Can I Take Vitamin C and Probiotics Together?

  • By Performance Lab
  • 4 minute read
Can I Take Vitamin C and Probiotics Together?

The gut is home to over 1,000 bacterial species and more than 70-80% of your immune system 1. Contrary to popular belief, these microbiotas make up your gut microbiome, which is involved in more than just digesting your food.

A healthy gut is imperative for proper immune function, digestion, mood, nutrient synthesis, energy metabolism, and much more 2.

An imbalanced gut not only spells trouble for digestion but a host of other systems as well. That’s why supporting your gut with things like probiotics, and other nutrients is critical to optimizing health.

But can you take probiotic supplements with other immune boosters like vitamin C? The short answer: Yes - but let’s dive into the details.

What Do Probiotics Do?

You’ve probably heard a lot of talk about probiotics - whether from food or supplements, they’re some of the best things you can take to support gut health. Within the umbrella of “probiotic bacteria,” we have two types: probiotics and prebiotics.

Probiotics are tiny, friendly bacteria that provide health benefits when consumed, whereas prebiotics are the food that feeds the good bacteria.

When taken in supplemental form, probiotics are intended to help colonize the gut with good bacteria, as a gut full of healthy bacteria provides numerous health benefits, including 3:

  • Better digestion
  • Stronger immune function
  • More stable mood
  • Weight loss
  • Healthier skin

That said, the benefits of probiotics are typically specific to the strain. Certain bacterial strains benefit immune health, while others may help the skin - it all depends on what you’re looking to accomplish.

Regardless, supplementing with probiotics and prebiotics are a great way to restore gut flora and improve overall health.

What Is Vitamin C And What Does It Do?

Before we can get to the role of vitamin C and probiotics, we first need to understand how vitamin C fits into the equation. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that’s best known for supporting immune health 4.

It plays an active role as an antioxidant and supports numerous other processes like tissue repair and neurotransmitter production 5. Antioxidants are essential for strengthening your body’s natural defenses.

Studies show that increasing your vitamin C intake can increase serum concentrations of antioxidants, allowing the body to effectively fight illness and inflammation 6. It’s also been shown to play an active role in supporting immune cell function, skin barrier defenses (mainly collagen), and wound healing.

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But how does vitamin C fit in with probiotics? Because over 70% of your immune system resides in the gut and vitamin C is such a powerful immune booster, taking vitamin C and probiotics are one of the best ways to support immunity naturally - but is it safe to take them together?

Can You Take Vitamin C And Probiotics At The Same Time?

Although vitamin C and probiotics offer different benefits for gut health and immunity, they complement each other well, meaning they’re safe to take together.

A healthy gut environment is essential to support nutrient absorption 4. If you struggle with dysbiosis or other gut issues, it can be difficult for your body to absorb various nutrients needed to sustain health.

That’s why taking a probiotic to support gut health is key to maximizing the benefit of vitamin C for immune health.

Here’s some more proof: A 2015 study of pre-school-aged children looked at the efficacy of a probiotic combined with vitamin C on the prevention of respiratory tract infections and found positive results; there were significant reductions in the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections, URTI symptoms, and the rate of absence from preschool 7.

The use of antibiotics, painkillers, cough medicine, or nasal sprays was also lower in the group taking probiotics with vitamin C.

Other Ways To Support Immune Health

Loading up on probiotics and vitamin C is one way to maintain gut health and immune function, but there are plenty of other ways to do it, too:

  1. Get enough sleep: Sleep strengthens your body’s natural immune defenses and enables more effective protection against illness 8. Studies find that people who sleep less than six hours per night are more likely to catch a cold than those who sleep more than six hours. Aim for 7 to 9 hours of quality rest each night 9.
  2. Eat whole foods: Foods rich in color contain an abundance of phytonutrients and antioxidants that bolster immune function and fend off inflammation 10. Healthy fats are also crucial for mitigating inflammation and preventing immune suppression.
  3. Limit sugar: Sugar suppresses the immune system, so do your best to avoid added sugars whenever possible. Plus, sugar is inflammatory, and low-grade inflammation is a driver of chronic disease and immune disorders.
  4. Supplement for extra support: If you’re doing everything else right to support immune function, some additional supplementation can also be helpful. PL-Immune™ is a patented formula designed to bolster your natural immune defenses. Featuring a power-packed combination of NutriGenesis vitamins and minerals, IMMUSE™ paraprobiotic, and glutathione, PL-Immune is a dynamic probiotic and antioxidant stack designed to activate various types of immune cells to restore frontline defenses and support your natural immune function for robust long-range health.
  5. Manage stress: Long-term chronic stress causes inflammation, which creates imbalance and dysfunction in immune cells 11, 12. If you’re not keen on dealing with poor immunity from stress, practice meditation, mindfulness, deep breathing, or go on a nature walk to reduce stress levels.

References

  1. Wiertsema SP, van Bergenhenegouwen J, Garssen J, Knippels LMJ. The Interplay between the Gut Microbiome and the Immune System in the Context of Infectious Diseases throughout Life and the Role of Nutrition in Optimizing Treatment Strategies. Nutrients. 2021;13(3):886.
  2. Zhang YJ, Li S, Gan RY, Zhou T, Xu DP, Li HB. Impacts of gut bacteria on human health and diseases. Int J Mol Sci. 2015;16(4):7493-7519.
  3. Shi LH, Balakrishnan K, Thiagarajah K, Mohd Ismail NI, Yin OS. Beneficial Properties of Probiotics. Trop Life Sci Res. 2016;27(2):73-90.
  4. Carr AC, Maggini S. Vitamin C and Immune Function.  2017;9(11):1211.
  5. Pullar JM, Carr AC, Bozonet SM, Vissers MCM. High Vitamin C Status Is Associated with Elevated Mood in Male Tertiary Students. Antioxidants (Basel). 2018;7(7):91.
  6. Kim MK, Sasazuki S, Sasaki S, Okubo S, Hayashi M, Tsugane S. Effect of five-year supplementation of vitamin C on serum vitamin C concentration and consumption of vegetables and fruits in middle-aged Japanese: a randomized controlled trial. J Am Coll Nutr. 2003;22(3):208-216.
  7. Garaiova I, Muchová J, Nagyová Z, et al. Probiotics and vitamin C for the prevention of respiratory tract infections in children attending preschool: a randomised controlled pilot study. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2015;69(3):373-379.
  8. Besedovsky L, Lange T, Haack M. The Sleep-Immune Crosstalk in Health and Disease. Physiol Rev. 2019;99(3):1325-1380.
  9. Prather AA, Janicki-Deverts D, Hall MH, Cohen S. Behaviorally Assessed Sleep and Susceptibility to the Common Cold.  2015;38(9):1353-1359.
  10. Serafini M, Peluso I. Functional Foods for Health: The Interrelated Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Role of Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs, Spices and Cocoa in Humans. Curr Pharm Des. 2016;22(44):6701-6715.
  11. Dhabhar FS. Effects of stress on immune function: the good, the bad, and the beautiful. Immunol Res. 2014;58(2-3):193-210.
  12. Cohen S, Janicki-Deverts D, Doyle WJ, et al. Chronic stress, glucocorticoid receptor resistance, inflammation, and disease risk. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012;109(16):5995-5999.

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