If you are someone who is interested in maximizing your health, one thing you might be considering is your intake of probiotics. These healthy bacteria live in your stomach and help keep your immune system strong, promote optimal digestion, and keep your entire body running in the proper order.

While everyone should consume a healthy dose of probiotics on a regular basis, there are particular times when you need to increase your dose.

Let’s take a closer look at the main times when serving a little extra dose of probiotics is a wise move…

1. When you are sick. Because probiotics play a vital role in keeping your immune system in tip-top shape, it’s important to focus on consuming these probiotics when you have health issues.

If you’re currently sick, an extra dose can give you the power your body needs to fend off whatever it is you’re fighting—helping you return to optimal health. When you have a common cold or flu, as well as when you have health problems, an extra dose might be helpful.

2. After completing prescribed antibiotics. As long as you are sick and need antibiotics, these can be helpful. What they won’t be good for is your gut health. Antibiotics will kill any harmful bacteria currently residing in your system. However, they will also kill all the “good” bacteria.

Serving yourself an extra dose of probiotics during this time can help bring your gut environment back to optimal, ensuring your immune system stays strong.

3. Before and during the trip. The next time it’s a smart move to add some extra probiotics to your daily menu is before and during travel. Before you travel, the goal is to get your immune system as healthy as possible, which will help fend off any viruses present in the area you’re traveling to.

During the travel period, taking the probiotics will help keep your system as healthy as possible and help you avoid any digestive problems that may occur due to food intake, not your typical food choices. If trying the local cuisine is what you like when you travel, your taste buds may enjoy this, but your stomach may feel otherwise. Using a probiotic can help prevent unwanted problems from occurring.

4. Throughout the pregnancy. Finally, the last time to make sure a probiotic is present in your life is during pregnancy. It’s important to keep your body healthier at this point, and a good-quality probiotic can help reduce your risk of childbirth-related complications like gestational diabetes.

As you can see, a probiotic is not something you want to throw away and take lightly. It is a must in any diet plan that aims to keep you as healthy as possible.