Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Is 1 Billion Probiotics Enough

Probiotics: Top Benefits Foods And Supplements

Is probiotic yogurt effective? (Marketplace)

By Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CN

May 30, 2022

Whether youre looking to help your immune function, decrease disease risk or simply improve your overall health, probiotics can make a worthy addition to your daily routine.

Not only that, but some people including billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates even believe that probiotics could hold the key to ending malnutrition across the globe someday.

What are probiotics? Probiotics are a type of organism that can help boost the amount of beneficial bacteria in your gut. Nestled inside your gut are trillions of these live microorganisms that make up the microbiome.

They are also found in supplements, fermented foods and probiotic drinks, such as kombucha.

Different microbes living in your gastrointestinal tract play a role in either promoting health or disease. For example, many of these bacterial cells are considered good bacteria and help support immune function, enhance nutrient absorption, and aid in the synthesis of key neurotransmitters and other compounds.

Whats The Best Time Of The Day To Consume Probiotics

To optimize the effectiveness of your probiotics, we suggest you take a probiotic shortly before you eat your first meal of the day. If you forget to take your probiotics on an empty stomach, take them when you remember . And if you completely forget , dont bother doubling up the next day. Instead, take one capsule, as usual.

The Wellness Guide To Dosage

The research available for dogs and cats is not as robust as it is in humans, but there is a guide. Our findings show that for general health maintenance, 1-4 billion CFU is very effective. Using this as a guide, one can adjust this amount higher if there is a bowel disorder.

For a pet with IBS and bowel disorders, a much higher CFU count is needed. For pets with diarrhea, a little lower CFU can solve the issue.

There are 360 billion CFU of probiotics in a large canister of Probiotic Miracle®. Each scoop provides 1 billion CFU, which makes modifying dosages, for your dog or cat, very simple.

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Probiotic Supplements Dosage: How Much Is Enough

A healthy life is all about balance. The same is true for digestive health. Too much of anything, whether its a food, a medication or a supplement, can throw your entire digestive system out of whack. While the average persons GI tract can withstand a fair amount of abusethink: fast food, happy hours and dessert buffetsits not invincible. When your digestive system goes off-balance, though, it can put a definite damper on your lifestyle and your overall health. Enter probiotics.

Can You Take Probiotics More Than Once A Day

Probiotic (1 Billion CFU

Whether splitting a probiotic dose across the day or doubling up, that depends on the individuals’ needs and goals while partnering with a health care practitioner.

Experts stress the importance of reading the label before taking probiotics more than once a day. “If you have an instance where you need a little more support, spreading out your daily dosage to a few courses a day could be helpful,”* Cording says.

You can also split up your dosage based on the form it comes in. “If the product you are taking is two or more pills per one dose, it is OK to split the dose during the day,” Morse says. For example, ½ the dose in the morning before breakfast and the other ½ dose after dinner or sometime before bedtime.

Best to avoid taking with or soon after your meals, to up the bugs’ survivability .

Just don’t exceed the recommended daily amount listed on the label unless your doctor tells you otherwise, Cording says. Still, she adds, “side effects from probiotics are very rare.” They’re usually self-limited GI issues like gas, according to NIH.

Also Check: How Will Probiotics Help Me

How Should I Store Probiotics To Protect Cfu Counts

Its easy to protect the integrity of your probiotic supplement! Here are some easy storage tips:

  • Store probiotics in a cool, dry place
  • Do not store probiotics near a shower or in a humid place
  • Make sure the lid of your probiotic supplement is closed tightly
  • Keep probiotics out of sunlight
  • Keep probiotics in their original packaging

Storing your probiotics in a refrigerator like the Teami Luxe Skincare Fridge can also help protect them from heat and moisture.

Colony Forming Units What Are They And How Many Do You Need

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Colony forming units, or CFUs, are a unit of measurement used to determine the number of bacterial cells in a probiotic supplement or lab sample. High CFU counts are sometimes seen as a quality indicator, but it is one part of a high-quality supplement. Bacterial strain combination, the delivery mechanism, and clinical studies should also be taken into consideration,

Many probiotics advertise their high colony forming units as if this is the only marker for quality. Oftentimes, the higher the CFUs, the higher the price. But how are you supposed to know if that really is the mark for quality? Is it worth paying the price for more CFUs, and is it really all that matters?

For many people, checking the number of colony forming units has become common practice when choosing a probiotic. Some companies heavily advertise their superior count. Oftentimes, the higher the CFUs per serving, the higher the price because the belief is that the higher the CFU count, the better. This is NOT correct!

Potency isnt just a number. When choosing a probiotic supplement, theres more to consider than just the number of CFUs per serving.

In this blog post, well investigate why CFUs are not all that matters, why higher CFUs doesnt mean its a superior product, and what else to look for that determines a high-quality probiotic supplement.

Read Also: What You Need To Know About Probiotics

A Probiotic To Support Weight Loss

Probiotics assist with healthy weight loss. Its absolutely true. The correct balance of probiotic bacteria in your gut supports your bodys fat burning efforts and helps maintain and control a healthy weight Probiotics also help digest your food, break down fiber, produce water soluble B vitamins, as well as fat soluble vitamins such as vitamin K. These beneficial bacteria also produce short chain fatty acids that can boost your metabolism which also supports healthy weight management.

How Many Live Active Cultures And Strains Does It Contain

The Best Probiotic Food Is Definitely NOT Yogurt

Culturelle® probiotics in Canada contain between 5 billion and 10 billion colony forming units of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. The amount of active cultures of the strain provided are clinically determined based on the benefits that are sought.

The Culturelle® Probiotic Advantage:

Culturelle® guarantees the stated number of live, naturally sourced Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG cultures through the expiration date on the package.** Culturelle® probiotic formulations are based on science, with just the right amount of live active cultures to support the unique benefits of each product.

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Fable #: Probiotics Are Just For Digestive Well Being

Probiotics achieve this way more! Theyre discovered in every single place in your physique, not simply your intestine. Theyre a part of the group of micro organism that inhabits your mouth, pores and skin, nostril, and extra, they usually assist your physique in so some ways. Probiotics produce nutritional vitamins and a wide range of vitamins. There are distinctive strains of probiotics like Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus plantarum which might be proven to advertise vaginal and urinary tract well being.* Goal your wants by selecting a complement with a mix of distinctive probiotic strains and punctiliously chosen elements, which work collectively to optimize not solely your intestine well being, however different key well being elements like your vitality ranges, your temper, and optimum immune perform.*

RELATED READING: What is the good probiotic for me?

Is A Higher Billion Count Better

There are lots of probiotic products on the market, many of which boast very high billion counts. Whilst this is not harmful, it is not necessarily any better than a supplement with a lower CFU. Its something of a myth that a super-high billions count is superior.Its much more important to consider the quality of probiotic sstrains for example, whether the strains being used have been widely tested for safety and are able to reach the gut alive. Furthermore, different strains of friendly bacteria have different modes of action in the body, so its important to take the right probiotic strain for you, rather than focus too much on the number of billions.This is not to say that the billions count do not matter at all. In fact, when looking for the best live probiotic supplement, you want to ensure that youre getting a CFU of at least 1 billion. This is considered to be the minimum strength at which bacteria can be friendly to the body. We do offer higher strength options in Every Day EXTRA and Every Day MAX , for those who feel they want to try a higher billions count. But the main takeaway is that this isnt essential, and its important to find what works for you as an individual. Quality over quantity!

For more information on billions counts, take a look at the Billions Myth on the Probiotics Learning Lab.

Recommended Reading: Can Probiotics Help With Digestive Issues

Assess Your Need For A Probiotic

A multi-strain probiotic supplement is safe for most people to take, but there are a few cases where it is not a good idea to take probiotics. First, you should never start a supplement without consulting a doctor, dietitian, or trusted health professional.

Second, individuals with any sort of immune deficiency or who are being treated for cancer should never use probiotics.25 As research continues to unfold about the benefits of probiotics, it is important to remember that you can also support the health of the gut microbiome by including a variety of nutrient-dense, plant-based foods and low-sugar fermented foods to support the gut microbiome in place of a probiotic supplement. If you find that you are struggling with one of the symptoms or conditions listed with a strain of probiotic above, consider taking a multi-strain probiotic that could help to alleviate your symptoms.

Finally, test your gut health and function with the Ixcela test. The Ixcela test will review markers in the blood that will help to guide you to determine if you should consider a probiotic and other dietary and lifestyle changes that will support your gut microbiome.

Has The Probiotic Strain Been Tested And Researched

Natrol, Acidophilus Probiotic, 1 Billion, 150 Capsules

Clinical studies and research are what distinguish promises from results. Be sure your probiotic is thoroughly studied, tested, and proven. To meet the gold standard, the research should be conducted in humans.

The Culturelle® Probiotic Advantage:

The probiotic strain in Culturelle® – Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG is the #1 most clinically studied strain of probiotic. Considered the premier probiotic in the world, over 1,000 scientific studies and over 30 years of research have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG . It is able to survive harsh stomach acid and support a strong barrier against non-beneficial bacteria on the intestinal wall, providing a digestive health advantage.

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How To Know If Youre Probiotic Cfu Is Too High

This is very important. It is entirely possible to have too much of a good thing. Some people have reported a sudden onset of chronic diarrhea when taking probiotics with a total CFU per dose of 70 billion or higher. If youre a person who has a severe medical condition, abdominal pain due to gut issues, or severe leaky gut, then too high of a dose of CFU can register as intolerable side effects.

In all of these cases, the best way to see if your symptoms are caused by too high of CFU is to take the probiotics every other day or try to take half the dose and see if that lessens the symptoms. If it does, then you can take the lower dose until you feel ready to scale up.

Also Check: Best Probiotic For Restoring Gut Flora

Cfu: What It Is And How Much Do You Need

If youve ever shopped for a probiotic supplement, youve probably come across the term CFU on a label. But what does CFU stand for? Does a higher CFU probiotic mean a better one? And how can you find out if youre taking too high a CFU for your age and needs? Well tackle these questions and work to dispel some of the myths surrounding probiotics so that you can make the best decision for your health needs.

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Balance Is The Secret To Natures Success

When you think about the jungle, it may be tempting to remove everything you consider unpleasant so you can enjoy an exotic hike when youre on vacation.

So lets say we had a way of removing all the mosquitos, spiders, and other pesky insects, as well as lions, and snakes, and gila monsters. That does make it sound like strolling through the jungle would be so much safer for us

Lower Anxiety And Improved Mood

PROBIOTICS IN WHOLE FOODS: WHY MOST PROBIOTICS ARE CRAP AND WHT I LOOK FOR TRUST

The gut and the brain stand in close communication with one another. Some even call the gut the second brain. Often, negative mood and depression are correlated to a change in the gut microbiome.

Our gut bacteria actually produce some of the neurotransmitters that then travel to the brain and influence our mood. An imbalance in gut bacteria has been associated with depression and anxiety.

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Can You Take Too Much Probiotics How Much Is Too Much

While it is critical to observe accurate dosage for most medicines, Probiotics seem to deviate from the norm.

Most research indicates that there exists no consensus on the dosing that should be observed.

However, it is also noteworthy, as indicated by Pasha Gurevich that if you ingest too much good bacteria, it can lead to minor side effects such as upset stomach and diarrhoea.

This would only happen if you were not in an antibiotic medication. However, if your immunity capacity is greatly reduced, there is a risk of getting other side effects, which may be severe.

For instance, probiotic sepsis, which is and overwhelming immune response to bacterial infection. Thought not agreed on its fatality when it happens, it caused by probiotic overdose.

On the same note, other researchers indicate that there is difficulty in overdosing on good bacteria. This is motivated by the fact that already the body has high numbers of good bacteria in the body.

Estimated to be around 100 trillion bacteria. However, just the mild symptoms such as bloating and flatulence, though they indicate that the probiotics are functioning, if persistent, they act as a danger sign and medical help should be sought in that case.

What Is Cfu What Does Cfu Stand For

Simply speaking, CFU stands for colony forming unit, which describes the number of cells that can multiply to form a colony. So why dont we just use the number of cells rather than colony-forming units when we count probiotics? The answer goes back to the historical methods of laboratory research of bacteria.

Microbiology, or the study of microbes like bacteria, algae, archaea, fungi, and viruses, is one of the oldest fields of biology, dating back to the 17th century. Traditionally, microscopes were the only method available to count bacteria, which were typically grown in vials of broth or grown in little plates of solid material called agar.

Each individual bacterial cell that is healthy should be capable of dividing over and over again, forming a colony of bacterial cells. On an agar plate these colonies can be counted individually by the naked eye and total CFU can be estimated from that count. And on a probiotic label, CFU represents the number of live cells contained in each serving. Theyre usually counted in the billion and can range from 2 billion to 75 billion.

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There Is No Way To Know What Dose You Are Taking

The probiotic supplement market is relatively unregulated, so it’s hard to know how many CFUs we actually are consuming when we take probiotics in pill form. Moreover, it’s difficult to know if the organisms in those probiotics are even still alive and capable of doing their job, or if they’re dead and useless. Even if the bacteria are alive, there’s a question about whether they can survive once inside your gut.

If you are getting your probiotics from foods like store-bought yogurt, there are also very few ways to be sure that you are consuming a significant dose of good bacteria. The conditions that the yogurt is stored in down the supply chain, the temperature of your refrigerator, and the strain of probiotic that the yogurt contains all have a significant effect on the dosage of CFU. Many of the beneficial microbes could have perished before you consume the yogurt.

Fable #: Probiotics Arent Secure For Being Pregnant

Probiotic (1 Billion CFU

Whilst youll must seek the advice of your trusted healthcare practitioner to verify whats best for you, many probiotic strains can assist wholesome digestion and promote the well being and wellbeing of pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.* Research have proven that consumption of Lactobacillus rhamnosus over the past trimester and early breastfeeding helps a babys growing immune system.Footnote 2 Anticipating? Search for a probiotic complement particularly designed for prenatal and postnatal assist, and all the time run your plans by your physician earlier than incorporating one thing new into your complement routine.

Also Check: Simple Nature Gut Restore Ultimate Probiotic

After Taking Probiotics Regularly I Started To Feel Super Sick So I Asked A Doctor Why

It happened at a Jonas Brothers concert. One minute I was singing along to Year 3000, feeling my happiness beginning, and the next I was in the bathroom trying not to throw up. My stomach hurt the entire ride home, and I remember thinking I must have eaten something weird or maybe I was getting sick. A week later, on a flight to Los Angeles to visit my brother, I started to feel sick again, and this time, my symptoms didnt let up the entire trip.

After forgetting to take my nighttime pills for a couple days including the 30 billion colony forming units of probiotics I had recently started taking to help my IBS I started feeling better. Thats when I realized the two might be connected. Is it possible to take too many probiotics? And what exactly are the side effects? I talked to a gastroenterologist to find out more.

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