1. Make sure it has some of the desirable characteristics of a probiotic
Ideal probiotic characteristics include
1. Human origin
2. Able to tolerate gastric acid and bile salts to reach the lower gastrointestinal tract
3. Ability to adhere to intestinal mucosa
4. Able to colonize the intestines
5. Ability to produce antibacterial compounds that can fight pathogenic microorganisms
6. Clinical safety
7. Have a clinical record that is beneficial to health
8. Adequate shelf life and stability
Of the above characteristics, the most important ones to consider when choosing a probiotic supplement include
- The ability of probiotics to survive in the upper gastrointestinal tract (the ability to withstand gastric acid and bile salts)
- The ability of probiotics to adhere to intestinal cells
- The ability of probiotics to temporarily colonize the intestines
- The scientifically proven health effects of the strains contained in any product
2. Make sure the strain used is a researched strain
We need to understand that the strain of bacteria determines its therapeutic effectiveness. Therefore, when we choose probiotic products, it is best to choose products that clearly indicate the species and specific strains of probiotics used in the product.
For example, in the list of strains that can be used in infant and young child foods, not all Lactobacillus fermentans are CECT5716, and not all Lactobacillus helveticus is R0052.
3. Guide to avoiding pits
Here are the most common red flags you should be aware of when choosing a probiotic product
- When the product label does not clearly list the probiotic strain used
- When the research results of products using other similar strains are applied to the strains used by oneself
- When the viable count of a product is too low
- When the activity of the product cannot be well maintained and guaranteed until the end of the shelf life, for example, some products may indicate the number of viable bacteria when leaving the factory.
