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Probiotics
What Probiotics is, what the NIH ODS fact sheet says the evidence supports, typical doses, timing, and the cautions that come with it.
Supplements are not medicines and this page is not medical advice. Doses that help one person can harm another — with medicines, kidney or liver conditions, pregnancy, or before surgery, talk to a clinician before starting anything. More is not better.
What it is
Live micro-organisms intended to add to the gut's own population.
What the evidence supports
ODS: evidence is strain- and condition-specific — best documented for antibiotic-associated diarrhoea; claims beyond that vary.
Dose and timing
No universal dose; products list colony-forming units (CFUs), commonly in the billions per dose. With food, or as the product directs.
Cautions
Strain names matter: Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG is not interchangeable with any other strain.
Interactions are the hidden risk: supplements can change how medicines work and vice versa. Give your clinician the full list before anything else.
Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Probiotics fact sheet · checked 2026-09-03
Frequently asked questions
What does Probiotics do?
Live micro-organisms intended to add to the gut's own population.
Does Probiotics work?
ODS: evidence is strain- and condition-specific — best documented for antibiotic-associated diarrhoea; claims beyond that vary.
How much probiotics should I take?
No universal dose; products list colony-forming units (CFUs), commonly in the billions per dose. With food, or as the product directs.
Is Probiotics safe?
Strain names matter: Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG is not interchangeable with any other strain. And the standing rule: tell your clinician everything you take — supplements interact with medicines.
Creatine
Studied doses: 3-5 g per day; loading protocols use about 20 g/day in 4 doses for 5-7 days.
Magnesium
RDA: men 400-420 mg, women 310-320 mg per day.
Vitamin D
RDA: 600 IU (15 mcg) to age 70, then 800 IU (20 mcg). UL 4000 IU.
Omega-3s (EPA/DHA)
No RDA for EPA/DHA; ALA: men 1.6 g, women 1.1 g per day. Many products supply 250-500 mg combined EPA+DHA per day.
Melatonin
Studied doses commonly 0.5-5 mg, taken 30-60 minutes before bed.
Iron
RDA: men 8 mg, women 19-50 18 mg, pregnancy 27 mg per day.
Log it, and show it to your doctor
TempoLife keeps supplements, food and sleep in one place — a list your clinician can actually review.