How to Spot a Bogus Probiotic Supplement: (Part Two) What’s in a Name?

Many companies, in developing a new product, will apply a new name to a bacterial strain to better hide its true identity, making it difficult for consumers to know what is inside.

Knowing what strains of bacteria are in a product is essential because the therapeutic effects, survivability in the human gastrointestinal tract, and interactions with other species is highly strain-specific.

For example, the following information should be considered for the respective populations:

Infants: Bifidobacterium infantis is the most desirable strain for use with infants. Research shows that its colonization in the gut is best associated with infants who are breastfed, vaginally delivered, and have fewer food and environmental allergies.

Seniors: Because this population loses bifidobacterium faster than other beneficial strains, these are the most important to replace. Even by the age of 40, many people have lost up to one half of their population of bifidobacteria due to the aging process! Bifidobacteria are the 2nd most abundant bacteria in the large intestine of healthy people after eubacteria or bacteroides, and according to many Japanese scientists, it is the most important type of enteric bacteria for maintaining good health.

For all populations, attention should be given to using complementary probiotic strains to holistically support the needs of the entire intestinal tract. For instance, bifidobacteria colonize better in the large intestine, and lactobacilli tend to populate better in the small intestine. Using a good combination can therefore offer more complete support and protection of the body.

Bogus Alert:
A product that lists many strains of bacteria and/or yeast, without a clear reason for their use. Even worse are those products that use spore-forming bacteria, which can be hard to control and may have unpredictable results (they are often selected for their improved survivability in an inferior product to help boost CFU claims.)

Stay tuned for the next topic in my series of “How to Spot a Bogus Probiotic Product,” where we will discuss two strains of bacterial organisms to always avoid.