PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTS
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ON THIS PAGE . . .
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CHOOSING PROBIOTIC FOODS and SUPPLEMENTS
Here are some important tips that I hope might be helpful. First things first, it's important to understand that not all products are created equal. Not only do they come in a wide variety of guises, as capsules, tablets or powders, there are also huge differences in strength and quality.
I've tried a whole range of different brands over the years and again during the research for Good Gut Bugs. What I found was that some products are extremely beneficial and provided the benefits they claimed, some were just ok (in other words, they won’t do you any harm and may be helpful) and a handful, well, to put it as politely as possible, they simply don’t pass muster. It’s a minefield of microflora out there - so here are some guidelines to help you avoid the crap trap:
Anything that simply says it’s probiotic without providing any detail is definitely one to avoid. And it doesn’t always follow that because a label tells you it ‘contains beneficial bacteria’ or says ‘acidophilus’ or ‘bifidus’ on the front, that it’s going to be helpful. In particular, if your supplement label isn't telling you how many billion live bacteria are included or you can't find their names anywhere on the product, then don’t buy the product.
HOW MUCH TO TAKE
Good quality probiotic products will be clear about the type of bacteria they contain as well as (very important) the potency. Dosages aren’t expressed in grams or milligrams as they are in most other supplements. Most probiotics are measured in millions or billions of microorganisms or live cells. Look for labels which tell you that the supplement has at least one billion. If it states the quantity only in millions, then I'd avoid it. That’s because, in the vast ocean of your intestines, a mere million bacteria are, quite literally, a microscopic drop. And if you have a gut problem which is being caused or aggravated by an overgrowth of unfriendly bacteria, then you'll more than likely need far more than a million good ones to put things right.
Here are some important tips that I hope might be helpful. First things first, it's important to understand that not all products are created equal. Not only do they come in a wide variety of guises, as capsules, tablets or powders, there are also huge differences in strength and quality.
I've tried a whole range of different brands over the years and again during the research for Good Gut Bugs. What I found was that some products are extremely beneficial and provided the benefits they claimed, some were just ok (in other words, they won’t do you any harm and may be helpful) and a handful, well, to put it as politely as possible, they simply don’t pass muster. It’s a minefield of microflora out there - so here are some guidelines to help you avoid the crap trap:
Anything that simply says it’s probiotic without providing any detail is definitely one to avoid. And it doesn’t always follow that because a label tells you it ‘contains beneficial bacteria’ or says ‘acidophilus’ or ‘bifidus’ on the front, that it’s going to be helpful. In particular, if your supplement label isn't telling you how many billion live bacteria are included or you can't find their names anywhere on the product, then don’t buy the product.
HOW MUCH TO TAKE
Good quality probiotic products will be clear about the type of bacteria they contain as well as (very important) the potency. Dosages aren’t expressed in grams or milligrams as they are in most other supplements. Most probiotics are measured in millions or billions of microorganisms or live cells. Look for labels which tell you that the supplement has at least one billion. If it states the quantity only in millions, then I'd avoid it. That’s because, in the vast ocean of your intestines, a mere million bacteria are, quite literally, a microscopic drop. And if you have a gut problem which is being caused or aggravated by an overgrowth of unfriendly bacteria, then you'll more than likely need far more than a million good ones to put things right.
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WHAT YOU SHOULD GET IN A GOOD PRODUCT
Although you won’t know this from reading the label, you can be confident that reliable producers of probiotics will ensure that the bacteria in your supplement: · Have a history of safe use, are non-toxic and non-pathogenic; · Are alive and kicking when administered; · Are stable and will survive storage for the life of the product; · In the case of probiotics that are used for vaginal treatment, be tough enough to resist spermicides. DIFFERENT TYPES OF BACTERIA IN ONE PRODUCT Remember that if your product contains more than one type of bacteria, the label will either give you an overall total of the number of friendly flora or the individual quantity alongside each of the different strains, in which case you will need to add them up. So it might say Lactobacillus acidophilus 1 billion, Bifidobacterium bifidum 1 billion and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG 1 billion, which means you have a probiotic supplement containing 3 billion organisms. While most suppliers will state the number of organisms on the label, remember independent testing has shown that several products have fallen short of their claimed targets. That’s why is so important to (a) buy a recognized brand and (b) to make sure it’s well within date. On some brands, you may still see the phrase ‘at the time of manufacture’ indicating the bacterial count when the product was packaged. This reference is gradually being phased out and, before too long, best practice recommendations should have brought about a change of wording so that, instead, all products will tell you the likely potency at the expiry date. |
As labels vary so much, below are some examples
of the types and levels of friendly bacteria you might find in probiotic products: EXAMPLE 1
Lactobacillus acidophilus 5 billion live organisms Bifidobacterium lactis 5 billion live organisms Streptococcus thermophilus 5 billion live organisms Count guaranteed to end of expiry EXAMPLE 2
Lactobacillus acidophilus Lactobacillus bulgaricus Lactobacillis kefir Bifidobacterium lactis Totalling 24 billion viable cells EXAMPLE 3
Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-1 2 billion microorganisms Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12 2 billion microorganisms Lactobacillus paracasei 431 2 billion microorganisms Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG 2 billion microorganisms Quantities stated apply until end of expiry EXAMPLE 4
Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 300 million organisms Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG 300 million organisms Lactobacillus paracasei 431 300 million organisms Bifidobacterium lactis BB12 300 million organisms Streptococcus thermophilus TH4 300 million organisms EXAMPLE 5
Lactobacillus acidophilus ½ billion CFU Bifidobacterium bifidum ½ billion CFU Lactobacillus bulgaricus ½ billion CFU CFUs at the time of manufacture* *CFU stands for Colony Forming Units, the system of measurement used to calculate viable (live) bacteria.
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STORAGE: KEEP THEM IN THE FRIDGE OR NOT ?
When you buy, look for information on how best to store the product. Depending on how it was manufactured, some require refrigeration and some don't but in any case keeping the product in the fridge will always extend its shelf life. Those that survive outside the fridge are really useful if you’re away from home and want to take your supplements with you.
BE GUIDED BY PRICE
One of the best guides to quality is price. Although it’s a frequent groan that probiotics are expensive, it's also a truism that you do tend to get what you pay for. The simple reason for this is that good manufacturing practice, extensive research and development, latest production techniques, effective ingredients and protective, properly vacuum sealed packaging all cost money. When I buy probiotics, I always go for quality brands such as Bionutri, Biocare, Bio-Kult, Sweet-Cures or Viridian because they're reliable and effective. See details at the foot of this page.
OTHER TOP TIPS
- If you start a course of probiotics and find you’re suffering a grumble of gas in the nether regions, this doesn’t mean that what you are taking is bad for you or causing you any harm. This would be a rare occurrence. Very occasionally, when a person alters and improves his or her diet, they might find a few not-so-nice symptoms such as flatulence, abdominal bloating, headaches or changes in bowel habit. The same thing can happen when you introduce good gut bugs into the system. Even though it may seem like a backward step, it’s nearly always a positive sign that everything is working as it should.
- If you’re affected by bloating or gas when you first begin to take probiotics, the best advice is to cut the supplements out for a couple of days and then begin again with the lowest possible dose. Even if the pack advises you to take one or two tablets or capsules per day, ignore this for the moment and take one every other day for a week. Then increase to one daily. If your probiotic comes as a powder, then start with a pinch per day, then two pinches, then three and so on until you reach the recommended intake. If gas is still a problem, try changing to a brand that doesn't contain FOS. You can read more about prebiotics including FOS (fructooligosaccharide) in Good Gut Bugs.
- Always drink plenty of water. This increases the blood volume and encourages flushing out of the kidneys.
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WHY NOT JUST EAT YOGHURT?
A great idea and an excellent addition to any diet. However, compared to quality probiotic supplements, the actual numbers of live organisms you're likely to get in one pot of yoghurt will make up only the tiniest blip in the bacterial vastness of your intestines. That doesn't mean it isn't a valuable addition to the diet. Far from it. Good quality bio-yoghurt, especially if it's additive-free and full fat (yes, full fat,) and if it's made from goat or sheep milk, or kefir rather than cow's milk, is a great food to include in your diet everyday. Easy to digest, a super source of calcium and, hopefully blessed with a decent whack of friendly flora. But how do you choose the best kind? Supermarket shelves are groaning under the weight of an incredible array of ‘smart’ dairy foods. But are they really helpful? And are they a good enough substitute for probiotic supplements? Some yoghurt and yoghurt drinks can be a valuable source of probiotic bacteria but most don’t have large amounts. Just bear in mind that there's a big difference between what we call a maintenance dose of live culture in a fresh yoghurt product and the therapeutic levels that can be found in a quality probiotic supplement. However, that doesn’t mean the beneficial bacteria in foods aren’t useful. They’re certainly good to take on a day-to-day basis and can provide really valuable extra nourishment. The problem lies in what to choose. Occasional reports have suggested that there aren't enough friendly bacteria in yoghurt products able to survive the stomach acid or to have any helpful impact on the intestines. Ten million may be about what you find in a good probiotic drink or yoghurt and although this isn't much when compared to a quality supplement, the vast majority of strains that are used in these food products are acid tolerant and are therefore likely to survive their intestinal journey. There’s also evidence in the medical literature that live yoghurt and probiotic shots can help to reduce the side-effects of antibiotics, especially diarrhoea. However, if you're dealing with a serious health problem or have had digestive or bowel troubles for some time, then a one-a-day yoghurt or probiotic drink is not likely to have quite enough oomph and may not always be sufficient to redress the balance where gut flora is seriously disturbed. A major downside of many yoghurts and yoghurt drinks is that the sugar content can be quite high, making the vast majority of them out of bounds for diabetics, for people suffering candida yeast infections, those battling obesity or folks who are just trying to avoid sugar. I think it would be a wonderfully positive move by the manufacturers if they were to reduce the sugar levels without resorting to artificial sweeteners, especially as they continually promote their products as being healthy. |
TO HELP YOU MAKE YOUR CHOICES, HERE'S MY SHOPPING GUIDE FOR YOGHURT PRODUCTS:
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THESE ARE SOME OF MY FAVOURITE PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTS WHICH I'VE FOUND TO BE EFFECTIVE, RELIABLE AND OF EXCELLENT QUALITY:
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MORE new probiotic product recommendations
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Bio-Kult is a multi-strain probiotic formula (meaning that it contains several different types of friendly bacteria). It's been developed by the same company which produces the excellent psyllium fibre supplement Lepicol.
I'd recommend Bio-Kult to anyone suffering with leaky gut syndrome, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's or Ulcerative Colitis. And like all good probiotics, it has real value in replenishing the gut flora after antibiotics and reducing the side effects of antibiotic treatment. The Bio-Kult formulation is also suitable for travelling as it doesn't need refrigeration. |
Bio-Kult Candea is designed to help strengthen the body's natural defences against candidiasis, a condition where yeast in the gut gets out of control and produces a wide range of unpleasant symptoms including chronic fatigue, food sensitivities, bloating, thrush, recurring cystitis and hormonal problems.
Bio-Kult Pro-Cyan is new to the Bio-Kult family, and is designed to help relieve the pain and distress of urinary tract infections. Click here to read my article on probiotics for bladder and vaginal health. For more information about Bio-Kult Pro-Cyan
click here |
NEED MORE INFORMATION ON PROBIOTICS?
- The article Why We Need Good Gut Bugs in the Health Notes section on this website should be of interest.
- Check out the full chapter on probiotic foods and supplements in my book Good Gut Bugs. Available from UK libraries; also online from Amazon.
- Go to an individual manufacturer’s website. Any good supplier or manufacturer will be happy to answer your questions without pushing their product.
Kathryn's views are completely independent. She is not employed by any pharmaceutical company, supplement supplier or food producer nor is she persuaded in any way, financially or otherwise, to recommend particular products or services.
