Study Products And Administration
FMPP was a fermented milk containing Bifidobacterium animalis subsp lactis , referred as DN-173 010 in a previous publication,23 together with the 2 classical yogurt starters, Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus , and Lactococcus lactis subsp lactis . The test product contains 1.25 × 1010 colony-forming units of B lactis CNCM I-2494/DN-173 010 per cup and 1.2 × 109 colony-forming units/cup of S thermophilus and L bulgaricus. The nonfermented Control milk product was a milk-based nonfermented dairy product without probiotics and with a lactose content of < 4 g/cup, which is similar to the content of lactose in the test product. The Control product was matched for color, texture, taste, calories, protein, and lipid content to the FMPP. Both products were provided in 125-g pot, consumed twice daily. The product was prepared at Danone Research facilities and shipped in blinded packaging to the UCLA Clinical Research Center. Daily compliance was measured by an automated phone system. Compliance of < 75% led to exclusion from the study.
How Can You Tell If A Probiotic Is Working
When you take a high-quality probioticsupplement, you may notice a number of positive changes in your body, ranging from improved digestion and more energy, to improved mood and clearer skin. The first and most immediate change youll notice is a reduction in gas and bloating. These are all signs that your probiotics are working.
How to Take a High-Quality ProbioticSupplement The best way to make sure youre getting the most out of your supplements is to take them at the right time of day. This is especially important if youve been taking supplements for longer than a few weeks. If you dont take your supplement in the morning, it may take longer for the benefits to kick in.
To help you get the best results, here are some tips on how to choose a supplement thats right for you: Choose a product that has been tested and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration . This means that the product has undergone rigorous testing to ensure that its safe and effective. You can find out more about the FDAs approval process by visiting www.fda.gov/Food/Drugs/BiologicsRegulatoryInformation/ucm16097.
Different Strains Survive Better
Some bacterial strains are more resilient toward stomach acid and have better survival rates than others as they pass through the stomach. Survival rates of different strains can be improved depending on the delivery method of the probiotic supplement.
Gastric resistance varies from species to species and within strains.
Lactobacillus spp. are more viable in gastric conditions compared to other probiotic species, thus making gastro-resistance less of a priority in choosing a dosage form for these probiotics.
A 2021 study evaluated the survivability of five strains of lactic acid bacteria from commercial probiotics and under simulated conditions of the gastrointestinal tract. The strains were without protective capsules and added in a food matrix. Lactobacillus plantarum was the most resistant to the applied conditions of the culture medium. It showed a noticeable growth under both in vitro gastric conditions at pH 4.0 and 5.0, as well as in vitro intestinal conditions at all tested concentrations of bile salts.
The increased survival of probiotic lactic acid bacteria in acidic conditions in the presence of glucose has also been reported.
Interestingly, probiotics do not have an antagonistic effect on each others survival when used in a multi-strain product compared to a single-strain product, at least within a microbiota in a simulated colonic environment.
Other bacteria also show variation in acid survival within the same species:
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How Do Probiotics Stay Alive Until They Are Consumed
See the Spanish version of this blog post here.
As a professor, most of my days are spent with people from the academic and scientific world. But through some outreach activities, I am also fortunate to interact with many people who are not scientists by training, but have curious, scientific minds. One question I am often asked is, Is it really possible for probiotics to still be alive when they are dried and in a capsule? The answer is yes. Let me provide some basic background on probiotics and explain my response.
The idea of consuming live microbes to promote health is not new. Back in 1907, Élie Metchnikoff, a disciple of Louis Pasteur, the father of microbiology, associated the intake of fermented milks containing live lactobacilli, with a prolonged and healthy life in Bulgarian peasants . This idea was later captured by the concept of probiotics: live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host . Four simple and pragmatic criteria allow one to conclude if specific strains of microorganisms qualify as a probiotic for use in foods and dietary supplements. Probiotic strains must be sufficiently characterized safe for the intended use supported by at least one human clinical trial showing they are effective and alive in the product at an efficacious dose throughout shelf life . Being alive at the moment of consumption is one of the key characteristics of probiotics.
What Can Kill Probiotics
Typically, probiotic bacteria are delicate, and may be killed by a variety of different factors, including:
They could also be at risk if they are placed into inhospitable environments, for example in a microbiome that contains high amounts of bad bacteria. This scenario is known as dysbiosis and can be caused by many modern-day factors such as travel, stress, antibiotics, and a western diet.
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Enteric Coating And Timed
Some probiotic manufacturers use a type of technology such as Bio-tract®, which is a time-release technology thought to protect their bacteria from the low pH in the stomach. Whilst this may well be of benefit for some strains of probiotic bacteria, it is really not necessary if the strains themselves display excellent natural survivability in acid conditions, as ours do.
Enteric coating, can also help probiotics to survive transit through the harsh stomach environment. Enteric coating is a special coating for capsules, which is intended to remain intact in the stomach but to dissolve in the small intestine, and provides another option for ensuring probiotics survive to reach the gut alive. However, critics of enteric coating have pointed out that it can involve the use of synthetic chemicals, as well as highlighting some doubts over whether the capsules eventually break down in the lower GI tract to release the probiotics, or if they pass through the intestines intact with their beneficial probiotic cargo still on board.
Therefore, it may be better to simply use hardy strains of bacteria that do not require other types of ‘manufactured’ protection to survive transit through the stomach.
For more about this subject, you may enjoy reading a page from our information section, ‘Probiotic Myths – BUSTED!‘ – see ‘The Survival Myth’.
Threats To Probiotics In The Stomach
Probiotics are live microorganisms which when targeting the small and large intestines must pass through harsh stomach acids.
Stomach acids aid in digestion of carbohydrates and proteins but also kill pathogens and viruses that may travel along with foods and beverages. They do have a purpose. Unfortunately, acids also kill beneficial microorganisms, depending on the type. Acidity is measured in pH values. The human digestive system has variable pH levels: The stomach has a pH of 13, whereas the small and large intestines have pH ranges from 6-7.
It is suggested then that probiotics should pass through the inhospitable environment as fast as possible. Taking a probiotic with food or a meal may slow that passage, killing more probiotics. But a meal can also increase the pH of the stomach, giving probiotics safer passage. On the other hand, a meal may also trigger digestive enzyme and bile salt production, affecting probiotic viability.
Thus, whether to take a probiotic supplement with a meal or on an empty stomach thereby pinpointing a time of day has been a subject of debate. Note that newer research uses simulated models of the GI tract rather than test tubes, which show better survival rates of probiotic bacteria than in test tubes.
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Benefits Of Probiotics For Gut Health
Probiotics come in different strains of bacteria, each accompanied by different beneficial effects. For example, some bacterial strains help fight against cavities in oral health, but they cant thrive in the gut.
Research has shown the potential of probiotics to aid in the treatment or prevention of diarrhea, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcers, vaginal infections, Crohns disease, urinary tract infection, and eczema in children.
Signs of effective probiotics include:
1. Regular bowel movement
Probiotic supplementation can ease bowel movement and reduce belching, bloating, and general abdominal fullness. The good bacteria in probiotic supplements helps move food smoothly through the digestive system.
2. Less digestive discomfort
Probiotics aid in the digestion of food, and ease symptoms of gastrointestinal distress.
3. Improved mood
Imbalance of the gut microbiome causes inflammation. This condition results in the release of inflammatory chemicals that interact with nerve cells potentially causing mood changes, stress, and anxiety.
Certain strains, such as Lactobacillus helveticus and Bifidobacterium longum, may have a significant effect on reducing anxiety and depression symptoms .
4. Weight loss
Research into the association between gut health and obesity suggests that taking probiotics can help with weight loss.
5. Improved glycemic index and cholesterol levels
Do Probiotics Survive Stomach Acid
If you are reading this, then the chances are that you have some concerns about whether probiotic bacteria in supplements reach the gut microbiome alive. You may be confused as to whether probiotics are a good addition to your daily health routine, or a waste of money. There has been a lot of coverage in the media regarding the survival of probiotic bacteria through stomach acidity, and this concern is very valid however, if you read on, I will explain about this subject in more detail, and put your mind at rest that there are some effective, well tested and researched probiotic supplements available on the market.
In part, the concern over the survival of probiotics through the stomach has been perpetuated by one small study1 performed at University College London back in 2014, which tested 8 probiotic products and found that only one of the probiotics tested survived gut acidity and then flourished in the intestines. We reported on this study at the time, and our response to this study on probiotics can be read on the Probiotic Professionals site. It is important to state that no Optibac Probiotics products were included in this study, and we are very confident that if they had been, the results would have shown that our strains show excellent survivability in most acid conditions.
So, if only certain probiotic strains are able to survive the harsh conditions of the stomach, whilst many don’t, how can we tell the good from the bad, and spend our money wisely?
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So There It Is Do You Take Probiotics Why Or Why Not
Dr. Amy Shah is a specialist in Allergy & Immunology and Internal Medicine. She pursued her medical training at Columbia University Medical Center, Beth Israel Deaconness/Harvard Medical School, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Cornell University. Prior to graduating with honors in research, she worked in the Channing Laboratory at Harvard University looking at the health effects of heavy metals on the body. She is now in a private medical practice. To learn more about Dr. Shah, visit amyshahmd.com.
What Will A Gut Microbiome Test Tell Me
The information given in a gut health test report can differ slightly, depending on the testing company used, but in general test results are broken down into sections, analysing the levels of specific bacterial communities found in the sample. Depending on the specific test used microbes are usually either grouped by phyla, genera, or species, but rarely by strain. To understand more about how bacteria are classified, and the relevance of their classification, you may like to read our page: What are probiotics?
Stool tests are sometimes recommended by doctors and conducted by the NHS in the UK however, these are typically used to screen for certain pathologies, such as inflammatory bowel disease or bowel cancers, or to confirm the presence of specific bacteria or parasites in cases of infection. Private gut health tests tend to provide a more comprehensive overview of the microbes present in the stool. These more comprehensive test results can indicate whether or not the stool donor has a healthy gut microbiome, which contributes towards many aspects of health, including: balancing inflammation levels, aiding proper digestion, synthesising certain vitamins, and producing short chain fatty acids from indigestible fibre.
Health professionals can read more about SCFAs in Dr. Aislings article: The uses of prebiotics.
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Keep Your Ratios Consistent
It can be tempting to add more starter culture to your batches to hasten ferment time. Dont do it! Adding too much of your previous culture can lead to bitter and grainy yogurt.
The same applies to not adding enough culture. The yogurt will not ferment correctly or may cease to ferment and you could lose your culture.
If you notice that your culture has weakened, you can try adding more yogurt starter the next batch but then revert back to the correct ratio of one tablespoon per cup of milk.
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You Can Do The Milk Test Yourself Heres How:
Pour about a quarter cup of milk into two small bowls or cups.
In one of the bowls, stir in the contents of 3-4 capsules of probiotics
Allow both bowls to sit out at room temperature overnight, or, ideally, for 24 to 48 hours.
When youre ready to check results of your test, look for differences between the two bowls if the bowl with probiotics hasnt become firm, to a yogurt or custard consistency, or become lumpy and curdledyour probiotic supplement isnt viable, meaning it cant do what its supposed to do, and you should get your money back.
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Did You Know That Probiotics Are Hugely Under
Currently probiotic manufacturers do not have to specify on their product labels the strains they use in probiotic products or specify the number of live microbes of each strain deliver though the end of shelf life. So even an expiration date is not mandatory!
Additionally, probiotics fall into multiple categories within FDA regulations so expertise is spread unevenly across multiple centers at FDA without a single authoritative agency voice on the issue.
So probiotics operate in an unregulated marketplace. Label claims are often inaccurate, as is the amount of bacteria the probiotics are said to contain. In fact, its nearly impossible to know just what youre getting. One study tested 14 commercial probiotics and found that only one contained the exact species listed on the label.
If you are buying probiotics from your local drug store shelf chances are you are buying nothing more than fluff.
Considering probiotics are delicate live bacteria they can die during high heat processing, during the packaging process, or while living on the shelves of the store.
How Do Our Top Recommended Tests Compare
There are many at-home microbiome tests on the market, with new ones coming out frequently. Our research team has tested, evaluated, and compared all well-known tests including Viome, Wellnicity, BIOHM, Psomagen, Ombre , Sun Genomics , and more to arrive at our recommended favorites. Our top 3 picks include:
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Test #: Plastic Wrap + Dairy Milk + Stirring
Being vegan with none handy in the kitchen, we bought the smallest bottle of dairy we could find. It sucks how even this tiny bottle costs only about 25% less than a much bigger quart!
Compared to the last testing method, the differences in this one are:
- dairy instead of non-dairy milk
- thoroughly stirring the probiotic powder once, at the beginning
- airtight seal from plastic
Zero hour
Even though it was stirred for a good 60 seconds, the probiotic powder remained granular. We kept the seal as airtight as possible with the saran wrap, in order to keep the gas produced during fermentation in there.
6 hours
Unlike the non-dairy milk test where 6 hours showed obvious evidence, here its difficult to gauge whether the Primal Defense Ultimate Ultra is living up to its lofty name.
12 hours
The next photos really surprised us because much of the black powder you saw floating on the surface 6 hours ago is no longer there. We werent expecting to see that change.
24 hours
What is floating on the top here is clearly living because it grew versus what was seen 12 hours ago. Its worth noting that the cup was turned 180 degrees in this photo versus the prior set . Thats why the biggest black blob moved from the top to the bottom.
48 hours
2 days later. Similar to 1 day but even more disgusting, which is how to tell if the probiotics are working. The more nasty they look, the more alive they are.
Verdict?
Probiotics Within Your Diet
Breastfeeding mothers have a wide range of options to help them with their diet as well as the health of their babies. Its important that breastfeeding moms consider all available options when it comes to ensuring the best nutrition for themselves and their infants.
With so many products on the market today, it can be hard to know which ones actually work and which ones dont do anything at all.
A womans diet can affect her breast milk. This is true for all mammals, including humans. But what about probiotics? Can they pass through your breast milk and potentially change the balance of bacteria in a babys gut? The answer to this question is controversial.
It depends on the type of probiotic you take, how often you take it, and when during lactation you start taking it.
Some types of probiotics may be safe for pregnant women to consume but not breastfeeding mothers others are safe for anyone who has ingested them at any time during their life cycle, including while pregnant or breastfeeding.
The health and safety of your newborn are, without a doubt, the most essential thing to most new mothers.
As a result, many mothers are concerned about the threat of hazardous bacteria and pathogens that might cause sickness and other difficulties. However, the need for healthy bacteria in infancy is sometimes ignored, which is where probiotics come in.
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