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Probiotics: Which probiotic? How to pick probiotic?
Author: Anil Minocha MD of Shreveport
I am frequently asked about what probiotics are available in market, which ones to use and how? This article gives brief info about probiotics in general and then below, a listing of some (not all) of the available probiotics available commercially.
Please note
- Not all probiotics are created equal and the benefits are strain and dose specific. Some formulations also have prebiotics. The choice of probiotic depends upon the health benefit for which it is required.
- The number of bacteria per serving (CFUs) matter since the administered probiotic is going to be a tiny and transient part of trillions of bacteria already in your gut.
- While I don't have any good dose related data, it is my opinion that atleast 5-10 billion colony forming units or CFUs per dose of probiotic would be needed should be taken twice a day to accomplish beneficial tesults. This is my guestimate based on all the studies that I have read about various probiotics.
- The beneficial effects of probiotics cease in 2-4 weeks after stopping adminstration. This is because the probiotic bacteria stay in our gut only transiently and do not establish permanent residence.
By the way an FYI
- All yogurts may not be probiotic, thus are not created equal!
- Dr. Minocha's article on preventative benefits from probiotics was published in the journal Nutrition in Clinical Practice.
My opinion on benefits of selected probiotic species (list is NOT complete)
- B. infantis Irritable bowel syndrome
- L. casei Boost immunity; digestive complaints
- L. reuteri Boosts immunity to fight infections; prevent infant colic
- L. rhamnosus Skin eczema
- Saccharomyces boulardii Antibiotic induced diarrhea
- VSL#3 Ulcerative colitis
Caution
- The contents of the various formulations are based on info provided by manufacturer with product or on web and is NOT guaranteed by me.
- Studies have shown that the info provided by manufacturers may not be entirely accurate, so do your own due diligence.
LISTING OF SOME PROBIOTICS ON MARKET
Activa yogurt (4 oz single serving cups; also available as 24 oz tubs)
- Manufactured by Dannon Inc.
- Has multiple other products like Activia Light, Activia Fiber, Activia drinks, Activia Dessert etc.
- Contains Bifidobacterium animalis DN-173010 aka Bifidus regularis in addition to Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus
- Contains 2.5 g saturated fat per 4 oz
- Each serving contains 10 billion CFUs
- Subsequent to a lawsuit, the company agreed to make changes to the labeling and advertising of Activia and DanActive by increasing the visibility of the scientific names of the "probiotic" cultures in the yogurt.
Adult Formula CP-1
- Manufactured by Custom Probiotics Inc
- Five probiotic strains: L. Acidophilus, L. Rhamnosus,L. Plantarum, B. Lactis and B. Bifidum
- Each capsule has 50 billion CFUs
Align capsules
- Manufactured by Proctor & Gamble
- Contains Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 in a vegetarian capsule shell
- Each capsule contains 1 billion bacteria per capsule
- Manufacturer recommends 1 capsule per day
Attune nutrition bars
- Manufactured by Attune Foods (This is different from Granola munch also made by this company and that contains 1 billion CFUs of L. acidophilus)
- Contains Koshar Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM, L. casei Lc-11 and Bifidobacterium lactis HN019
- Comes in several flavors
- Contains 3g fiber
- Each serving contains 6.1 billion CFUs
Bio-K+ cultured milk based probiotic
- Manufactured by Bio-K+ International Inc (Also makes flavored as well as rice and soy fermented products)
- Contains L. acidophilus CL1285 and L. casei LBC804
- Contains total of 50 billion CFUs
Bio-K+ probiotic capsules (regular and Rx extra strength)
- Manufactured by Bio-K+ International Inc
- Contains L. acidophilus CL1285 and L. casei LBC804
- Contains 30 billion CFUs per capsule (Rx extra strength has 50 billion CFUs)
Culturelle capsules
- Manufactured by Amerifit Nutrition, Inc
- Contains L. rhamnosus GG
- Each capsule contains 10 billion CFUs
Florastor capsules (250 mg)
- Manufactured by Biocodax, inc
- Contains Saccharomyces boulardii
- Each 250 mg capsule contains 5 billion CFUs
OWP probiotics
- Manufactured by One Wellness Place
- Contains B. longum, B. breves, B. infantis, L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus, L. acidophilus
- Each capsule has 15 billion CFUs
Philips Colon Health capsules
- Manufactured by Proctor & Gamble
- Probiotic bacteria include Lactobacillus gasseri KS-13, Bifidobacterium bifidum G9-1 and Bifidobacterium longum MM-2
- Each capsule contains 1.5 billions cells
- Capsules also available as a symbiotic formulation called Colon Health probiotic + fiber that contains 3g inulin in addition to the probiotic blend
VSL#3 packets
- Manufactured by Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals
- Contains 8 different strains of bacteria (B. breve, B. infantis, B. longum, L. acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. casei, L. plantarum and Streptococcus thermophilus)
- Each packet contains 450 billion CFUs
- The product has lemon flavored and is consumed by mixing in atleast 4 oz of cold water. Unflavored product for use after mixing in cold foods like yogurt, ice cream etc.
- Dose: Manufacturer recommends different doses for different disorders (IBS 0.5-1 packet/d, ulcerative colitis 1-2 packets/d, and pouchitis2-4 packets per day. In difficult to maintain remission in ulcerative colitis 4-8 packets per day are recommended)
- Doses are reduced in kids based on age
DanActive cultured milk (100 ml bottes)
- Manufactured by Dannon Inc
- Marketed in Europe as Actimel
- Contains S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus in addition to L. casei DN-114 001. The latter is also marketed as L. casei Defensis or Immunitas
- Different flavors are available. Each serving contains 10 billion CFUs
- Subsequent to a lawsuit, DanActive labels that said the yogurt has "a positive effect on your digestive tract's immune system" were to be reworded to say the yogurt will "interact with your digestive tract's immune system."
Gerber Good Start Protect Plus powdered infant milk formula
- Manufactured by Nestle
- Contains B. lactis Bb-12
- Each 4 oz contains 10 million CFUs
Good Belly fruit drink
- Manufactured by NextFoods
- Contains L. plantarum 299v
- Each serving contains 20 billion CFUs
- Manufactured by Lifeway foods Inc
- Contains 10-12 different probiotics
- Has 7-10 billion CFUs per cup
StonyField Farm yogurt (also makes other probiotic products like Oikos and Soy yogurt)
- Manufactured by Stonyfield Farms, a subsidiary of Dannon Inc.
- Available in 4 oz, 6 oz and 32 oz containers. Flavored and plain varieties available
- Contains multiple strains of bacteria like L. rhamnosus HN001, B. lactis, L. acidophilus and L. casei in addition to S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus
Ultimate Probiotic Formula
- Manufactured by Swanson Health Products
- Probiotic strains: B. lactis, B. longum, L. plantarum, L. acidophilus, L. casei, Kyo-Dophilus blend, L. salivarius, L. rhamnosus, L. bulgaricus, L. sporogenes
- Contains 60 billion CFUs/capsule plus 100 mg of prebiotic NutraFlora short chain FOS
Yakult cultured milk
- A Japanese probiotic milk product manufactured by Yakult Honsha Co.
- Contains L. casei Shirota
- Each serving contains 8 billion CFUs
- Manufacturer recommends 1-2 bottles per day. It also cautions that you may experience bloating initially when you start taking it.
- Each 2.7 oz bottle contains 11 g of sugar.
Yo-Plus yogurt
- Manufactured by Yoplait Inc,
- Contains B. animalis subsp lacis Bb-12 in addition to S. thermophilus abd L. bulgaricus plus prebiotic plus inulin 3 g per serving.
- Each serving contains greater than 5 bilion CFUs
Do you or someone you know takes probiotics? Please share your experience. If your favorite probiotic formulation is not listed here, please let me know.
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Confused about probiotics on market? Learn here more
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Do the probiotics always tend to have a somewhat sour taste? Seems like even the yogurts taste in such a way that I can't really stand to eat them. Supposed to be really good for digestive health, but it's hard to know what to believe these days.
DJ
Posted by: Fatty Liver Symptoms | May 01, 2011 at 11:54 AM
Probiotic drinks are definitely good for our health. We should always include these kinds of drinks to maintain our healthy lifestyle.
Posted by: Buy Vega | April 29, 2011 at 01:58 AM
I have just recently tried a probiotic drink called Kombucha. The sour taste took a bit to get used to. I don't drink it daily but only once a month. I would rather try to focus on eating healthy, chewing my food finely before swallowing for better digestion than to rely heavily on probiotic drinks.
Posted by: Rose | April 27, 2011 at 01:37 PM