Ask SciCare: Should I Be “Cycling” My Probiotics?

When it comes to DS-01^® Daily Synbiotic, the name says it all: It’s designed for daily use. But why is consistency so crucial? And is there any truth to the idea that you should “cycle” or rotate your probiotics to further diversify the beneficial microbes in your gut?

Here, our SciCare team (👋) digs into the science behind daily probiotic use, including why sticking to the same strains every day isn’t just okay—it’s essential for long-term results.

👋 SciCare is our team of experts who answer all your science, health, and product-related questions. Have a question of your own? Email scicare@seed.com.

Do your probiotics colonize the gut?

There’s not much scientific evidence to support the claim that the bacterial strains in probiotics permanently “colonize” or “live in” the gut—or that colonization is necessary for benefits to occur.¹ 

Instead, these strains are transient, meaning they work as they travel through your digestive tract.² Along this hours-long journey, they interact with your resident microbes (particularly in your colon) on their way out of the body. These interactions are what lead to benefits including regularity, ease of bloating, and immune support. 

Once they’ve done their job, probiotic strains don’t linger for too long; most will stop appearing in stool just one to four weeks after consumption ends.¹

Think of probiotics as travelers moving through an airport. They cooperate with TSA and gate agents (think: your local cells and microbes) and help them do their jobs better, munch away on energizing snacks (that’d be prebiotics), and hop on a plane with a one-way ticket to their final destination (aka your toilet bowl).

These travelers will continue to have a positive impact on your gut microbiome (and, in turn, whole-body health) only when they are continuously used.

If gut bacteria diversity is the goal, shouldn’t I be cycling my probiotics?

The gut microbiome is a complex ecosystem sprawling with trillions of microbial cells.³ In general, the more types of bacteria that dwell in this community, the stronger and more resilient it will be.

Most of your bacterial diversity accumulates very early in life. You receive your first big shipment of microbes from your mother during childbirth (either via the vaginal canal or the skin in cesarean births) through a process known as seeding.⁴ From there, you may also pick up new strains as you breastfeed, have skin to skin contact, begin to eat solid foods, and interact with the microbes in your environment. By the time you’re around 3 years old, your gut microbiota begin to stabilize and become less prone to massive shifts.⁵ 

EXPLORE FURTHER: How Does the Infant Microbiome Develop?

We now know that taking probiotics doesn’t tend to directly and meaningfully add new species to your relatively fixed, or “steady-state” microbial environment. This means that cycling your probiotics (taking a new one every few weeks or months) won’t necessarily lead to a more diverse microbiome. 

Can my body become dependent on DS-01^®?

Nope! Taking certain non-essential supplements can cause the body to stop producing these substances on their own. However, you don’t naturally produce your own probiotics, so there’s no risk of becoming dependent on them. 

Do I have to keep taking DS-01^® forever?

We designed DS-01^® as an ongoing daily protocol, but how long you decide to take it is entirely up to you. Just remember: Since probiotics are transient, once you stop taking them, their bacteria (and their beneficial interactions) won’t remain in your system.

In the case of DS-01^®, these benefits come from 24 probiotic strains not commonly found in yogurt, supplements, or fermented foods and beverages. These strains have been clinically and scientifically validated to:

• Support production of compounds like short-chain fatty acids, which are associated with a balanced immune response and gut health.^6,7*
• Support multiple markers of gastrointestinal health, including regularity and bowel movement frequency, stool quality and consistency, and digestive discomforts like bloating.⁸*
• Promote a healthy gut environment through the maintenance of tight junctions.⁹*

Do probiotics “stop working” after you take them for a long time?

While we recommend continuous, daily use of DS-01^® Daily Synbiotic, we recognize that everybody is unique and your personal experience with the product may change over time. 

After all, many other factors (e.g., lifestyle, genetics, environment) can influence gut health and function—probiotic supplementation is just one piece of the puzzle. It’s also worth noting that some of the ways that DS-01^® interacts with the microbiome don’t always lead to noticeable changes (though that doesn’t mean the product isn’t working).

If you’re no longer satisfied with the effects you’re experiencing, you might try a “wash-out” period. For example, you could pause DS-01^® for a month, then try reintroducing it again. During this period, you can evaluate how other changes to your routine affect markers of digestive health, like poop frequency, bloat level, etc. 

The Key Insight

The bacterial strains in DS-01^® Daily Synbiotic promote whole-body health benefits thanks to their interactions with local cells and microbes in the digestive tract.* Since probiotics don’t colonize the gut (and your body won’t become dependent on them), they are safe and effective to take long-term.

We receive and answer questions like these every day. Stay tuned for more SciCare roundups on Cultured and if you have any questions of your own, email us at scicare@seed.com.