Can Probiotics Help with Inflammatory Bowel Disease?

Living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) isn’t easy. Whether you have ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, both conditions cause long-term inflammation in the digestive tract. 

That can mean stomach pain, urgent trips to the bathroom, food sensitivities, fatigue, and constant worry about flare-ups.

While medications can help manage symptoms, they often don’t solve everything. Many people are now looking for extra support, especially through diet, gut health, and probiotics. In this post, we’ll explore what researchers are learning about probiotics and how they may help support gut health in people with IBD.

What Makes IBD So Complicated

IBD is more than just a digestive issue. It’s an ongoing problem where the immune system attacks the lining of the gut by mistake. That causes inflammation, which can damage tissue and interrupt digestion.

There are two main types of IBD:

• Ulcerative colitis affects the large intestine (colon) and rectum.

• Crohn’s disease can affect any part of the digestive tract.

No one fully understands what causes IBD. But most experts agree that it’s linked to a mix of genetics, immune system problems, and changes in the gut microbiome.

Why Gut Bacteria Play a Big Role in IBD

In people with IBD, the gut microbiome often looks very different. There’s usually less variety, and many helpful bacteria are missing or outnumbered. This imbalance is known as dysbiosis.

Why does this matter?

Because healthy gut bacteria do a lot of important jobs:

• They make short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which help repair the gut lining

• They produce anti-inflammatory compounds from nutrients like tryptophan

• They support bile acid balance and nutrient absorption

• They help calm the immune system

When these good bacteria disappear, the gut becomes more fragile, the immune system becomes more reactive, and inflammation gets worse.

What the Research Says About Probiotics

Probiotics are live bacteria that may help restore balance to the gut. But not all probiotics work the same way. Some are better for basic digestion, while others have shown specific benefits for inflammation and gut repair, two major issues in IBD.

Here are some findings from recent animal studies and early lab research:

• Lactococcus lactis ML2018 helped strengthen the gut barrier, reduce scarring (fibrosis), and boost SCFA production. SCFAs are important because they fuel the cells lining your intestines.

• Bifidobacterium bifidum helped increase the activity of something called the AhR receptor. This receptor is important for keeping the gut lining strong and reducing inflammation.

• Lactobacillus casei improved symptoms in models of ulcerative colitis and helped balance bile acid levels, another key part of gut function.

• Lactobacillus plantarum helped the immune system produce more calming cells (called Tregs) and increased levels of IL-10, a natural anti-inflammatory.

• A multi-strain probiotic blend also helped protect the proteins that hold the gut lining together and prevented cell damage.

These results are promising, but it’s important to know that most of these studies were done in animals or lab settings. We need more human studies to confirm how well these probiotics work for people with IBD.

How Probiotics Might Help People with IBD

Even though research is still growing, here’s what probiotics might be able to do for someone with IBD:

• Help the gut lining stay strong and less “leaky”

• Reduce overactive inflammation

• Support better digestion during remission

• Possibly reduce the severity or frequency of flare-ups

• Rebalance gut bacteria over time

This doesn’t mean probiotics are a cure. But they may help your body manage the condition more effectively when used alongside other treatments.

Understanding the Gut Barrier and Why It Matters in IBD

Think of your gut lining as a protective wall. It decides what gets absorbed into your bloodstream and what gets blocked out. In a healthy gut, this wall is strong and selective. But in IBD, that barrier often becomes weak or “leaky.”

When the gut barrier breaks down:

• Harmful substances can slip through

• The immune system responds with more inflammation

• Healing becomes harder, and flare-ups are more likely

This is where certain probiotics may help. Some strains have been shown to:

• Improve the strength of tight junctions (the “seals” between gut cells)

• Encourage the production of mucus that adds another layer of protection

• Support the growth of cells that repair damage to the gut lining

By reinforcing the gut barrier, these probiotics may reduce the risk of unwanted immune reactions and help the digestive system function more smoothly, even in people with chronic inflammation like IBD.

Why Strain Selection Matters

If you’re thinking about trying probiotics, don’t just grab the first one you see. Probiotics are strain-specific, meaning different strains do different things. One strain might help with diarrhea, while another might support immune function.

Look for probiotics that:

• Clearly list the full strain name (like Lactobacillus plantarum 299v)

• Have been studied in gut health or inflammation

• Come from trusted, high-quality sources

You might also benefit from a multi-strain product, especially one that supports both the gut lining and immune balance.

Why Gut Health Deserves a Place in Your IBD Routine

Inflammatory bowel disease is a complex condition, and there’s no single fix. But probiotics, especially the right ones, support gut healing, reduce inflammation, and improve quality of life over time.

Research is still developing, but many people with IBD are already seeing value in making gut health a part of their routine. If you’re thinking about adding a probiotic to your IBD support plan, talk to your healthcare provider, and consider choosing a product backed by research.

Curated Wellness offers a trusted path to explore the best in gut health supplements, including probiotics studied for their role in inflammation and gut repair.

Taking care of your gut may be one of the most powerful ways to take care of your whole body, starting from within.

Top Recommended Probiotic Supplements for IBD Support:

ProBiota HistaminX - Seeking Health

ProBiota HistaminX is a unique probiotic supplement designed specifically for those sensitive to histamine.

Ideal Bowel Support - Jarrow Formulas

Jarro-Dophilus® Ideal Bowel Support® features a clinically documented, human-origin probiotic strain, L. plantarum 299v, that resists stomach acid and bile salts and demonstrates specific adherence properties for colonization of human intestinal mucosa. The benefits of L. plantarum 299v has been observed in studies pertaining to intestinal health.

UltraFlora® Acute Care Probiotic- Metagenics

Relieves occasional diarrhea and acute bowel distress* UltraFlora® Acute Care Probiotic is a unique blend of beneficial bacteria and Saccharomyces boulardii probiotic yeast. Relieves sudden bowel discomfort, including occasional loose stools.