6 Best Probiotic Brands For Psoriasis (2023)
Medically reviewed by: Since starting this blog many years ago I have received messages from readers suffering from Psoriasis.
My heart goes out to them and while I have never suffered with Psoriasis, I understand how debilitating this condition might be for some because of my own health struggles.
In this guide, I will be sharing the connection between gut health and psoriasis.
In short, research has shown that people with Psoriasis are more likely to have gut bacteria imbalances.
Medical guidelines don't currently show probiotics can treat or cure psoriasis, but they can modulate gut bacteria.
The content in this post WAS medically reviewed by a board certified dermatologist.
Psoriasis And The Microbiome
Studies on the microbiome have shown the gut and skin axis plays a role in Psoriasis through the anti-inflammatory effects of probiotics. It was claimed in one study that patients with Psoriasis had lower levels of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in the microbiome than in patients without Psoriasis and far lower levels of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii.
This 2019 study went to further detailing how dysbiosis, an imbalance of gut bacteria was found in a cohort of patients with psoriasis. In the study, 16S rRNA gene sequencing and bioinformatic analyses was performed on the feces of 19 patients with Psoriasis and on 20 that didn't have Psoriasis and it was clear the Psoriasis group had an imbalance in microbiome bacteria.
This 2020 review article from researches in China looked into the skin and gut microbiome in Psoriasis in hopes to find new therapies. The article started by claiming that there was evidence alterations in the skin & intestinal microbiome played an important role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Because of that they claimed restoration of the microbiome could be a promising preventive and therapeutic strategy for psoriasis.
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Probiotics Strains For Psoriasis
Not every probiotic strain has been studied exclusively in humans suffering from Psoriasis. There are said to be 24 known species of Bifidobacterium probiotic bacteria but for Psoriasis, I only found one Bifidobacterium strain that was used in a human clinical trial.
From the information available, the anti-inflammatory effect that some Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium bacteria have via the gut and skin axis may be what helps with Psoriasis. It has been stated that for psoriasis, probiotics are not a one size fits all approach.
Lactobacillus Probiotic Bacteria
In this 2012 study, a 47-year-old lady with rare pustular psoriasis was not responding to treatments that included M**********e. Her psoriasis was all over her body and it was noted that the patient looked very ill and febrile.
In this remarkable documented case, the patient was asked to take Lactobacillus probiotic bacteria 3 times per day and monitored closely. At 15-days her fever subsided, lesions began involuting, no new lesions were noted and her blood sugar levels dropped.
She continued to take the lactobacillus probiotic bacteria for 6-months and has since recovered from her pustular and plaque psoriasis. It was stated that different probiotic strains have different immunomodulatory reactions but that their study could inspire further research.
Bifidobacterium Probiotic Strains
In this 2013 study, 26 patients with Psoriasis were asked to either take Bifidobacterium infantis (B. infantis) 35624, for 6 to 8 weeks or a placebo which made it simple to see if Bifidobacterium Infantis works for Psoriasis or not.
Plasma CRP levels were significantly reduced in B. infantis 35624-fed subjects compared with placebo controls in psoriasis after 8-weeks of taking the probiotic bacteria. In the placebo group, plasma CRP levels increased slightly. This is important because it proved probiotic bacteria modulate inflammation processes beyond the gut like in the skin for example.
6 Best Probiotic Brands For Psoriasis
Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Paracasei, Lactobacillus Salivarius, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Lactobacillus Bulgaricus, Bifidobacterium Lactis, Bifidobacterium Bifidum, Bifidobacterium Longum and Bifidobacterium Breve.
Physician's Choice probiotic features 6 Lactobacillus strains and 4 Bifidobacterium trains that give it a potent 60-Billion colony-forming units making it one of the strongest in this guide.
The prebiotic fiber inside of Physician's choice is unique in that is made up of what is claimed to be real Jerusalem Artichoke Root and also Organic Chicory Root. These are some of the best prebiotic fibers you can get and are important as they act as food sources for probiotic bacteria in the intestine.
One negative I would give for this probiotic is that for a lot of people it may be a bit too strong and for Psoriasis I think a lower CFU count may be better. It is soy, gluten, dairy-free, and NON-GMO which is awesome.
Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Bifdobacterium Lactis, Lactobacillus Plantarum and Lactobacillus Paracasei.
FlowFlora has a mix of 4 probiotic strains that are super well studied and may help with Psoriasis in some people. It has a 40-billion CFU count which is not over-powering for most people.
It has FOS Prebiotic fiber and is coated in natural brown seaweed-derived substance that gives the probiotic bacteria the best chance of surviving that harsh stomach acid to reach deep enough into your colon.
I created FlowFlora after testing 27+ other probiotic supplements and I made sure that my probiotic supplement ticked every box. I offer a 365-Day money back guarantee and you can save 10% off with coupon code PSORIASIS for a limited time. You can also email me anytime with questions.
One negative with the supplement are that shipping outside of the US is slow and another negative is that it doesn't include as many probiotic strains as possible. You can read a FlowFlora review here.
Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium breve, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum. Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus crispatus and Lacticaseibacillus casei.
Seed Probiotics are a brand that has innovated things the most by choosing to measure its potency in Active Fluorescent Units rather than Colony Forming Units and also by using some unique probiotic strains.
I haven't tried Seed Probiotics yet because it's a bit too expensive for me but some things I like about it is that like FlowFlora, the capsules are also designed in a way that may help it survive stomach acid. They also include prebiotic fiber that is claimed to be non-fermenting which they call the Microbiota-Accessible Prebiotics™ [MAPs] Blend.
One negative for Seed Probiotics is that they have quite a lot of negative reviews about their customer support being terrible.
Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus, Lactobacillus Paracasei, Lactobacillus Salivarius, Lactobacillus Casei, Streptococcus thermophilus, Bifidobacterium Longum, Bifidobacterium Lactis, Bifidobacterium Breve and Bifidobacterium Bifidum.
Naturelo is a probiotic I have tried personally in the past and had good results with. It's one of the top choices for vegans and the brand has some great customer reviews. It has a high 50-billion CFU count made up of 7 Lactobacillus and 4 Bifidobacterium probiotic strains.
Naturelo has delayed-release capsules which means they should survive stomach acid and are NON-GMO, EGG Free, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Soy Free, and of course 100% vegan.
The bad thing about Naturelo probiotics is that there is no Prebiotic fiber included in their supplement. I think that this does lower the price a bit and the idea is that if you are vegan you most likely get enough prebiotic fibers naturally from the amount of vegetables in a vegan diet.
Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GG
Culturelle has a low 10 Billion CFU count that comes from one Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GG probiotic bacteria.
This strain has been studied extensively for many different illnesses but currently not for Psoriasis.I have included it in this guide because when I tried Culturelle I found it to be a good probiotic for a beginner due to the limited side effects and ease of taking just 1 capsule per day.
Culturelle has 200mg of high-quality inulin prebiotic fiber and plenty of happy customers. The negatives are that it doesn't have any Bifidobacterium probiotic strains and the CFU count is super low. It is well priced though.
What Is Psoriasis ?
According to the world psoriasis day consortium, 2 to 3% of the population suffers from Psoriasis. It is categorized as a skin disease, disorder & chronic autoimmune condition that causes red, burning, itchy, patchy skin, and more uncomfortable symptoms. Recent studies also hint at it being a bowel disease.
It's described as an autoimmune condition because it makes part of the body's own immune system not work properly by attacking its own protein tissues in the body mistaking them for foreign invaders.
Can Probiotics Make Psoriasis Worse?
Research into probiotic usage for psoriasis is still limited but at least one randomized controlled study found that "the incidence of adverse events of probiotic treatment was low." From all of the studies I researched, no Psoriasis was made worse by taking probiotic bacteria.
These adverse events don't seem to have resulted in making psoriasis worse but instead were normal probiotic side effects like bloating, gas and diarrhea. This is normal when taking a probiotic for the first time and the symptoms usually pass after 1 week.
Because Probiotics help with the anti-inflammatory effects inside the intestine, they can't make Psoriasis worse. You should always consult a Doctor first before taking probiotics and make sure that you are not allergic to any ingredients inside a probiotic supplement.
Topical Or Oral Probiotics For Psoriasis
In all of the studies for Psoriasis, participants were asked to take probiotic supplements orally and no topical creams were used. This makes sense because there is evidence that Psoriasis could be caused by an issue in the gut.
By first healing your gut, you may be able to then reduce inflammation through the gut and skin axis. It's better to heal the inside first instead of where the root of the problem is instead of covering up the outer visual issue that is in fact just a side effect of an unhealthy gut.
Studies like this one also warn of the potential dangers of probiotic topicals because of a lack of research. They state that research on topical probiotics in skincare and dermatological therapy is still in the initial stages and that is why it's extremely hard to find topical probiotics.
More Oral Probiotic Guides
Mild c************ ointments are often prescribed and for some people, this does provide some relief. For others, though the corticosteroid ointments stop working because they are not addressing the root cause
It's also possible to get Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium probiotic strains naturally from low-cost organic fermented foods like Sauerkraut, Kefir, Kimchi, Miso Paste, Tempeh, and more. However, for some people, these foods may not have a strong enough CFU count.
Probiotic Psoriasis Reddit Threads
1 year ago in the /r/Psoriasis subreddit, a Redditor called Quarantinevagene posted a thread sharing that Probiotics had got rid of their scalp psoriasis. Their psoriasis was on the front of the scalp and was particularly bad in the crevices of their nose. The interesting thing was that her mom also had Psoriasis which was a lot worse but she also c***d her by taking probiotic capsules daily and focusing on her diet. Her probiotic supplement included Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Bifidobacterium Bifidum, and Breve probiotic strains.
2 years ago in the /r/Microbiome subreddit, ByeByeNarc asked if anybody had cured their skin diseases (psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis) by healing the gut and they wanted to also know how long it took. Someone called OA18 gave a TL;DR reply saying that after 4-months of elimination diet they had to get rid of the slow growth of psoriasis/seborrheic dermatitis on their face. OA18 did not mention if they took probiotics but another reply from shibui_ shared that they had cured their Psoriasis by cutting out gluten, and refined sugars and taking probiotics which included fermented foods like sauerkraut which they claimed help with their digestion.
Closing Thoughts: Some Probiotics May Help
Research into Psoriasis combined with probiotics is limited but the studies that are out there currently do show great promise by showing some success stories.
Some studies I shared do confirm some sort of link between Psoriasis and the microbiome with a high percentage of those who have the condition having an imbalance of good gut bacteria.
Gut dysbiosis has been thought to be able to lead to Leaky Gut syndrome which could lead to other conditions like eczema, IBD, Rheumatoid arthritis, and more by causing damage to the intestinal barrier.
You should always talk to your Doctor first if you have Psoriasis and never use probiotics as an alternative to any prescribed medication. I am not a Doctor and the content in this post is not medical advice.
Alicia Harper is a NASM-CNC Certified nutritionist and the editor of ProbioticReviewGirl.
After suffering from recurrent gut issues she spent years researching Probiotics and the microbiome.
She has tested 29+ different Probiotics and is a probiotics expert. As a probiotic fanatic, she has valuable knowledge to share with the world.
I have heard of leaky gut syndrome before. Great article, I will definitely look into this!