Not All Probiotics Require Refrigeration
Just because probiotics need to be kept out of heat and moisture does not mean that all supplements on the shelf are worthless. As the probiotic market has gained momentum, there have been various technologies implemented to keep maximum CFUs live and active till they reach your gut.
One of these technologies where organisms are freeze-dried does not require refrigeration. Most tablet and capsule forms are freeze-dried for maximum benefits.
These are also packed in special blister packs with nitrogen purged aluminum or another lining to prevent moisture from seeping through. These probiotics are shelf stable and can be kept out of the refrigerator.
However, these should not be exposed to direct sunlight or excessive moisture. The temperature should never exceed room temperature. Most manufacture labels come with a warning not to keep the bottles in high heat areas such as the kitchen.
There are many bacteria and yeast which do not require refrigeration and thrive at room temperatures. For instance, Bacillus coagulans, a spore forming bacteria does not generally require refrigeration.
Do Probiotics Need To Be Refrigerated In Order To Survive
Lets first distinguish between whether they need to be refrigerated once theyre in your home versus when theyre on their way to you or your favorite retailer.
The temperature inside of a delivery truck can reach temperatures that can certainly kill your probiotics. This is why we are always sure to ship our probiotic formulas iced and insulated.
As for how to store your probiotics once theyve made it to you safely, the best advice depends on the brand.
Some probiotic supplements require refrigeration, while others do not. This is why you may have heard of shelf stable probiotics versus refrigerated probiotics.
Additionally, certain bacteria strains are sensitive to heat and moisture. For those that are, the heat kills them instantly while the moisture activates them prematurely before they enter your body.
Both instances can lead to an early expiration of the probiotics in your supplements. Thats why its important to know what bacteria strains your supplements contain, as this can dictate the best way to store them.
After testing a selection of probiotic supplements in 2009, ConsumerLab.com reported that 85% of the probiotics failed to disclose ingredient contents on their packaging. At Probulin, transparency is what were all about. All of our products have clear details of whats in them on the packaging. For every supplement, the packaging lists out each of the organisms incorporated in the supplement formula.
Is It Better To Eat Fermented Foods Or Take Probiotic Tablets
Its always important to point out that a good healthy diet and exercise are always the first steps to health, as these can help promote the good bacteria that already live on and in your body, amongst the other huge health benefits they provide, explains Ian Gonzaga.
When comparing fermented foods and probiotics, both can be good for adding diversity to your microbiome, which is the most important thing.
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Can Probiotic Supplements Expire
Like all living things, probiotics eventually dieor expireat some point. And because probiotics need to be alive to work, considering the expiry date of your probiotics is especially important.
When looking at a probiotic supplement, you’ll see that each one contains a specific number of organisms per capsule. For example, one probiotic may have 5 billion colony-forming units per dose, while another has 25 billion CFUs. But, as Pedre points out, those numbers only represent what’s in the capsule up to their expiration. After that, the probiotic numbers go down and the supplement becomes less effective over time.
While this is true no matter how you store your probiotics, the less closely you follow the storage instructions, the more quickly it happens. For example, if your probiotic calls for refrigeration but you leave it out on the counter in the middle of the summer, the heat and moisture from humidity can kill some, or all, of the bacteria, even before the expiration date.
If your probiotic doesn’t have an expiration or best-by date, most supplements are formulated to last at least two years beyond the manufacturing date . If you like your probiotic, you’ll probably use it well before two years though.
More Colony Forming Units
Some believe the answer is loading probiotic products with even larger numbers of probiotic bacteria and simply anticipating that the majority will not survive. Unfortunately, this raises the important concern of knowing the exact dose ingested. How will this practice of adding more affect those who have a need for very specific levels and can have problems if they take too much or too little? Will these mega dose probiotics carry the potential of harm for certain segments of users?
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Why Probiotic Strain Matters When It Comes To Refrigeration
So, every strain of probiotic does something different. Along the same line of thinking, each probiotic strain has different characteristics, like how it responds to temperature.
Some strains are rugged and dont need to be refrigerated. Others are hypersensitive and need to be stored in a cool, dark place. These strains can be killed by heat, moisture, or light.
For example, Lactobacillus acidophilus probiotics need to be refrigerated. The probiotics we use in Gut Power drinks are heat-stable, meaning they dont need to be refrigerated and can even be put in hot water!
Some companies choose to put a large overage of probiotic CFUs in their products to make their products shelf-stable, even though they use a strain that needs to be refrigerated. How does that work?
Say a probiotic label says it has 1 billion CFUs per capsule. The company may put 5 billion CFUs in each capsule instead, so that by the end of the shelf life of the product, 80% of the probiotic would have died off, leaving 1 billion CFUs for the consumer.
In the meantime — if youre consuming a relatively fresh product, for example — that 80% may not have died off yet, leaving you with a larger dose of probiotics.
Just remember that its something to watch out for if youre buying from other companies and you’re concerned about large doses of probiotics. For the most part, though, this is nothing to worry about.
Shelf Stable Probiotics Vs Refrigerated Probiotics
Are refrigerated probiotics better than shelf-stable probiotics, or is it the other way around? Theres really no answer to this. Certain strains of probiotic bacteria require refrigeration or are sensitive to freeze-dried processing. If youre taking probiotics supplements with these types of strains, then of course, it will best serve your supplementary needs.
On the other hand, shelf-stable probiotics contain bacterial strains that are equally effective for better gut, digestive, and immune health. Its just a matter of preference! All Probulin Digestive Probiotics contain Lactobacilli Bacteria and Bifidobacteria, which are two probiotics strains that provide a plethora of health benefits to those who consume them.
Consulting with a doctor can give you better guidance on what probiotic types are right for you. For this reason, we like to point you in that direction before you begin taking new probiotics regularly. If youve already had those discussions, we encourage you to discover why Probulin Probiotics are the very best you can find on the market. Head over to browse some Probulin customer favorites to see why!
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Does Terraflora Broad Spectrum Synbiotic Need To Be Refrigerated
Short answer: No. The probiotic bio-complex in Terraflora is made up of a sophisticated blend of select Bacillus strains. Selected for their unique characteristics, Bacillus can exist in two forms. Under favorable conditions the bacteria grow in a vegetative form, but when starved of nutrients, they differentiate into a dormant life form known as an endospore or simply a spore. These spores come alive when introduced to an ideal environment, like the human gut. Terraflora is a balanced formulation of a new generation of probiotics they are inherently resilient, heat-stable, and require no refrigeration.
References
Is It Ok To Not Refrigerate Probiotics
There are many probioticbacteria that are sensitive to heat and humidity. The lack of a proper environment and heat can kill organisms, while the lack of a proper environment can cause them to die in pills. The products need to be kept out of the humidity.
Contents
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Probiotic Benefits To Women’s Health
Probiotics have been proven to have significant benefits to women’s health. Beyond the typical benefits of probiotics, probiotics also support women’s vaginal health. Also, if women are breastfeeding, a Swedish study showed that probiotic supplementation improves infant heath.
- improve infant health for breastfeeding women
- inhibit vaginal candida & yeast infections
- fight vaginitis/vaginosis
Should You Just Refrigerate Anyway
If you live in a climate that has temperatures higher than 77f or 25c then it may wise to refrigerate after opening the probiotic supplement bottle.
We do know from studies that most probiotic strains don’t cope well with hot and humid weather.
Refrigerating a probiotic supplement that states “no refrigerating” won’t make the probiotic any less effective so for peace of mind you could always just stick it in the refrigerator.
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Can Unrefrigerated Probiotics Make You Sick
Although probiotics should be refrigerated, they do not spoil or die-off quickly at room temperature. Although probiotics should be refrigerated, they do not spoil or die-off quickly at room temperature. They may be left at room temperature for days and even several weeks without a great loss of viable organisms.
Probiotic Benefits To Infant Health
Infants get their first dose of probiotics from vaginal birth and other substances excreted at birth. After that, breast feeding gives infants the next dose of probiotics. I believe that for proper development of an infants immune system, breast feeding is extremely important. It’s the way nature designed us!
In addition to breast milk, infants seem to pick up beneficial probiotic inhabitants by putting their mouth on…everything!
Below is emerging research on what other benefits probiotic have for infants:
- normalize gut colonization for formula fed infants
- reduce lactose intolerance symptoms
- treat colic
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Can Probiotics Survive Unrefrigerated
These bacteria do not begin to actively divide until they reach their destination. This means that they can safely sit at room temperature because there is no metabolism to slow down. Probiotic bacteria in the lag phase are able to adapt to the acidic environment in the stomach on their way to your gut.
Probiotics: To Refrigerate Or Not To Refrigerate
Our ever-expanding knowledge of the human microbiome, pervasive gut problems, and the trendiness of supplements has brought probiotics to the top of almost all our minds. Well, just below CBD.
With this increased attention comes plenty of misinformation. Social media has made it way too easy for bad information to get to us, and Ive heard has become the new standard for citation.
Probiotics are where the supplement industry shows its real colors. Not only do they have to make the products right, which they often dont, the ingredients actually have to survive the gut, stick, reproduce, and colonize to have any impact whatsoever.
Were out here trying to figure out which probiotic product is the best for us. We use lots of shortcuts, like looking for lots of strains and billions and billions of CFUs. The biggest indicator for quality, many people tell me when they ask about our probiotics, is that they are found in the refrigerator.
It would make sense then that wed want to guarantee our probiotics survive the longest by ensuring theyre always refrigerated. As you can already guess, Im here to blow a big old hole in that theory.
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What Better Refrigerated Or Non Refrigerated Probiotics
Wondering if there is a difference.
So if it has to be refrigerated, how can it survive inside your body?
They go from a dormant state in the product to an active state in your body where they have food and a much more optimal temperature to resume their metabolic activities.
Some def dont make it. Soil-based is more able to make it to intestines.
I wouldnt look beyond spore forming probiotics due to its effectiveness and resistance to temperature, oxygen, acidic environment.
For example Bacillus subtilis BY194 is stable up at temperature up to 80°C More:
Bacteria strains like Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum need to be stored at around 4°C, otherwise they loose potency
How To Properly Store Probiotics
Improper probiotics storage is crucial because it is a major factor that leads to bacteria loss. The number of CFUs in a probiotic supplement product will decrease over time, without refrigeration not just by you, the buyer, but also during transport.
Manufacturers factor in this decrease when they label the probiotic with a best if used by date. They produce their probiotics with an overage of extra CFUs so that you will receive what the package label indicates.
If you buy a probiotic and the label says it contains 10 billion CFUs, it was probably packaged with 15 billion or more CFUs, to make up for the lost bacteria before the product is consumed.
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Certain Probiotics Have Specific Benefits
So, now that you’ve decided that refrigerated probiotics are right for you, it’s time to zero in on what particular benefits you want the supplement to have. That’s because certain bacteria strains are particularly good for specific health issues. The probiotics in this roundup were selected because they contain the bacteria strains supported by medical studies and recommended by Schapiro, a certified dietitian/nutritionist.
With all that in mind, it’s time to find the right probiotic for you. The options below are all highly rated on Amazon, with hundreds of positive reviews.
What To Look For When Buying A Probiotic
“I would look for a product that lists strain designations of all strains in the product and CFU at the end of shelf-life ,” Sanders says.
“There are a few quality seals, such as the USP-verified supplement seal, that are meaningful, but there are also other seemingly quality seals you sometimes see on supplements that have nothing backing them.”
The ISAPP shares specifics of to look for on a label, including:
- Recommended use: This term tells you what benefits you can expect from the product. The claim must be accompanied by a disclaimer stating that the FDA has not reviewed these claims.
- Use-by date: This date tells you how long the probiotic will have enough levels of the live microbes to deliver the claimed benefits on the label.
- Dosage usage: The amount that needs to be taken a serving or dosage.
- CFUs: The CFU listed is usually a total count, although a specific number for each strain is preferred.
- Genus, species and strains: You need all three of these to know what probiotic you are getting.
- Company name and contact information: So you can conduct additional research on your own, if needed.
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Are There Probiotics That Dont Need To Be Refrigerated
There are exceptions to the fragility of probiotics in some newer soil-based organism products. An example is Bacillus subtilis. Its structure is similar to that of seeds.
SBO probiotics do not need refrigeration because they are based on microorganisms found naturally in the healthy, earth-based microbiome. These have been linked to developing your own human healthy microbiome.
Protective shells of SBO probiotics protect the cell core until you plant the seed by taking the probiotic. The shell insulates these bacteria from heat and other environmental hazards, and also the manufacturing process itself.
Probiotic Supplements Should Have Enteric Coating So They Survive
Research shows probiotics are better without the special coatings.
Probiotics need to withstand stomach acids to deliver the probiotics to the right place within your GI tract, but enteric coating can actually kill some of the probiotics. A lot of heat is needed in the enteric coating process, and this heat can kill some of the probiotics.
Instead, find strains that naturally survive the stomach and can make it to the intestine. This is much more reminiscent of what we see in nature. There certainly aren’t enteric coatings found naturally in any of our food, so look for a supplement that has been tested for survivability.
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Probiotics Shelf Stable Vs Refrigerated
by Doreen· July 21, 2011
Why are refrigerated probiotics better than shelf stable probiotics? They arent!
If you are dealing with reputable brands , they have studies that you can read that back up their claims.
Dr. Oz has got to get with the times. Please dont think that if you are traveling and have no access to a refrigerator that you wont be able to bring probiotics along with you. Probiotics are one of the most important things you will need when traveling to a country that doesnt have safe drinking water. So, why would you want to be without them? There are probiotics in blister packs that never need refrigeration and could withstand high temperatures. You simply punch the pearl or capsule out and consume.
These are shelf stable probiotics that work. How do I know they work? Well, some of these companies have been in the health care industry for over 30 years and others are newer to the industry but what set them apart are the studies done on their products. These studies include third party testing that is available to you on the internet.
However, my best knowledge comes from my customers that use these recommended products and then come back to let me know how the product has worked for them.
Here is my list of shelf stable probiotics that I sell in my store and use myself: Natrols Bio Beads, Enzymatic Therapys Pearls, Renew Lifes Flora More, Nutrition Nows PB8, Natures Ways Probifia Pearls, Jarrow Formulas Jarro-Dophilus EPS.
