5 Best Probiotics For Women Over 50 2024: Top Supplements For Menopause
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- Written by Karla Tafra, Nutritionist
Medically reviewed by
Dr G. Michael DiLeo, MD
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Ritual Synbiotic+
- Featuring probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics
- Two most-studied strains of probiotics, Bifidobacterium anamalis and Lactobacillus rhamnosus
- 11 billion colony forming units (CFUs) per serving
Hum Nutrition Gut Instinct
- 10 different strains of probiotic bacteria
- Vegan, gluten and soy-free, free of any artificial ingredients
- Third-party tested by independent labs for purity, potency, and quality
Elm & Rye Daily Probiotic
- Two billion CFUs of Lactobacillus acidophilus
- Lab tested for quality, potency, and purity
- Recommended by medical professionals
Probiotics are one of the most important supplements in a person’s diet, especially as you age. They help promote good gut health and replenish the healthy bacteria in your gut microbiome.
The best probiotic for women over 50 years of age helps promote a healthy immune system and a healthy gut, improve their digestive health, help them reach hormone balance[1], and even increase nutrient absorption.
5 Best Probiotics For Menopausal Women In (April. 2024)
- Ritual Synbiotic 50+ – Editor’s Choice
- Hum Nutrition Gut Instinct – Best Vegan
- Elm & Rye Daily Probiotic – Best Recommended by Medical Professionals
- YourBiology Gut+ – Most Absorbing
- 1MD Complete Probiotics Platinum – Most Potent
What Can Probiotics Do For Women Over 50?
Probiotic supplements can help mitigate[2] some of the symptoms, especially yeast infections and digestive discomfort, while at the same time helping strengthen your immune system. (Most vaginal yeast infections originate in the rectum before migrating to the vagina, making this an issue of gut health.)
In addition to taking probiotics, women over 50 are also encouraged to eat plenty of probiotic foods that can further increase the number of beneficial bacteria in their gut microbiome and keep the microflora diverse and balanced.
The official definition of menopause is going a full year without periods. The average age of menopause is actually 52, but the approach to menopause can take 10-15 years in a gradual process some call “premenopause.” Thus, menopause doesn’t happen suddenly. This underscores the fact that probiotics can be useful for women even younger than 50-52 who have begun noticing some symptoms indicating hormonal changes.
For practical purposes, women that have reached 50 are most likely entering menopause, which brings on its own set of unpleasant symptoms due to natural biological[3] processes. Once your menstrual cycles end, it marks the end of your reproductive and fertility period, but your body is also going through many other changes.
Menopause doesn’t happen at the same time for every woman, yet most women, going through a few years of premenopause still experience universal unpleasant symptoms beforehand.
Some of these symptoms include hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, yeast infections, insomnia, bloating, skin irritations and dryness, urinary urgency, and more.
Plenty of women deal with other digestive health issues like irritable bowel syndrome, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), and other inflammatory gastrointestinal conditions that can exacerbate the negative side effects of menopause, like worsening the severity of a yeast infection or impairing the overall state of what would normally be a healthy gut environment.
5 Best Probiotics For Menopausal Women In 2024
Ritual Synbiotic+
Ritual Synbiotic is one of the best probiotics for women no matter their age. Their 50+ formula is specially designed for those who have hit menopause and need help with their digestive health or dealing with yeast infections.
- Featuring probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics
- Two most-studied strains of probiotics, Bifidobacterium anamalis and Lactobacillus rhamnosus
- 11 billion colony forming units (CFUs) per serving
- Pricey
Ritual is a well-known and trusted supplement brand with unique and high-quality formulas in all of its products. Their Synbiotic+ is a powerful blend of probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics designed to improve your gut health, increase absorption of nutrients, enhance immune response, and promote vaginal health.
Made with the two most-studied probiotic strains, Bifidobacterium anamalis, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus, this formula is made with 11 billion CFUs that support a balanced microflora in your gut.
The prebiotic blend[4], as nutritious fiber for the healthy bacteria, keeps them alive, while the postbiotics[5] improve the health of your gut lining, support a functioning gut barrier to prevent inflammation and infections, and discourage the growth of unhealthy bacteria to improve the good-to-bad bacteria balance.
The capsule design is unique as well as the delayed-release technology allows for the probiotics to survive the highly acidic environment of your stomach and reach your intestines intact. This increases their absorption, called bioavailability[6].
With no additional and artificial ingredients, this is one of the cleanest probiotic supplement formulas on the market, which is why it made it to the top of our list.
Hum Nutrition Gut Instinct
Hum Nutrition Gut Instinct is a powerful formula of 10 different probiotic strains to help improve your digestive health and enhance your body’s immune function.
- 10 different strains of probiotic bacteria
- Vegan, gluten and soy-free, free of any artificial ingredients
- Third-party tested by independent labs for purity, potency, and quality
- Contains gum arabic[7] that might cause some digestive issues in people who are highly sensitive
Another well-known supplement brand with a variety of different products, Hum Nutrition created a powerful probiotic blend of 10 different probiotic strains that aims to improve your digestion, absorption of nutrients, immune health, and overall function of your digestive system while at the same time reducing inflammation and protecting you from disease.
Their Gut Instinct is a mix of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains that promote a more balanced microbial diversity in your gut and help support gut health, especially after reaching menopause. They help improve your digestion and reduce bloating, gas, and other unpleasant symptoms of menopause by replenishing your gut with beneficial gut bacteria that work hard to strengthen your immunity and optimize your body functions.
The vegan capsule is gluten-, soy-, and allergen-free and made without any artificial ingredients. The product is also third-party tested by independent labs to ensure potency, purity, and overall high quality. It does, however, contain gum arabic that’s known to create some unpleasant digestive issues in sensitive people.
Elm & Rye Daily Probiotic
Elm & Rye Daily Probiotic is designed for all adults to conveniently support their digestive system and promote a healthy gut with only one capsule a day.
- Two billion CFUs of Lactobacillus acidophilus
- Lab tested for quality, potency, and purity
- Expensive
- Not suitable for vegans
With input from their advisory board that includes medical professionals, Elm & Rye Daily Probiotic offers a powerful formula of Lactobacillus acidophilus probiotic strain that helps reduce inflammation, enhance digestion, promote microbial diversity in your gut, balance hormones, and discourage yeast infections.
Only one capsule contains two billion CFUs that are easily absorbed by your gut, feeding your microflora and helping you get rid of unpleasant menopausal symptoms as well as infections[8] such as bacterial vaginosis. Lab-tested to ensure potency, purity, and high quality, this dietary supplement comes with great reviews and aims to improve your overall well-being and longevity in the long term.
YourBiology Gut+
YourBiology Gut+ is one of the strongest probiotic supplements on the market and comes in a specially-designed capsule that ensures the highest absorption rate.
- Four effective strains of probiotics that deliver 40 billion CFUs
- Patended MAKtrek® Bi-Pass Technology to ensure a high absorption rate
- Contains prebiotics
- Expensive, but offers discounted bundles
If you’re looking for something truly strong to add to your daily routine, which has the highest chance of absorption, YourBiology Gut+ is definitely one of the best options. Its formulated probiotics contain 40 billion CFUs per capsule, derived from four powerful probiotic strains that aim to help improve every part of your body.
Thousands of positive reviews talk about noticing a change within the first 48 hours of taking this brand of probiotics, with even more positive results after one month of consistent use. Their patented MAKtrekⓇ Bi-Pass Technology marine complex helps to ensure that the probiotic blend reaches your intestines basically intact and doesn’t get damaged by the strongly acidic environment in your stomach.
The blend features four powerful strains of probiotics, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Lactobacillus paracasei that separately target different areas of your health but together work in unison to help support good bacteria in your gut, strengthen your gut lining, improve the breakdown of food, regulate your bowel movements, eliminate cramps and bloating, and reduce overall inflammation.
The formula also contains prebiotic fiber that feeds the bacteria in your gut and helps maintain their healthy levels even after months of taking the probiotic as a regular part of your daily routine.
1MD Complete Probiotics Platinum
With 51 billion CFUs, 1MD Complete Probiotics Platinum is the strongest probiotic supplement on the market.
- 51 billion powerful CFUs from 11 robust strains
- Delayed-release capsule to enhance absorption
- Features Nutraflora® prebiotic fiber to strengthen overall immune function
- Only available online and often out of stock
1MD Complete Probiotics Platinum is one of the best probiotics for women who are dealing with menopause, weight issues, improving their digestive system, and striving for immune health. With 51 billion CFUs coming from 11 powerful strains, this probiotic supplement is incredibly powerful in delivering healthy bacteria and feeding your gut microbiome.
The delayed-release capsule ensures the probiotic blend reaches your intestines intact and helps strengthen your gut lining, and improves immune function. It also helps reduce intestinal inflammation, prevent yeast infections in the vagina that originate in the rectum, and treat other hormonal and vaginal health concerns related to menopause.
Women over 50 often deal with other digestive issues[9] such as ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and more, and this powerful probiotic helps relieve some of the unpleasant symptoms as well as combat antibiotic-associated diarrhea.
The capsule is free of dairy, gluten, soy, and sugars, as well as any artificial ingredients, fillers, and additives. Its advisory board includes a gastroenterologist; it is also lab-tested for purity, potency, and quality.
Choosing The Best Probiotics For Women Over 50
Women over 50 need a plethora of micronutrients to support their overall health and well-being, and it’s often impossible to get everything they need from diet alone, no matter how healthy and balanced it is. The best probiotics for women over 50 need to have the following qualities:
High-Quality Strains Of Probiotic
No matter how marketed a probiotic is, if it doesn’t contain the best strains of probiotics, it won’t be able to replenish and rebalance your gut microbiome to promote a healthy gut. Choose only the brands with the highest-quality strains, like Lactobacillus acidophilus, which have plenty of research and scientific evidence to back up their choices.
Time-Delayed Capsule
Even if you get the best and highest quality probiotic formula, it will all mean nothing unless it’s able to actually reach your gut microbiome since regular capsules get easily destroyed and damaged by the highly acidic environment of your stomach.
Brands with a delayed-release design ensure the capsule stays intact until it reaches your intestines and only then releases the probiotics where they’re needed. Some brands even have patented technology, indicating the research and thought of making these powerful supplements.
Additional Prebiotic Fiber
Probiotics help replenish your gut microbiome, and prebiotics act as their food, keeping them alive. Even though a good-quality probiotic brand doesn’t have to contain prebiotics, plenty of them do, so instead of taking two different supplements, you can support your gut health with only one.
Clean Formula
You’ll always want to choose a brand that contains no unnecessary ingredients and is gluten-free, sugar-free, preferably dairy-free and allergen-free, and without any artificial ingredients or genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Third-Party-Tested
When a brand chooses to do its lab testing from an independent lab, if they hold a certificate, it ensures the blend was made with the highest level of purity, potency, and quality standards that can truly be beneficial to your overall health.
Final Thought
The best probiotics for women over 50 help improve their overall health at any stage of their life. When turning 50, their life changes drastically, and the menopausal symptoms they experience can be pretty brutal.
High-quality probiotics can help tackle more than just your digestion by helping prevent yeast infections, improving immune function, and–as some are even specifically formulated– improving hormonal and vaginal health.
Frequently Asked Questions
Probiotics are one of the best supplements for women over 50. They help improve every aspect of their overall health and especially in those areas affected by menopause, like vaginal health and preventing yeast infections.
You should always follow the instructions and guidelines written on the label, but if you’re experiencing some uncomfortable symptoms or other digestive issues, consult your doctor and have them reassess and recommend the best dose for you to properly support a healthy gut microbiome.
Some of the best probiotics for women in menopause include Ritual, HUM Nutrition, and 1MD.
Women should take a probiotic that supports their digestion and improves their overall quality of life. It should be gluten-free, allergen-free, and free of any artificial ingredients, and if they don’t respond well to it, they should try another brand. Not every product is made for every person, and sometimes it’s all about trial and error before you find the formula that suits you and your health goals the best.
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Written by:
Karla Tafra, Nutritionist
Medically reviewed by:
Medically reviewed by:
