Probiotic therapy is used as a dietary aid in managing digestive issues like yeast overgrowth, irritable bowel syndrome and diarrhea. Probiotic supplements are used to replace the good bacteria in your digestive tract that has been lost due to antibiotics, chronic illness or poor dietary choices. The U.S. Federal Drug Administration does not tightly regulate the manufacturing of probiotic supplements, which leaves room for impurities and possibly false labeling.
Probiotic Names
Probiotics can be purchased in capsule, powder, liquid, tablet or food form. The strain's name, which is a subset of a bacteria genus or the family name of the baceteria, is listed on the label. The report "Guidelines for the Evaluation of Probiotics in Food," by Mary Ellen Sanders, Ph.D., states that the most common strains come from Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. You may also see less commonly used Escherichia coli or Bacillus coagulans. Saccharomyces boulardii is yeast that is marketed as a probiotic. Marketing of probiotics is based on bacteria and yeast tested for use as a probiotic; beware of other names.
Freshness
According to a study done by Bastyr University, many of the refrigerated and non-refrigerated probiotics do not contain the bacteria listed on their label. This could be due to manufacturing processes or other conditions that cause the bacteria to deteriorate. To ensure you are getting the best possible product, look for items with the latest expiration date. Choose refrigerated products over non-refrigerated, because refrigerated seem to have more viable bacteria than non-refrigerated, according to the Bastyr University.
Food Probiotics
When purchasing food items that contain probiotics, you will need to look for the specific strain's name. "Live and active cultures" does not automatically mean "probiotic," as some bacteria are part of a fermenting process, according to Mary Ellen Sanders, Ph.D. Foods that promote probiotic properties may only list the name of the bacteria strain used. You may need to go to the company's website to get more information about genus, species and strain levels.
Probiotic Therapy
Probiotic therapy is very specific to the bacteria strain used. You cannot expect each different strain of the same bacteria to provide the same health benefits or work in the same manner. According to Mary Ellen Sanders, Ph.D., claims should be specific to the name of the strain listed on the supplement or food product's label. Testing bacteria for probiotic properties is limited to the specific strain tested. The dosing of the probiotic supplement will be based on the properties that specific probiotic strain possesses.
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