good bacteria in the gut affects immune cells and studies have also established a strong connection between gut health, the gut microbiome, and immune function. In fact, a diverse gut microbiome may help reduce your risk of conditions including diabetes, some cancers, gastrointestinal disorders, and even cardiovascular diseases.

A paper published by Springer Nature highlighted that intestinal microbes shape immune system and microbial imbalance is associated with a number of autoimmune diseases that stem from chronic inflammation. Another review stressed the importance of probiotics, prebiotics, and microbiome interventions and how these can influence immune responses and disease resistance.

This strong evidence has led people to believe that probiotic supplementation can enhance gut health and digestion and strengthen the immune system.

“A healthy gut microbiome can definitely affect immunity,” said Dr. Nandakumar.

So, probiotics do provide health benefits, but their effectiveness depends heavily on the dosage, clinical condition, and duration of use, according to studies.

Dr Dhruv Kant Mishra, Consultant – Gastroenterology, Yatharth Super Speciality Hospital, Faridabad explained that “using probiotics on a regular basis without understanding what your body needs may not always yield the best results," he said.

He highlighted that taking excessive amounts of probiotic supplements may cause harm to your body's natural microbes by creating an environment that may result in an imbalance of different types of microbes.

Dr Nandakumar noted that too much or too little of anything will lead to a poor outcome.

GET PROBIOTICS FROM FOOD, NOT SUPPLEMENTS

With multiple options available, it's critical to understand how they differ and which ones are safe.

There are nutraceuticals or supplements; second are pharmaceutical probiotics that are prescribed by a doctor, and there are dairy probiotics that are either packaged or can be prepared at home. Fermented foods and drinks are a great way to add probiotics to one’s diet; foods such as pickled vegetables, kefir, dhokla, kanji and dosa batter are good sources.

A major issue with over-the-counter probiotic supplements is that they are not regulated because they are classified as nutraceuticals. According to Dr Nandakumar, "Nobody knows what's in it, whether there is live culture or whether it's good or bad; we don’t know."

Both experts agreed that it’s better to get probiotics from foods rather than over-the-counter supplements.

“Probiotics should come from food rather than supplements. Foods such as yoghurt, kefir, kimchi, fermented foods, etc, contain naturally occurring beneficial bacteria and other nutrients," according to Dr Mishra.

Studies also show that most probiotic supplements only include single strains of bacteria, and commercially available products may also lack in the right types or amounts of bacteria.

“Eating healthy also helps to keep your gut in a healthy balance. While there are some instances where supplementation could be helpful, attaining probiotics from food sources is generally a safer long-term option," added Dr Mishra.