---
title: "What to Look for in a Probiotic Supplement"
description: "Learn what to look for in probiotic supplements when diet isn’t enough, including strain diversity and synbiotics to support gut health and microbiome balance."
url: "https://www.myalloy.com/knowledge-base/what-should-you-look-for-in-a-probiotic-supplement-if-diet-alone-is-insufficient"
---

# What to Look for in a Probiotic Supplement

> Learn what to look for in probiotic supplements when diet isn’t enough, including strain diversity and synbiotics to support gut health and microbiome balance.

## What should you look for in a probiotic supplement if diet alone is insufficient?

If diet alone isn’t cutting it, the main thing to look for in a probiotic supplement is **strain diversity**, since the goal is to rebuild a more varied microbiome, especially after things like antibiotics, or during peri and menopause when certain helpful bacteria tend to drop.

### What to look for

A good option usually includes **multiple strains**, not just one. In our webinar with gastroenterologist Dr. Kumkum Patel, she specifically called out strains that support diversity like **Lactobacillus** and **Bifidobacterium**, and also mentioned **Akkermansia** as helpful for gut lining tightness. In the Q&A, she also talked about probiotic supplements being useful when you can’t reliably get enough probiotic foods and fiber to repopulate your gut after antibiotics.

### Consider a synbiotic (probiotic + prebiotic)

A synbiotic pairs probiotics with **prebiotic fiber**, which helps feed the good bacteria you’re trying to grow. At Alloy, that’s why we made the **Alloy Synbiotic**, it combines spore-based probiotics plus prebiotic fiber. If you want to see ingredients and how it’s used, you can read more here: [Alloy Synbiotic details](https://www.myalloy.com/solutions/the-alloy-synbiotic) Or go straight to checkout: [Alloy Synbiotic checkout](https://secure.myalloy.com/experience?categories%5B%5D=gut-health&product-ids%5B%5D=9&type=checkout&skip-category-select=true)


**Alloy Synbiotic**

3-month supply

Best for supporting a healthy gut and immune system

[Buy Now](https://www.myalloy.com/solutions/the-alloy-synbiotic)

### A helpful video clip

Dr. Patel talks through what to look for in a probiotic, including why multiple strains matter, in this chapter: [Menopause and Your Microbiome | Dr. Kumkum Patel - Fermented Foods & Probiotics](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=161YmAYbud8&t=1480s)


[Watch video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=161YmAYbud8&t=1480s)

If you want the fuller gut health overview from the same expert interview, this article is a good companion: [Gut Health: Tips from Dr. KumKum Sarkar Patel](https://www.myalloy.com/blog/gut-health-and-hormones-what-everyone-needs-to-know)

[Find Your Plan](https://secure.myalloy.com/experience)

---

This answer was created using the following resources:

- [Menopause and Your Microbiome | Dr. Kumkum Patel - Fermented Foods & Probiotics](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=161YmAYbud8)
- [Gut Health and Menopause | Dr. Kumkum Patel - Q&A: Microbiome Mapping, Probiotics, and Gut Issues](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEakTYETI00)
- [Gut Health: Tips from Dr. KumKum Sarkar Patel](https://www.myalloy.com/blog/gut-health-and-hormones-what-everyone-needs-to-know)
- [Gut Health and Nutrition | Alloy](https://www.myalloy.com/blog/why-gut-health-is-so-important-as-we-age)

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