Not All Probiotics Are Created Equal

You can find probiotics in dietary supplements, as well as in certain foods such as yogurts, kefirs, and buttermilks. However, there is one "but."

Food products contain live cultures of bacteria provided they are stored properly. However, even then, in most cases, you cannot determine which specific bacteria you are supplying to your body. You also cannot know how much of these microorganisms you are consuming. The only exception is probiotic yogurts, where this information should be provided on the packaging.

Some manufacturers of probiotic dietary supplements also do not disclose exact information about the species and strain, which can affect the quality of your product. Why?

Probiotics for the Digestive System

The action and effectiveness of probiotics depend on the specific type and species of bacteria. Not all probiotic bacteria and yeasts will equally effectively support digestive processes and help restore microbiota balance.

Is simply labeling it as Lactobacillus sufficient? No, because this type of microorganism exists in many species. Here are just a few examples of the most popular: acidophilus, coagulans (also known as sporogenes), delbrueckii, lactus, cellobiosus, brevis, or casei [1].

A study from 2006 compared two types of these bacteria: delbrueckii and coagulans. It turned out that heyndrickxia coagulans can multiply significantly faster. It is also much more resistant to temperature and can exist in spore form [2].

All of this affects the more effective action of this type compared to the studied competitor.

A well-chosen species of probiotics, such as Heyndrickxia coagulans, can support digestion and excretion processes by producing appropriate enzymes, inhibit the multiplication of pathogens by acidifying the intestinal environment, and compete with them for food [3-4].

How to Choose the Best Probiotic?

Choosing the right probiotic preparation is not just about finding a product with the type and species of bacteria you are interested in. For a dietary supplement to be safe, effective, and of the highest quality, it is worth paying attention to a few additional aspects.

Proper Strain Labeling

As you already know, probiotics have many types, and within them, even more species. Each species is divided into strains. They are usually labeled alphanumerically. For example, the probiotic bacteria in the LactoSpore® preparation are Heyndrickxia coagulans MTCC 5856 [4], where MTCC 5856 is the designation of a specific strain.

This is important because it is the specific strain of bacteria that provides you with confirmed health benefits.

CFU

CFU, or Colony-forming units, is a designation of the number of live bacteria in a serving of dietary supplement [5]. For the preparation to work effectively, it must deliver an appropriate amount of probiotics to your body. If there is too little or too much, you may not achieve the expected effects.

Storage

Many probiotics are unstable at room temperature and must be stored in the refrigerator. If this condition is not met, most of these microorganisms may die before reaching the part of your body where they can colonize [6].

However, there are ways to store probiotics outside the refrigerator, such as microencapsulation or selecting strains that are resistant to temperature. The probiotic Heyndrickxia coagulans MTCC 5856 can exist in spore form, which can survive at higher temperatures and in the harsh environment of the gastrointestinal tract [7-8].

The spore form of the probiotic can be found in the LactoSpore® preparation. This ensures that the bacteria reach your intestines alive, and you do not have to store the preparation in the refrigerator.

Sources:

1. Amara, A. A., and A. Shibl. “Role of Probiotics in Health Improvement, Infection Control and Disease Treatment and Management.” Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal: SPJ, vol. 23, no. 2, July 2013, pp. 107. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsps.2013.07.001.
2. Michelson, Tiina, et al. “l(+)-Lactic acid producer Bacillus coagulans SIM-7 DSM 14043 and its comparison with Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. lactis DSM 20073.” Enzyme and Microbial Technology, vol. 39, no. 4, August 2006, pp. 861–67. ScienceDirect, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enzmictec.2006.01.015.
3. Cao, Jiang, et al. “Probiotic characteristics of Bacillus coagulans and associated implications for human health and diseases.” Journal of Functional Foods, vol. 64, January 2020, p. 103643. ScienceDirect, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2019.103643.
4. “What is LastoSpore.” LactoSpore, https://lactospore.com/about-lactospore/what-is-lactospore/.
5. Colony Forming Unit - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/colony-forming-unit. Accessed November 24, 2024.
6. Jurenka, Julie S. “Bacillus Coagulans.” Alternative Medicine Review, vol. 17, no. 1, March 2012, pp. 76–82. go.gale.com, https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&issn=10895159&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA286390908&sid=googleScholar&linkaccess=abs.
7. Adibpour, N., Hosseininezhad, M., Pahlevanlo, A., & Hussain, MA (2019). Review of Bacillus coagulans as a spore-forming probiotic. Applied Food Biotechnology, 6(2), 91–100. https://doi.org/10.22037/afb.v6i2.23958.
8. “Stability.” LastoSpore, https://lactospore.com/about-lactospore/stability/.