Science and Technology Innovation Center Guo Yongjie January 12, 2024
What are the factors that determine whether probiotics are effective? Bacterial species, bacterial count, and dosage form are the key!
1. The key to determining the quality of probiotics is not the more bacteria the better, but the selection of good strains that have scientific evidence or patents and are more trustworthy. Common strains in China include Lactobacillus paracasei, Bifidobacterium animals, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, etc., which are suitable for ordinary people. At the same time, you should also pay attention to whether the product has added sugar or some unnecessary chemical additives.
2. Number of bacteria: The number of probiotics that the intestines can accommodate is limited. Even if the bacteria are of high quality and have a large number of bacteria, they may not be able to survive in the intestines. Excessive bacterial counts may also cause competition between different bacterial species, preventing probiotics from exerting their effectiveness. The World Gut Association recommends that each person consume 1-10 billion live bacteria every day, while the Taiwan Lactobacillus Association recommends that adults consume 10 billion probiotics every day. The more bacteria the better, the more important thing is how many bacteria can survive in the intestines after being absorbed by the body.
3. Probiotic dosage forms are powders, which are the most common and most effective. They are usually packaged individually and are convenient for consumption. Powders have a large absorption area, high stability, and must be live bacteria. As for the tablet design, high temperature, and high pressure will cause the death of bacterial strains, so it is the least recommended dosage form. When is the best time to take probiotics? Eat it every day to maintain healthy intestinal function! Probiotics themselves are live bacteria and are not resistant to high temperatures. Temperatures above 45 degrees will reduce probiotics' activity and the number of bacteria. Therefore, when supplementing probiotics, eating them directly or drinking them with warm water below 45 degrees is best. The best time to take probiotics is on an empty stomach or before bed. Supplementing probiotics on an empty stomach can allow the probiotics to be absorbed into the body faster and have the highest survival rate. Before going to bed, you are less likely to eat and your digestive motility is slow, which is the most suitable time for probiotics to survive and settle.