We only recommend products we love and that we think you will, too. We may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was written by our Commerce team.
Mic/Amazon
Shopping
ByMasha Vapnitchnaia
The microorganisms that live in your gut help control your digestion, immune system, and more, and as Dr. Hadley King, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, tells Mic, “studies have shown that the microbiome directly influences skin, specifically in the formation of inflammation,” which may be linked to psoriasis. First things first: if you haven’t already, you’ll want to see a dermatologist to confirm that you have psoriasis (rather than another condition). If you do, you’ll be glad to know thatthe best probiotics for psoriasis are formulated with scientifically backed probiotic species that can help balance your gut microbiome and potentially reduce inflammation. And they come in the form of oral supplements and topical sprays to suit your preferences.
Probiotic supplements are commonly available in capsule, powder, and liquid forms. Research is still ongoing when it comes to probiotic supplements for psoriasis, but certain studies have pointed to specific probiotic strains that had a noticeable impact on psoriasis symptoms, including ones from the species Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, Limosilactobacillus reuteri, Bifidobacterium breve, and Bifidobacteria infantis. Several strains of Lactobacillus have also shown promise. While it can be tough to find products containing an exact strain when shopping, in general, adding beneficial bacteria may help regulate your immune system and reduce inflammation, and each supplement below includes at least one of the above species, which studies have found promising in soothing psoriasis. Of course, supplements affect everyone differently, and you should talk to your doctor before taking anything new.
When choosing a supplement, you can also look at the number of active microorganisms per serving, measured in colony forming units (CFU). While there’s no general guideline on how many CFUs you need per serving, most supplements will contain at least 1 billion CFUs in each dose.
Alternatively, probiotics also come in topical forms such as a spray. Though scientific research on topical products is currently limited, Dr. King explains: “Topical prebiotics and probiotics theoretically will help strengthen the skin's natural ability to defend itself by forming a type of protective shield on the skin's surface.” Topical probiotics tend to not list CFUs and simply need to be applied to the skin at least once per day.
With all that in mind, scroll on for the best probiotics for psoriasis on Amazon.
Expert:
Dr. Hadley King, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City
Studies referenced:
Lu, W., Deng, Y., Fang, Z., Zhai, Q., Cui, S., Zhao, J., Chen, W., & Zhang, H. (2021). Potential Role of Probiotics in Ameliorating Psoriasis by Modulating Gut Microbiota in Imiquimod-Induced Psoriasis-Like Mice. Nutrients, 13(6), 2010. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13062010
Groeger, D., O'Mahony, L., Murphy, E. F., Bourke, J. F., Dinan, T. G., Kiely, B., Shanahan, F., & Quigley, E. M. (2013). Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 modulates host inflammatory processes beyond the gut. Gut microbes, 4(4), 325–339. https://doi.org/10.4161/gmic.25487
Markowiak, P., & Śliżewska, K. (2017). Effects of Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Synbiotics on Human Health. Nutrients, 9(9), 1021. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9091021
Nardo, V. D., Gianfaldoni, S., Tchernev, G., Wollina, U., Barygina, V., Lotti, J., Daaboul, F., & Lotti, T. (2018). Use of Curcumin in Psoriasis. Open access Macedonian journal of medical sciences, 6(1), 218–220. https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2018.055