Flow Cytometry As Emerging Solution
Many opposed to the Petition believe while CFU counts provide a better measure than metric weight, they do not offer consumers an accurate level of probiotic dietary ingredients and therefore may cause confusion. They point to other available methods capable of potentially achieving a more accurate determination of the viable organisms without the limitations of cultural CFU methods. One of these methods is Flow Cytometry. Proponents of Flow Cytometry believe it is a superior technology for accurately enumerating probiotics since it can measure multiple bacterial parameters including DNA replication, metabolic activity, and membrane integrity and can capture VBNCs. As opposed to cultural CFU methods which are limited to specific bacteria families, Flow Cytometry can count cells of several species in a mixed population without the need for multiple selective growth media. Flow Cytometry is much faster to results than CFU cultural methods, can be adapted to measure probiotic bacteria in complex matrices, and can be scaled up to run in high-throughput capacities.
Using Flow Cytometry, scientists can measure probiotics in Active Fluorescent Units and/or Total Fluorescent Units which some believe provide a much more accurate snapshot of viable microorganisms than CFUs.
Are More Cfus Better
Many probiotic supplements have high CFU numbers, such as 50 billion or 100 billion. This doesnt necessarily mean they are superior to other probiotic formulas and the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements agrees. The ultimate purpose of probiotics is to balance the gut microbiome or your intestinal ecosystem. The average person can do this without a super-serving of probiotics. Plus, its possible to have too much of a good thing, and too many probiotics may cause discomfort.
While there is no set dose for CFU numbers, there is a baseline suggested from research in clinical studies. The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends that adults consume between 10 and 20 billion CFUs per day. This is for someone who wants to support balance in their digestive tract. A person experiencing specific gastrointestinal issues may need more as directed by a physician.
Other factors that may impact how many CFUs are right for you include age, sensitivities, your personal digestive health, and the strains that are included.
How Are Cfus Counted
CFUs are measured by estimating the number of live bacteria cells in a sample. Because cells are so small, CFUs are measured in a bacterial culture where growth is tracked. Colonies show clusters of bacteria growing together, and these colonies are counted. CFUs are then calculated with a specific scientific formula.
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So Whats A Cfu Anyway
*CFU* not UFO . CFU stands for colony forming unitbut is often used interchangeably with cultures or culture count. CFU or culture count is quite literally the number of microorganisms, encompassing all types, or strains, Johnle says.
And by “microorganisms,” we’re talking about the good-for-you bacteria that probiotics provide. Johnle suggests that adults look for at least 10 billion culture of CFU per serving in a probiotic, and recommends children start at around 1 billion and work their way up.
That’s because the more CFUs you get, the more iron-clad your gut support, according to Johnle. “Why take supplements at all if theyre not working hard to fill in your nutritional gaps?” she adds. “Make your supplements work harder and better for you and support your best possible overall health.”
Powdered Probiotics A Better Option
Given the meticulous ingestion process that probiotics that come in capsule/chewable form must undergo, some manufacturers have devised a powdered form of probiotics that can withstand the delivery mechanism longer. Others have also made alternatives in the form of foods, beverages, and liquids. However, they have a much lower chance of surviving the stomachs acidic environment than probiotics in capsules, chewables, beads, or even yogurts. So that might not be the best option for you.
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What Is A Cfu Count
The first you need to know is that CFU stands for colony forming units. The CFU are the concentration of probiotic microorganisms multiplied by the Final Dilution Factor to provide a CFU/ml result.
Placed on an agar plate under a microscope it’s possible to count these individual colony’s since they are alive and able to replicate. If you counted 45 colony forming units you would then multiply this by the FDF.
This is why it’s hypothesized that a strong that a large CFU count results in a better probiotic supplement. Some people assume this means you are ingesting more living probiotic bacteria.
Probiotic capsule supplements typically range from 10 billion up to 100 billion Colony Forming Units. Probiotic gummy supplements containing one strain are typically lower at under 5 Billion CFU.
Is A Higher Cfu Count Better Than A Lower One In Probiotic Supplements
The answer to this question depends on what youre using probiotic supplements for.
Many individuals use probiotics on a daily basis to maintain digestive and immune health.
In this case, a lower CFU count makes sense and can get the job done.
A good range for a daily probiotic is between 5-10 billion CFUs.
So, what about the higher CFU supplements?
The higher doses of live cells are optimal for specific ailments or for specific minor health problems.
When dealing with specific ailments, 15-45 billion CFUs is a good range.
Some specific ailments that may be helped by higher doses of CFUs include Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, allergies, eczema, and some respiratory illnesses.
For major health problems, be sure to see your personal health professional first.
Its currently unclear about the added benefits or potential drawbacks of 45+ billion CFUs.
Although some people have reported stomach pain, gas and bloating when taking extremely high amounts of probiotics.
Keep in mind also that the highest doses of CFUs, 45+ billion are more than likely just a marketing scheme to make you think that added cells equals added benefits.
All this means is that you may be unnecessarily paying a higher price tag for something you may not need.
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How The Cfus Work
As weve said, the colony-forming units refer to the number of live and active microorganisms in one serving of a probiotic dietary supplement, measured in CFUs per gram or per milliliter. The colony consists of microorganisms growing together, such as bacteria, yeast, mold, and viruses.
Each individual healthy bacterial cell should be capable of multiplying continuously so that it can form a colony of bacterial cells. Normally, the CFU count found in the majority of probiotic supplements can range from 1 up to 10 Billion CFUs per serving. Certain brands even boast and advertise having as much as 50 Billion, 100 Billion, and even 150 Billion CFUs,
Cfu Is A Measurement Of Good Bacteria And Yeasts In Probiotics
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CFU is an acronym commonly seen on products containing probiotics. It stands for “colony forming unit” and is a measurement of the good bacteria and yeasts inside. |
A colony forming unit is a bacteria or yeast that is capable of living and reproducing to form a group of the same bacteria or yeasts.
Microbiologists use colony-forming unit to describe the number of active, live organisms instead of the number of all the bacteria – dead, inactive and alive – in a laboratory sample. Only the viable organisms are considered to be probiotics. “Viable” means that the microbes are capable of living under the proper circumstances.
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Different Cfus For Different Needs
As with most supplements and drugs, there is a large dose range over which probiotics are clinically effective, and higher dosages may be advisable for certain individuals and health conditions.1012 For example, research suggests that supplementing with a high CFU may be beneficial for people whove experienced a significant alteration to their gut microbiome due to illness, use of antibiotics, or other lifestyle factors.5,13
Adding to the complexity of dosing, research studies show that different health conditions can respond differently to different probiotic strains and dosages. For some health conditions, a lower dose may work as well or even better than a higher dose, whereas for other health conditions, higher amounts are necessary to provide a clinical effect.7,10,1418 More and better studies investigating the dose-response relation of probiotics for different health conditions can further inform our understanding of optimal dosing.
When To Opt For Low Cfu
Children, in general, should not take probiotics with a high CFU count. Why? Because they have a natural lack of diversity in their gut microbiota. If anything, the dosage recommended by scientists for children is 5 to 10 billion colony-forming units per day, though these may go even lower for infants and toddlers.
While its generally better for most adults to take one with a higher CFU, people suffering from certain conditions like serious inflammation of the gastrointestinal tracts and those who might be sensitive to supplements should opt for probiotics with lower CFUs.
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Potency Is More Than Just A Number
The number of bacteria isnt all that matters when choosing a high-quality probiotic.
The gut contains 400 to 600 different bacterial strains and species. The goal with taking a probiotic supplement is to add beneficial bacteria back into the gut so that these bacteria can improve the overall environment in the gut.
Of course, you want to take a high enough quantity of bacteria to ensure that these can make a positive difference in the gut.
At the same time, taking too high an amount of one or a few specific strains of bacteria may actually have a negative effect.
You might experience digestive upset, or the bacteria will flush through you without having an impact and leave your body when you use the bathroom.
How Should I Store My Probiotic Supplement At Home
Scientists and manufacturers recommend storing probiotic supplements in the refrigerator, which can help keep the bacteria alive longer.
Warm temperatures can reactivate the bacteria and cause them to die. As mentioned earlier, probiotics must survive production to ingestion, reaching the small intestine to provide their full health benefits.
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Discovering The Cfu Thats Proper For You Probiotics Cfu
Merely talking, CFU stands for colony forming unit, which describes the variety of cells that may multiply to type a colony. So why dont we simply use the variety of cells quite than colony-forming items after we depend probiotics? The reply goes again to the historic strategies of laboratory analysis of micro organism.
Microbiology, or the research of microbes like micro organism, algae, archaea, fungi, and viruses, is without doubt one of the oldest fields of biology, courting again to the seventeenth century. Historically, microscopes had been the one technique out there to depend micro organism, which had been usually grown in vials of broth or grown in little plates of stable materials referred to as agar.
Every particular person bacterial cell thats wholesome ought to be able to dividing time and again, forming a colony of bacterial cells. On an agar plate these colonies might be counted individually by the bare eye and complete CFU might be estimated from that depend. And on a probiotic label, CFU represents the variety of stay cells contained in every serving. Theyre often counted within the billion and might vary from 2 billion to 75 billion.
So What Should I Be Looking For Instead Of Cfu Count
Ultimately, the only number that should matter to you is how many bacteria make it through alive to your small intestine. You should be aiming for the minimum dosage for the maximum effect. Theres no easy way for you to figure that out from looking at the bottle. Your best course of action is to find research on the product. If there isnt any on the company website, ask for it.
Remember: probiotics are not regulated by the FDA. So, its extremely easy for companies to make up information about their survival rates and print it as fact. Any good probiotic company is going to test their product to prove its effectiveness. If they dont have any research, what reason do you have to trust their claims?
At Humarian, we have done the research on our Probonix probiotic and are happy to share our outstanding results. Next time youre shopping for a probiotic, remember that CFU count is only part of the picture. Find the research, check the survival rates, and make sure youve got the information to make the right decision for your body.
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What Are Cfus And Why Billions Arent Better
CFUs is a term that was developed and is used in the probiotic industry to indicate the number of LIVE bacteria in a finished product. Many people mistakenly think, when it comes to CFUs, that more is better. Occasionally we hear, My probiotic has 20 billion cfu/dose, but Dr. Ohhiras only has approximately 400 million cfu/dose, implying that there probiotic must be better because it contains a much larger number of bacteria per dose.
How To Tell If The Bacterial Colonies In Probiotics Are Working
Many people immediately think of better digestion when they hear probiotics. Its true, beneficial bacteria in the gut play a very important role in proper digestion.
Improvements in digestion is often one of the first benefits people notice when taking probiotics. This may be more regular bowel movements, less bloating or gas, fewer cravings and less fatigue after meals.
The good bacteria in the gut support many other important processes in the body. These include: nutrient absorption, boosting the immune system, and even improved cognitive function, mood, and sleep.
Furthermore, scientists have investigated the connection between the gut and different diseases. They have already discovered a connection between an imbalance in our gut bacteria and illnesses including anxiety, depression, Alzheimers Disease and migraines.
Depending on your overall health, you may notice some of the following positive effects when taking a high-quality probiotic, which will also signal that your probiotics are working. For more information on how to tell if your probiotics are working, check out our blog post on this topic.
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How Colony Forming Units Are Measured And Cultivated
In microbiology, a colony forming unit is used to estimate the number of viable cells of bacteria or fungi in a sample. Its easier than counting the number of cells themselves. Individual cells are very small and some may be dead whereas others are alive.
To measure the number of colony forming units, a bacterial culture of the microorganism is added to an agar plate in a microbiology laboratory.
Often, this requires serial dilutions of the original sample, as the original sample might be very concentrated.
Its important to keep track of the number of times the sample was diluted, also called the dilution factor. If the sample is too concentrated, you will see a large area of bacteria, instead of the individual colonies.
After a few days of tracking the bacterial growth, the colonies can be seen as a cluster of bacteria or fungi growing together. These colonies are counted. Then you use a specific formula to calculate CFU.
A single colony often has a circular pattern. The reason why CFUs matter especially for probiotics is because they indicate how many living beneficial bacterial cells you ingest with your probiotic.
In order for the probiotic to be effective, the good bacteria you swallow should be alive. Otherwise youre just flushing money down the toilet, literally!
Understanding Cfus And Probiotics
The best probiotics will offer larger CFUs, which means you get more live microorganisms with each capsule. The amount of CFUs in any supplement is important because it indicates just how effective the probiotic will be.
The ideal amount of CFUs to look for is between 10 and 15 million, and the label may break this down further according to each individual strain in the mix.
When it comes to which specific bacterial strains you want in a multi strain probiotic, there are some that are proven to benefit gut health more than others.
Certain strains are more adapted for surviving the journey through your digestive tract, which is essential. The top prebiotic and probiotic strains to look for in a supplement are:
Bacillus coagulans: These are spore-forming probiotics that can survive your stomach acid and become active in the gut. They quickly increase the population of the bacteria in your gut and increase the production of short-chain fatty acids. These compounds help to maintain the gut wall.
Lactobacillus gasseri: This bacterium is naturally found in your body, but because of poor diet and antibiotics their numbers are often depleted. These are particularly useful at keeping harmful bacteria numbers reduced, and they work to promote weight loss.
When it comes to choosing a probiotic supplement, it is essential to look for these four bacterial strains. Pay close attention to the CFUs of each one as well as the total CFU count for the probiotic you are getting.
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Count The Colony Forming Units
This tells you how much bacteria you’re getting in each dose. How much you need varies with different types and what you want to treat. There’s no general rule to follow. Most doses range from 1 to 10 billion CFUs that you take once or twice a day.
If you don’t get enough CFUs, you might not get the results you want. But more isn’t always better. It could just be a waste of money. To find out what you might need, ask your doctor.
On the label, some makers list CFUs “at time of manufacture.” But it’s important for the CFU count to tell you how much you’re getting when you use the probiotic before it expires. If you’re not sure what the count tells you, get in touch with the maker.
Keep in mind that the CFU listed is usually the total for all probiotic types in the product. If you can find one that lists it for each type, that’s even better.
