When “just drinking a probiotic” isn’t enough: why personalization matters

Світлана Бурмей
7 days ago
7 min read

The illusion of a magic pill for the intestines

In today's world, where digestive problems, chronic fatigue, and decreased immunity have become the norm, the health industry offers a seemingly simple solution. Advertising from all screens calls us: when you have bloating, after a course of antibiotics, or during stress, it is enough to simply go to the pharmacy and "drink a probiotic." We buy bright jars with billions of lacto- and bifidobacteria, hoping for instant healing. However, in practice, thousands of patients are disappointed: the advertised drug either does not give any effect, or, even worse, provokes exacerbation of symptoms, pain, allergic reactions, and severe flatulence.

Why is this happening? Classical medical protocols often involve treating different patients with the same disease according to the same universal scheme, without taking into account the individual characteristics of a particular person. Modern 4P medicine (personalized, predictive, preventive, patient-centered) proves that the gastrointestinal tract is not just a pipe for digesting food, it is a unique ecosystem that is more individual than fingerprints. In this scientific article, we will analyze in detail why not all probiotics are the same , why "blind" prescribing of bacteria can cause harm, how a deep analysis of the microbiome helps to understand what to correct , and why personalized probiotics are the only proven path to true health.

1. Not all probiotics are the same: The pitfall of the classical approach

The main mistake of mass consumption of probiotics is the belief that there are absolutely universal "good" bacteria. Many believe that any lactobacilli or bifidobacteria will a priori be beneficial. However, microbiologists emphasize that it is impossible to simply recommend "some bifidobacteria" to everyone, because the same strain in different organisms will give a completely different effect.

How the bacteria will behave in your body directly depends on your current state and genetically determined microbiota profile. For example, when the microbiota is disturbed, the old medical system simply prescribes a standard probiotic. But if the patient has a latent lactose intolerance, and the probiotic was grown on a dairy medium (or contains traces of it), such a drug will cause acute allergic reactions and fermentation.

Moreover, different strains have different properties and affect different pathogens. Even if the bacteria belong to the same species, their metabolic functions can be radically different. Therefore, targeted and selective use of individually selected drugs makes sense, while all other "blind" schemes will give at best a short-term or zero result.

2. Antibiotics and Probiotics: Why the Random Drug is a "Greater Evil"

The problem of lack of personalization is most clearly manifested during and after antibiotic therapy. Traditionally, doctors recommend taking a probiotic that is currently "on the radar" or actively promoted by pharmaceutical companies. Professor Nadiya Boyko warns that such a mass prescription of random probiotics after antibiotics is "an even greater evil."

Why is this so dangerous? The antibiotic has already dealt a devastating blow to your own (commensal) microflora, disrupting its protective functions. If you then introduce a huge dose of foreign microorganisms into your intestines from a pharmacy capsule, these new bacteria begin to aggressively compete for resources. Instead of giving your native, beneficial old-timers a chance to recover, the accidental probiotic continues to destroy and crowd them out.

In order to expect a positive effect from the drug, the selection of probiotics must be carried out as carefully and precisely as the selection of antibiotics themselves. It is necessary to know exactly which representatives of your microbiome have undergone changes, which strains are missing, and whether the new bacteria will not conflict with your residual flora.

3. Microbiome Analysis: It’s important to know what to adjust

To move from a medical lottery to an exact science, a solid foundation is needed. The main frustration of many patients is the "diagnostic dead end": a person takes an expensive test, sees that he lacks certain bacteria (for example, Akkermansia ), but does not receive clear instructions on what to do about it. In addition, traditional bacteriological cultures (for dysbacteriosis) are outdated, as they detect only a small fraction of the flora.

Innovative 4P medicine offers a deep genetic analysis of the microbiome (Omics profile), which determines the DNA of all microorganisms. This analysis allows you to do several critically important things:

Establish a diagnostic relationship (etiology): The study shows not only the presence of bacteria, but also reveals who is responsible for the pathological process. An opportunistic microorganism is not always the cause of the disease; it is important to find a violation of the ecological balance.
Assess metabolic activity: A genetic test (with elements of metabolomics) shows exactly what compounds your bacteria produce — short-chain fatty acids, neurotransmitters, or toxins.
Detect inflammatory markers: The study allows you to see a decrease in the level of secretory IgA (decrease in local immunity) or an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α), which indicates an acute infectious process.

With this comprehensive information, specialists get an accurate map: they see which microorganisms are too many and which are critically lacking. Only then does it become clear what to correct . For example, if a woman is diagnosed with oral candidiasis, the analysis will show excessive growth of Candida parapsilosis fungi and E. coli bacteria against the background of a decrease in her own lactobacilli. Knowing this, you can proceed to targeted correction.

4. Personalized Probiotics (Pharmabiotics): Precision Weapons Instead of "Carpet Bombing"

Having received data on the microbiome, the Ukrainian biotechnology company Ediens does not leave the patient alone with the results. Instead of classic probiotics, a selection of probiotics with proven effects is used - the so-called pharmabiotics. These are new-generation biologics created on the basis of clinical studies of stratified groups of patients.

The personalization process is as follows:

Compatibility testing: All prescriptions are based on individual diagnostics. The company selects a treatment regimen based on the compatibility of the new bacteria with the patient's own beneficial microorganisms. The drugs are selected so that they selectively inhibit the growth of bad bacteria without negatively affecting the beneficial flora.
Manual selection and verification of pharmacy products: If a patient does not want to use the company's proprietary pharmabiotics, but wants to take a specific drug from the pharmacy (for example, Florium, Enterol or Subalin), the laboratory can test this specific commercial drug on the patient's microbiota. Specialists check whether this pharmacy probiotic is able to suppress the pathogens that caused inflammation in a particular person.
Guaranteed effectiveness: Thanks to the use of machine learning algorithms and risk models, the effect of the prescribed remedy is predicted in advance. The patient receives not just a random capsule, but a personalized 14-day course that is guaranteed to stabilize the condition of the mucous membranes.

5. Top tier: Individual microbiota and nutrition bank

It has been scientifically proven that your own, acquired commensal (native) microorganisms are much more valuable and effective for each person than any drugs obtained from the outside. Therefore, the highest level of personalization is the creation of an individual microbiota bank. After passing an in-depth analysis, you can isolate, multiply and preserve your own strong bacteria. In the future, after severe stress or antibiotics, this "biological currency" will allow you to restore your health in the most natural way.

It should also be remembered that any personalized probiotics require proper nutrition, because we are not feeding ourselves, but our bacteria. If we only populate the microbiome without providing it with complete food (prebiotics), the introduced bacteria simply will not take root. Therefore, based on genetic analysis, algorithms calculate a completely individual nutrition plan that nourishes your unique ecosystem.

Conclusion

Blindly taking random bacterial preparations is a thing of the past. Not all probiotics are the same , and what has become a cure for one person can cause dysbiosis in another. When health problems arise, “just drinking a probiotic” is not enough, and after a course of antibiotics it is generally a dangerous step, leading to a competitive struggle of microorganisms in the intestines. True recovery is impossible without an accurate genetic analysis of the microbiome , which shows what exactly needs to be corrected and which metabolic pathways are disrupted. Thanks to modern 4P medicine and innovations from Ediens, the selection of probiotics has become a predictable process. Using personalized probiotics (pharmabiotics), which are tested for compatibility with your own flora, and applying individual nutrition, you get a guaranteed result — strong immunity, healthy digestion and active longevity.

Short questions and answers (Q&A)

1. Why might a regular over-the-counter probiotic not help or even cause bloating? Answer: Not all probiotics are created equal , and each body has a unique starting microbiome. If a product is chosen blindly, its strains may compete with your own bacteria, or the product may contain components (such as traces of lactose) that your body cannot digest. This provokes inflammation, fermentation, and severe flatulence.

2. Why do doctors warn against taking probiotics on your own after a course of antibiotics? Answer: The antibiotic has already destroyed part of your protective (commensal) microflora. If you take a multi-component random drug immediately after that, a large number of foreign bacteria will begin to aggressively displace the remnants of your native beneficial flora. The selection of probiotics should be as careful as the choice of antibiotics, so as not to harm the system even more.

3. What does a genetic analysis of the microbiome provide before starting treatment? Answer: A microbiome analysis is necessary to know exactly what to correct . It not only identifies pathogens, but also establishes a diagnostic correlation (who exactly is to blame for the disease) and assesses the metabolic activity of bacteria. This allows specialists to select strains that will specifically destroy the infection without affecting your own beneficial microorganisms.

4. What are personalized probiotics (pharmabiotics) and how are they selected? Answer: Personalized probiotics (pharmabiotics) are drugs with clinically proven effects that are prescribed exclusively after diagnosis. Specialists (for example, in the Ediens laboratory) test different strains of bacteria for their ability to suppress pathogens found in your analysis. This forms a predicted course of treatment that is ideally compatible with your body.