How To Pick A Probiotic That Works For You

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There is a lot of discussion inside and outside of the science world about probiotics and their function within the microbiome.

But with so many brands coming out with their probiotic products, how would you know how to pick a probiotic? Especially one that works for you and your body? Let’s discuss!

What Is The Gut Microbiome?

Humans are made up of mostly microbes. Your GI tract, particularly your large intestine, is home to trillions of microbes which is collectively called the gut microbiome. This contains both the good and bad bacteria.

The gut microbiome has two predominant types of bacteria that comprise up to 90% of the total community: firmicutes and bacteroidetes. However, both the amount and types of bacteria found is unique to the individual.

Having a healthy and diverse microbiome is essential for human development, immunity and nutrition.

This is because diet greatly affects our microbiome, and diet can vary from person to person.

For example, people who consume higher protein and fat in their diet have been shown to have a higher composition of bacteroidetes in their gut microbiome.

And because everyone has a different diet and different microbiome, what you will need in terms of supplementation also needs to be individualized.

What Are Prebiotics?

Prebiotics are a form of dietary fiber that are used by host microbes that offer health benefits.

Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes have prebiotics in the form of fructooligosaccharides. Fructooligosaccharides aren’t broken down by the digestive enzymes in our system.

When they reach the large intestine, they are fermented by our gut.

In other words, prebiotics are food for our gut bacteria.

Garlic contains a high amount of fructooligosaccharides. Other foods are bananas, leeks, onions, artichokes and whole wheat products.

When gut microbes metabolize prebiotics, some produce short chain fatty acids like butyrate and acetate.

In the GI tract, these fatty acids nourish the cells that line the gut, and are associated with a lower risk of certain cancers.

Short chain fatty acids can also help to enhance calcium absorption, relieve constipation, diarrhea, and inflammation. Clinical trials have also shown that probiotics have an effect on the immune system.

The recommendation for fiber is 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men a day.

Unfortunately, the typical American diet falls way below this recommendation. An average American eats somewhere between 10-15 grams of fiber per day.

Fiber is important for keeping your digestive system working and for promoting the good gut bacteria.

What Are Probiotics?

Probiotics are live microorganisms (good bacteria) within our bodies that offer a health benefit to us.

One health benefit of probiotics is that they help to enhance or restore our gut microbiome. That is why when people take probiotic supplements, they find relief from digestive issues such as constipation, bloating, gas and indigestion.

Aside from supplements, examples of products that have some of the best probiotics in them are yogurt, kefir, kimchi, kombucha, and sauerkraut.

These foods used to be incorporated a lot more in our everyday diet, and in recent years have started making a comeback.

You may find it beneficial to include a few of these items in your diet if you are not already having them.

Kombucha is a fizzy fermented tea that is super refreshing and has a ton of good bacteria! Some of my favorite brands are Health-Ade and Synergy!

It is important to note that not all fermented foods are considered to be probiotics.

In order for a food to be considered a probiotic, there has to be sufficient living bacteria that survives food processing. This living bacteria also needs to have some type of benefit to our health.

As an Asian American, I have a palate for fermented foods like kimchi and miso. I recognize that may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I encourage you to give it a try!

Food Synergy

In America, we often like to think of our health as “a pill for every ill” where we can just supplement everything we need. But, in the realm of nutrition and dietetics, we try our best to use food to our benefit as much as we can.

That is why I love the concept of food synergy, which is essentially pairing foods together in a way that optimizes the nutrition of what you’re eating.

If you’re looking to improve your gut bacteria without taking a probiotic, you can pair a prebiotic with a probiotic.

For example, you can pair yogurt with bananas to help your body promote good gut health.

Pairing foods that have prebiotics and probiotics will help your gut bacteria flourish!

Should You Take A Probiotic?

Probiotics are safe for the general public to take, and can be beneficial to overall health in many different ways.

There is a lot of emerging research to suggest that taking a probiotic can help with a wide variety of ailments.

Probiotics are most notably known to help manage conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by relieving symptoms like constipation and diarrhea.

Probiotics have also been shown to have a therapeutic effect on metabolic control and cholesterol in patients with Type II diabetes.

Other medical conditions probiotics can help in are urinary tract infections, vaginal health, abdominal pain, and weight loss.

It is always a good idea to double check with a Registered Dietitian or healthcare provider to determine if taking a probiotic is the best course of action for you. — When thinking about how to pick a probiotic, it is always a good idea to double check with a Registered Dietitian or healthcare provider to determine if taking a probiotic is the best course of action for you.

There are, however, a few contraindications when taking probiotics.

If you have an allergy, you’ll want to make sure that you are purchasing a probiotic that does not have your allergen.

Almost all probiotic supplements on the market contain trace amounts of dairy. This is because the bacteria is grown in cultures that contain milk.

The drying and harvesting process removes a lot of the milk, but there may still be enough to potentially cause allergic reactions depending on the severity of the allergy.

If you have a suppressed immune system, you may also want to think twice about probiotics.

Some examples here are if you are undergoing treatment for cancer, or if you have small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.

Some other common allergens that can be found in probiotics are soy, corn and gluten so if you have an allergic reaction discontinue use immediately.

Now that you know about prebiotics and probiotics, here is my guide on how to pick a probiotic:

How Much Should A Probiotic Cost?

A good probiotic can cost anywhere from $15-$60.

One thing to keep in mind when learning how to pick a probiotic is that more expensive probiotics do not necessarily mean higher quality.

How To Pick A Probiotic Based on CFUs

A colony forming unit (or CFU) is the unit used to quantify how many bacteria in probiotics are capable of dividing and forming colonies.

Essentially, CFUs are how much bacteria you can consume in the supplement that can go on to make more healthy bacteria.

The quality of the strains matter more than the quantity, so do not be caught up in the amount of CFUs. Remember that more is not always better.

Ideally, you want your daily probiotic to contain somewhere between 5-10 billion CFUs, and 15-45 billion CFUs if you are treating a specific ailment.

However, because everyone’s gut is different, you may have different needs. This is why there is not one specific recommended amount of CFUs to look for.

More does NOT mean better or higher value. Just because a probiotic is more expensive or has more CFUs does not mean it is higher quality.

How To Pick A Probiotic Based On Strains

When discussing how to pick a probiotic, you want to think about choosing one that has multiple strains in it. I like to aim for at least ten different strains.

This is because the more diverse your healthy gut bacteria is, the better off we’re going to be.

Our gut microbiome has more than one strain, so why would you purchase a product that only has one strain?

What Types Of Strains Do I Need?

The two bacterial strains that are the most researched in terms of their benefits to our health are lactobacillus and bifidobacterium.

I would recommend that you make sure these two strands are included in your probiotic.

The other strands will depend completely on the ailment or condition you are taking the probiotic for. Every specific strain has a genus, species and strain designation.

All of these strains will support a healthy gut, but they all do slightly different things. If you want to treat something in particular, you’ll want to do some research on the amounts of each specific probiotic strain in your supplement.

For example, the bacterial strain Bifidobacterium breve M-16V has been demonstrated to help in immune function, the prevention and treatment of premature birth complications and immune-mediated disorders in infants.

Lactobacillus acidophilus PBS066 has been shown to be improve digestive health and helpful in alleviating symptoms of IBS, such as constipation.

How To Pick A Probiotic Based On Packaging

On some probiotics, you may see an orange triangle with the letters “USP” written inside. This stands for United States Pharmacopeia.

When you see this symbol on a bottle, this means that particular probiotic brand allows third party testing to test their product.

While it isn’t necessary to have this symbol, it certainly does not hurt to know that someone else validated the product you are buying.

You also want to make sure that the bacteria you’re eating actually gets there.

On the pH scale, our stomach acid can range anywhere from a 1 to a 3, and small bacteria will not be able to survive under those conditions without support.

This is why when you are choosing a probiotic you want to make sure that it is microencapsulated.

Microencapsulation will provide your probiotic with a protective outer layer that can help it survive the digestive tract (mouth, stomach, small intestine, large intestine) and increase the chances of the bacteria actually getting to your intestine.

Why Are Some Probiotics In The Refrigerator?

If you are taking a probiotic, you may see inulin or maltodextrin in the ingredient list, both of which are prebiotics. Prebiotics are typically packaged with the probiotic.

You'll want to make sure the manufacturer is taking proper precautions when shipping your probiotic. Some probiotics are actually delivered in a container with ice packs! — You’ll want to make sure the manufacturer is taking proper precautions when shipping your probiotic. Some probiotics are actually delivered in a container with ice packs!

Refrigeration slows down the bacteria’s metabolism and increases the product’s shelf life.

Our bodies are 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, so if the bacteria were to be kept at the temperature of our bodies, they would be able to function how they normally do.

This means that they would consume their food supply (eat the prebiotic in the supplement), reproduce like crazy, and then die.

And all of this would take place on the shelf at the grocery store.

Probiotics are living beneficial bacteria so it is very important how they are handled. The last thing you want to do is pay for a bunch of bacteria that has already died before you consumed it.

How Do I Store My Probiotic?

Once you purchase your probiotic, you’ll want to follow the specific instructions that brand has in order to preserve your probiotic as best as you can.

It is also good practice to rotate probiotics to ensure you get different probiotic strains throughout the year to boost diversity within your gut.

I like to do a combination of foods rich in probiotics, microencapsulated probiotics, and a liquid probiotic.

My favorite brand is MaryRuth Organics, but again, your needs are unique to you.

Should I Take My Probiotic With Food?

Most probiotics are neutral in flavor, so they can be swallowed in pill form or added to beverages like smoothies.

I mentioned food synergy at the beginning of the article, and the same concept can be applied here.

Think of your probiotic as a food component and eat it with your meals or just before a meal to optimize the probiotics chances of making it to the gut.

Clinical studies have found that adding fat to your meal can help aid in absorption when compared to a placebo group, so you may want to consider adding a source of fat such as avocados, coconut oil or dairy products!

Conclusion:

There are so many companies toting that they have the best probiotic supplement on the market right now, and it can be incredibly overwhelming if you don’t have a game plan going into the dietary supplements aisle.

Hopefully this guide can help you pick out a probiotic!

If you liked this post, be sure to check out How To Pick A High Quality Prenatal!