For years, probiotics have been marketed as the magic solution for gut issues, bloating, immunity, and even mood. They appear in capsules, powders, drinks, yoghurts, and fermented products that promise to “rebuild your gut” or “restore good bacteria”. The idea sounds convincing: add healthy bacteria to the gut and everything improves. But once we look at how the body actually operates, the entire concept falls apart.
Probiotics don’t fix the gut, they don’t correct the terrain, and they don’t have the ability to colonise or transform a microbiome that already contains trillions of organisms. At best, they create a short-lived placebo effect. At worst, they distract people from the real work of healing. Natural Hygiene teaches that the body is self-ordering and self-repairing. When you understand this, the failure of probiotics immediately makes sense.
The Scale Problem: Trillions vs Billions
Most probiotic products boast “10 billion” or even “50 billion” bacteria per dose. It sounds like an impressive number until you realise the gut hosts anywhere between 100 to 300 trillion microorganisms. This is like tipping a cup of water into the ocean and expecting the ocean to noticeably change. The gut’s bacterial population is vast, dynamic, and highly responsive to its internal environment. Adding a small number of external strains is biologically insignificant.
Stomach Acid Destroys Most Probiotics
Stomach acid is intentionally one of the strongest acids found in nature. Its job is to neutralise pathogens and break down food. Most probiotic organisms cannot survive this journey. Even manufacturers acknowledge this problem, which is why they create “enteric-coated capsules” or “acid-resistant strains”, but even these survive in very low numbers. And survival alone does not mean influence. Simply reaching the intestines doesn’t magically create balance.
The Myth of Colonisation
People are often told that probiotics “colonise” the gut. This is not true. Numerous studies show that even when external strains reach the colon, they do not implant themselves permanently. The existing microbiome is like a tightly woven forest. It does not simply move aside and allow new strains to take over. Once probiotic supplementation stops, any temporary presence disappears, and the microbiome continues following the same patterns it had before.
The only true way to change the microbiome is to change the terrain. If the internal environment remains congested, inflamed, dehydrated, or overloaded, no amount of added bacteria will produce lasting improvements.
The Terrain Determines the Microbiome
Natural Hygiene teaches that the condition of the body determines everything. The microbiome reorganises itself automatically based on the quality of food, hydration levels, rest, emotional state, and toxin load. A polluted internal environment creates a disordered microbiome. A clean environment creates a harmonious one. This is why fasting, hydration, fresh fruit, early nights, and reducing irritants can transform digestion far more effectively than any supplement.
The body is not a container you can simply “add bacteria” to. It is a living, adaptive, intelligent system. The microbiome is an outcome, not a cause. Changing the bacteria without changing the conditions that produced them is like trying to fix mould without addressing the dampness.
Short-Term Effects Are Not Healing
Some people report feeling better when they first start probiotics. This is not because the product corrected anything. It is usually:
- a placebo effect
- a mild shift in fermentation within the gut
- a brief change in bowel movement frequency
- the impact of removing irritants when switching to a “healthier” routine
None of this is healing. When probiotics are stopped, symptoms return because the root cause wasn’t addressed. This cycle leads many people to keep trying different strains, higher doses, and more expensive brands, chasing something that was never going to work.
Your Microbiome Rebuilds Itself Naturally
Every single day, the body regenerates its internal environment. Cells are replaced, damaged tissue is cleared, detoxification takes place, and the microbiome adjusts itself accordingly. Autolysis, autophagy, and natural turnover constantly reshape and refine the internal terrain. This is why people who switch to cleaner diets, rest more, hydrate well, and stop overwhelming their digestion experience real and lasting improvements.
You don’t need to add bacteria to correct the gut. You need to stop irritating it and let the body do what it already knows how to do.
The Real Solution: Restore the Terrain
If digestion is sluggish, if the gut feels inflamed, if bloating or discomfort are common, probiotics are not the answer. Instead:
- remove irritants
- simplify meals
- hydrate deeply
- prioritise fruit
- get adequate sleep
- practise rest and fasting periodically
When the terrain is restored, the microbiome reorganises itself with stunning precision. No supplement can compete with that.
Probiotics don’t heal.
The body heals — when you stop interfering.