In This Article
In This Article
You’ve probably heard how important probiotics are for your digestive system. Probiotic supplements help break down your food, keep bad bacteria at bay, and ensure your digestion runs smoothly.
But the benefits of probiotics extend beyond a healthy gut. They can be good for your heart, skin, mental performance, and immune function.
Nearly everyone can benefit from probiotic supplements. But are there any benefits that are unique to men? Let’s take a closer look.
We focused on each probiotic’s health benefits and took price, convenience, and accessibility into consideration, as well.
After determining which probiotics performed the best, we determined which probiotic would be best for specific benefits.
Some men want to feel healthier overall, others want specific boosts in terms of digestive health or their immune system. We evaluated each probiotic’s success in terms of its goals and if the research and science behind them were sound.
These are just some strains you might want to look out for in a probiotic supplement:
For biological men, these are the specific probiotic strains that may benefit you most and boost testosterone and/or prostate health:
Remember that different probiotic strains provide different additional benefits. Probiotics, in general, will help you out in a holistic manner—it’s up to you to figure out if you also want an extra boost for your immune system, testosterone, digestive health, etc.
The probiotic strain you want to focus on may work well with others, so take that into consideration as well.
Know Your DNA Reviews
Our review of the best at-home Microbiome Tests.
Here are the top probiotics we recommend for men’s health:
| Price | Form | Notable strains/ingredients | CFUs | |
| Viome Precision | $139.00 | Capsule | Depends on results | N/A |
| Ombre Endless Energy | $39.99 | Capsule | Saccharomyces boulardii Lactobacillus paracasei | 5 billion |
| Ombre Mood Enhancer | $39.99 | Capsule | Bifidobacterium longum Lactobacillus plantarum Lactobacillus rhamnosus | 10 billion |
| Garden of Life | $32.84 | Capsule | Acidophilus | 50 billion |
| Nature Target | $16.99 | Capsule | Bifidobacterium Lactobacillus | 60 billion |
Price: Starts at $139.00 per month (includes the Gut Intelligence Test)
Viome offers gut health tests that analyze your microbiome. The company uses your test results to suggest probiotics, prebiotics, and supplements suited to your needs. Once it has an idea of what you need, it will offer a customized probiotic supplement.
Currently, Viome offers three supplement bundles:
With Viome, you don’t just get a preformulated blend. They offer personalized supplements that are tailored to each person’s needs.
These supplements contain herbs, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that can help support a man’s health. They also have food extracts and digestive enzymes to aid in digestion and help curb problems like irritable bowel syndrome.
You’ll also get probiotic and prebiotic suggestions and other actionable steps that can balance your gut flora and improve your overall health, not just gut health.
Before you can get Viome’s personalized recommendations, you have to take their test. It’s a price you have to be willing to pay.
There’s also a bit of waiting time involved. It can take 3 to 4 weeks for your test results to arrive.
Use code for 15% off on the first three months if you subscribe
Price: Starts at $39.99 with a one-time purchase (you can subscribe and save up to 25% off)
Ombre Endless Energy is a prebiotic and probiotic formula. It supports energy and focus and enhances physical and mental performance.
It contains a unique blend of probiotic strains that strengthen the gut barrier and gut health.
This improves nutrient absorption and prevents toxins and undigested food from passing through the gut, which can cause inflammation, brain fog, and fatigue.
Endless Energy may also increase the production of short-chain fatty acids (SFAs). This helps reduce inflammation and regulate blood sugar, so you don’t experience crashes.
It includes prebiotic fibers that help feed beneficial bacteria and support gut health.
The strains in Ombre Endless Energy can also withstand stomach acid and bile. It allows them to make their way to the colon, where they provide the most benefit.
You can take it with or without a meal, which is very convenient. It’s unique in that it contains these bacteria in its probiotic supplement:
Ombre Endless Energy is caffeine-free, so you don’t have to worry about jitters or crashes.
Currently, there is little evidence that the strains used in Endless Energy can reduce brain fog, improve mental and physical performance, and increase energy levels.
However, its ability to reduce stress, improve sleep, and promote healthy digestion may lead to these outcomes.
Sale: $20 off
Price: Starts at $39.99 with a one-time purchase (you can subscribe and save up to 25% off)
Ombre Mood Enhancer contains “psychobiotics” or probiotics that benefit your mental health. They’re designed to increase your levels of serotonin.
Serotonin is the so-called “happy chemical” in the brain. It helps lift your mood and emotion. The hormone also influences your gut health, digestion, and sleep.
Low levels of serotonin have been linked to depression.15 By boosting serotonin, Ombre’s Mood Enhancer may improve sleep, cognitive function, and stress response.
The strains used in Ombre Mood Enhancer may increase serotonin production, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve memory and mental performance.
Ombre Mood Enhancer includes:
Mood Enhancer contains 10 billion CFUs (colony-forming units) per capsule. This refers to the number of live and viable bacteria contained in the probiotic supplement.
The higher the CFU, the more effective a probiotic supplement is. The probiotics in Mood Enhancer are shelf-stable, so no refrigeration is required.
It doesn’t contain prebiotics, which can help the probiotics better survive the passage through the gut. There is also no solid scientific evidence that the strains used in the supplement improve sleep quality.
Sale: $20 off
Price: $32.84 on Amazon
By taking just two capsules a day, you introduce 50 billion colony-forming units to better aid your digestive system and prostate health. Using clean, traceable ingredients, Garden of Life aims to empower you and your health decisions.
Not only does it serve its purpose as a prebiotic, but it also helps maintain and improve urinary tract and prostate health.
All the cranberries used in the prebiotic are also organically grown and free from any additives or artificial sweeteners.
Considered to be a little pricey, especially since they're more readily available on Amazon and it doesn't have a monthly subscription option.
It also looks like a ton of capsules in the canister, but it goes fast because you're taking two a day.
Price: $16.99 on Amazon
Serving the dual purpose of probiotic and immune system booster, Nature Target is a great option for anyone looking for their go-to supplement.
Nature Target also contains prebiotics, which is a great plus---especially for its price.
That will only further enhance gut flora as the probiotics are already given "food" to survive and thrive. Your gut health will only benefit from the healthy bacteria.
The capsule itself is protected by several layers to make it to the digestive tract. Delayed release promises the most efficacy when delivering the healthy bacteria to boost your immune system.
There are also plenty of tablets (90) per order, making it more cost-effective in the long run.
Some people experienced some initial bloating and constipation, which can be uncomfortable for the first few days.
Having a healthy gut is vital to your overall health. Unfortunately, an unhealthy lifestyle wreaks havoc on the gut. It exposes us to chronic stress, poor diet, lack of exercise, and antibiotics.
Diets that don’t include diverse, nutrient-dense foods, along with sedentary lifestyles, are often not doing the gut any favors. So you need to stay on top of your gut health to optimize your overall wellness.
Taking care of your gut leads to better overall health. Because the gut is connected to all organ systems, a healthy gut means a healthy body.
Probiotics directly impact and improve gut health. They’re a great way to support your gut and health and encourage beneficial bacteria to grow. Research has shown probiotic supplements to be helpful for:1,2,3
Men, in particular, may want to start probiotic supplements because many probiotic strains are beneficial for testosterone development. Boosting testosterone and hormone health in men may improve their mood, fertility, and mental health.
Probiotics promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in your gut. These good bacteria contribute to improved immune function, digestion, and overall health.
Probiotic supplements also help balance the gut against “bad” or harmful bacteria. The microbiome is a diverse landscape of bacteria and fungi. Some of these bacteria are beneficial and can contribute to overall wellness. Other bacteria are not quite as good.
Remember that the presence of these “bad” bacteria isn’t a problem in itself. You should be worried when there are too many strains of them. When your gut bacteria is imbalanced (gut dysbiosis), bad bacteria can mess up your gut and, subsequently, your entire body.
Probiotic supplements help combat this imbalance and promote the growth of good bacteria to crowd out the bad.
Probiotics are generally beneficial and do not require a prescription, but we highly recommend you consult your doctor or healthcare provider before taking them.
When you notice you’re feeling or experiencing the following, it may be time to consider asking your doctor if you should start taking probiotic supplements:
If you notice any other differences in your day-to-day, you should also tell your doctor about them—they may prescribe probiotics to address them too.
Certain probiotic strains are available for those who may need them. Some probiotic strains will help you boost immunity or digestive health while others are better suited for testosterone and hormone boosts.
Remember to get your doctor’s opinion before taking probiotics; they can give you suggestions and guidance on which ones may benefit you most.
If you also recently took an antibiotic, you may want to look into probiotics. Probiotic strains will help repopulate your gut microbiome and keep any digestive issues that sometimes accompany antibiotics at bay.
Beyond general health benefits, probiotics are great for specific aspects of male health.
Testosterone is vital to a man’s health. It impacts their mood, energy, strength, and sexual function. After peaking in their 20’s, their testosterone begins to drop by around 1.5% a year.4
Gut health appears to play a major role in men’s testosterone levels. Men with a higher diversity of gut microbes (a sign of a healthy gut) have higher testosterone levels.5
Low testosterone levels are linked to lower levels of good bacteria and higher levels of bad bacteria in the gut.6 Supplementation with a specific probiotic strain, Lactobacillus reuteri, has been shown to increase testosterone.7
By improving gut health, probiotics may help support healthy testosterone levels.
As men age, they are at a greater risk of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). It is a condition that causes the prostate to grow too large.
An enlarged prostate can make it difficult to urinate. You may have a weak stream, urinate more frequently, or fail to empty your bladder.
BPH is very common, occurring in about half of men over the age of 50 and 80% of men over 80.8 Inflammation and diseases like prostate cancer seem to be major causes of BPH.9
By creating inflammation, poor gut health may drive uncontrollable growth of the prostate.10
It may help explain why men diagnosed with prostate cancer have higher levels of gut bacteria that promote inflammation.11
Probiotics can potentially keep your prostate healthy by reducing inflammation and improving gut health.
By improving testosterone levels and blood vessel health, probiotics may help men in bed.
According to one study, men with erectile dysfunction tend to have lower bacterial diversity – one of many signs of poor gut health.12
Inflammation caused by harmful gut bacteria can damage the blood vessels. This reduces blood flow and makes it harder for men to get and sustain erections.
By reducing inflammation, probiotics can improve blood vessel health and erectile function.13
Probiotics also improve erectile function by increasing nitric oxide levels, a compound that dilates blood vessels and increases blood flow.14
Inflammation caused by an unhealthy gut microbiome may also damage sperm.
Infertile men who receive probiotic supplements have higher levels of healthy sperm and lower levels of inflammation and oxidative stress.13
The bacteria in a probiotic supplement can help reduce inflammation in the skin, minimize acne, and even contribute to your skin’s moisture and pH balance.
This is because certain bacteria can boost lipids and ceramides in the skin, which will help you retain moisture.
Moist skin is healthier all around, reducing your chances of developing acne, eczema, and wrinkles.
Because probiotics reduce inflammation in general, your skin is also less likely to become inflamed.
And because probiotics help curb allergic reactions, skin allergies will also happen less frequently.
When it comes to immune health, bacteria in a probiotic supplement can stimulate antibody production and strengthen intestinal immune cells.
A strong gut, by virtue of healthy gut flora, bolsters the cells living in the intestine. Because a diverse congregation of bacteria is beneficial, 70-80% of your immune cells live there.
With a majority of your pathogen-fighting cells enriched by the bacteria from a high quality probiotic supplement, your body will be all the healthier and even more immune.
Strengthening immune health is important to keep infections at bay.
If you constantly suffer from digestive problems like irritable bowel syndrome, probiotics may just solve them for you.
Gut imbalances (called dysbiosis) happen when bad bacteria outnumber or overpower beneficial bacteria. This can happen because of a variety of reasons, such as:
So if you’re suffering from digestive issues like painful stomach acid or abdominal pain, probiotics may help.
Just like how they optimize immune health, probiotic supplements boost colon health.
Note: Probiotics may sometimes be prescribed by your doctor along with antibiotics to counter the negative effects of eliminating the bacteria (even beneficial bacteria) in your microbiome. Ask your healthcare provider for more information if you ever need to complete a dose of antibiotics.
If you want to start introducing more probiotic strains to your body without necessarily looking into probiotic supplements, you can always incorporate more of these foods into your diet:
Fermented foods in general are great for the gut and are good for diversifying your diet and microbiome.
Poor gut health can lead to poor health overall.
Because the gut is connected to other organ systems, your body may not feel its best if your gut doesn’t have enough diversity in terms of bacteria and/or the balance is off.
As a man, your testosterone levels may drop and your prostate may suffer. You may also fail to perform sexually as a result.
It’s important to stay on top of gut health in order to keep yourself holistically healthy.
Here are just a few symptoms of poor gut health:
These symptoms will become worse if you don’t make changes in your lifestyle or diet. One easy way to tackle these problems is through probiotics.
Again, always consult your healthcare provider before starting any kind of supplement or diet change.
Know Your DNA Reviews
Looking for the best microbiome kit on the market? Look no further! Our review round-up page has all the information you need to make an informed decision.
