How to obtain probiotics

Food sources

Fermented Vegetables

• Kimchi
• Sauerkraut

Yogurt

Yogurt is milk with bacteria added.   These bacteria feed on milk sugar (lactose), which produces lactic acid, giving yogurt its tangy taste. Yogurt is currently the most common carrier for food probiotics in the Western world

To be officially labeled "yogurt", it must contain Lactobacillus bulgaricus (moderately acid resistant) and Streptococcus thermophilus (not acid resistant).   Neither of these survives the initial digestion phases particularly well or reaches the GI tract in great numbers. Look for brands labeled "probiotic" that contain more than these two basic yogurt strains, especially strains that will survive stomach and bile acid pH.

Most yogurt is made from pasteurized cow's milk in N. America - elsewhere, yogurt is made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep, yaks, water buffalo and other animals. Raw milk naturally contains probiotics, but since these are killed by pasteurization, cultures are added back into the milk to initiate fermentation.

Choose ORGANIC yogurt.   Needs to be free of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones.

You need at least 10 billion live colony forming units (CFUs) to make a health difference -numbers of CFU's in yogurt can be inconsistent or even unknown.

• ORGANIC Stonyfield's yogurt line.   Includes four extra live cultures: L. acidophilus, L. casei, L. rhamnosus and B. bifidus. and contains 100 million cultures per gram. (i.e. nearly 17 billion CFU/ 6 oz container), including at least 1 billion L. rhamnosus study-supported amount of HN001 strain to improve immune system function. Certified to strict organic standards. Contains no artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners;
• ORGANIC Stonyfield Activia.    Contains Bifidus Regularis® (Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010, claimed to survive GI journey. Number of CFUs not disclosed. Dannon Activia (which is owned by Stonyfield) is NOT organic.
• ORGANIC Oikis Greek yogurt.   Greek yogurt gets its extra creaminess, twice the protein, less lactose and fewer carbs of regular yogurt from a straining method that removes the whey (liquid) from the yogurt. Contains three additional live cultures (as well as S. thermophilus, L. bulgaricus): L. Acidophilus, B. bifidus, and L. casei. One serving of Stonyfield yogurt** contains at least one billion CFUs of Lactobacillus rhamnosus.

Glutathione - "King of the Antioxidants"

Note, however, that whey is the food containing the highest level of precursors to the body's important antioxidant glutathione, and removing the whey takes away this benefit.

• Mountain High Yogurt (NOT organic).   Includes three extra strains: L, Acidophilus, B. Bifidus, L. Casei and an 8oz serving provides ~20 billion CFU.

Consuming overly-sweetened yogurt defeats the health purpose of eating yogurt.     Sugar feeds the bad bacteria;

Some producers pasteurize the yogurt after the cultures are added to prolong its shelf life.   This will kill off the live active cultures and eliminate health benefits. Heat > 110°F kills the bacteria.

Yogurt is low in lactose - allows many lactose-intolerant people to get its probiotic and nutritional benefits without digestion problems.

BEST to make your own yogurt using a yogurt maker - This enables you to determine bacterial strains and ensure viability.  Let yogurt culture for 24 hours, at low heat, in order to allow the bacteria to fully grow. Most store-bought yogurts are rapidly cultured for a couple hours at high heat. If you can obtain raw milk from cows eating organic grass so much the better!

• Get creative with plain, unsweetened yogurt by adding something delicious.   Chopped fruit, berries, nuts, honey, vanilla, cinnamon. Exercise your imagination!

Kefir

Kefir is milk inoculated with kefir "grains".    A bacterial mixture, including Lactobacillus kefiri and species of the genera Leuconostoc, Lactococcus and others, along with lactose-fermenting and non-lactose-fermenting varieties of yeast. The grains are then strained out.

• Kefir can be made from cow's, goat's or sheep's milk.    Also from plant "milks" such as soy, rice or coconut. Described as drinkable yogurt, although rather a thick beverage.
• Available in supermarkets.   Kefir usually contains more bacterial strains than yogurt and come in different flavors.

•   Lifeway Kefir.   Claims 1 cup contains 10 billion probiotics, but an 8oz serving also contains 8-20g (2-5 teaspoons) of sugar. (divide grams by 4 to get teaspoons)

 

Probiotic supplements

Choosing a probiotic

General guidelines:

• The effects of probiotics are strain and dose specific - Clinical studies draw conclusions based on the strain of probiotic bacteria used. E.g. Just because a product contains L. rhamnosus, does not necessarily mean that it provides the health benefits of L. rhamnosus ATCC531-3.
• "Live and active cultures" does not necessarily mean "Imparts health benefits".    Required numbers of bacteria must be able to survive GI journey through stomach and bile acids and be a strain or strains with appropriate benefit for your needs.
• Probiotic content should be consistent - Whilst it is desirable to obtain bacteria from a healthy diet, food sources such as yogurt are inconsistent in quality; some commercial yogurts are pasteurised after culturing which kills the bacteria. Also, the life of bacteria in yogurt is shortened by its liquid medium.
• Supplement should be independently tested
• Supplement is even better if it contains a prebiotic.    E.g. FOS or inulin to feed the "good guys".

Bacterial strain:

•  Should be of human origin.   Has ability to adapt naturally to the human body;

•  Must be able to survive transit through stomach and bile acids to reach the small intestine.    However, do not buy enteric coated tablets, instead choose acid-tolerant bacterial strains, which cost half as much.

•  Should produce natural enzymes, vitamins, lactic acid, and hydrogen peroxide

•  Must be able to adhere to the intestinal wall mucosal cells

•  Capable of colonizing human GIT

Number of viable cells

• One needs a daily amount of at least 1-10 billion (10⁹ -10¹⁰) viable organisms to make any health difference.   More under certain conditions, such as prevention of traveler's diarrhea. Supplements should state the number of viable bacteria on the label. Unfortunately, a recent study found that 13% of probiotic supplements did not contain claimed amount and one third of those contained no live/active bacteria

Viability of organisms

• Must be antagonistic to pathogens
• Must remain in GI tract long enough to be effective. Following chart shows percentage of supplemented organisms remaining in faeces after so many days of taking probiotics.

• Must remain viable during storage

1. Encapsulated supplements are the preferred way of controlling the survival and shelf life of probiotic.  They protect bacteria from oxygen, light and moisture, which tends to kill the probiotics.
2. Temperature is critical for survival.  Supplements should be stored in a freezer to maintain maximum potency; although this is not necessary if the organisms have been freeze-dried.
3. Selection of the right strains of bacteria is critical to both survival and performance of probiotics;
4. A good probiotic should remain stable for 2 years at room temperature

Examples of good brands of probiotics:

Dr. Mercola's Complete Probiotics® - An excellent supplement source - contains 10 probiotic strains andsatisfies all the desirable assets of an ideal probiotic. The manufacturer adds additional numbers of microorganisms to ensure that each dose will maintain 70 billion CFUat its expiration date, even after being stored at room temperature.Testing has determined that "Complete Probiotics" contains 80% probiotics strains that are >90% acid and bile resistance. This supplement also contains the prebiotic FOS.

The formula deliberately does not include Lactobacillus bulgaricus due to its possible antagonistic effects on Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS-1.

*** Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS-1

• From major Midwestern University and prestigious health center (2010).    Conducted a review of case studies to determine whether using a multispecies probiotic with DDS-1 could enhance bowel health.
  
  After 60 days of treatment, most showed significant improvement in abdominal health, bloating and occasional elimination irregularities. This study suggests that DDS-1 may help create a healthy balance of microflora in the gastrointestinal tract.*
• From gut (2003).   DDS-1 helped to support the health of human epithelial cell lines when evaluated as part of a probiotic blend.
• Immune support (1997).    In animal research, isolated evaluation of DDS-1 supported the normal production of immune components. DDS-1 performed this better than three other strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus or Bfidobacterium bifidum.

Suggested Use of Dr. Mercola's complete probiotics: Take 2 capsules before breakfast (i.e. on empty stomach) with water once /day.

I-flora®

• Potent.   Adult Formula CP-1 capsules have a total bacterial count of 25 billion microorganisms per capsule at date of expiration(24 billion organisms per gram).Their new product from Italy contains 500 billion organisms /gram, and is based on human flora. Clinical trials with inflammatory bowel disease has yielded incredible results.
• Strains.  Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus salivarius, Streptococcus thermophilus. Other Ingredients: Rice Starch, all Vegetarian & Kosher Capsules.
• Suggested use of I-flora:   Take 1 capsule twice daily on an empty stomach with water. May increase dosage up to 4 a day, or as directed by a health professional.

How to take a probiotic supplement

• Take probiotic supplement prior to eating breakfast with a glass of pure water;
• Wait 10-15 minutes after taking it before you eat.   This is the most efficient method because stomach acid from your meal could impact some of the 'good' bacteria (you could lose 5-10%); however, if you forget, take it anyway even with a meal
• Avoid taking it within 3 hours of taking any antibiotic
• Store probiotic in airtight container in freezer to retain maximum potency
• Consume prebiotics to feed benefical flora

Some examples of successful probiotic treatment dosages
Indication	Strain or Product	Dose
Infant diarrhea	L. rhamnosus GG (www.culturelle.com) L. casei DN114001 (strain "Defensisï››") (www.danactive.com)	~1010/d ~1010/d
Inflammatory bowel conditions	VSL#3 (www.vsl3.com )	~1012/d
Antibiotic associated diarrhea	S. boulardii (www.florastor.com) L. rhamnosus GG	500 mg 4x/d ~1010/d
GI symptoms	B. infantis 35624 (www.aligngi.com) B. animalis DN-173 010 ("Bifidus regularisï››"www.activia.com)	109/d ~1010/d
"Keeping Healthy"	L. reuteri (www.stonyfield.com; www.biogaia.com) L. casei DN114001	108-109/d ~1010/d
Allergy infants	L. rhamnosus GG	~1010/d
Lactose intolerance	L. bulgaricus and/or S. thermophilus (all strains)	~1010/d 108/ml milk)
Immune support	B. lactis HN019 (HOWARU™or DR10 www.danisco.com) B. lactis Bb12 (www.bradpharm.com) L. casei DN114001	~1010/d ~1010/d ~1010/d
Vaginal applications	L. rhamnosus GR-1; L. reuteri RC-14 ~1010/d (www.urexbiotech.com; Fem-Dophilus www.jarrow.com)	~1010/d
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)	B. infantis 35264 ("Bifantis"www.aligngi.com)	109/d -1010/d

 

Consume prebiotics to feed beneficial flora

Prebiotic benefits

• Selectively utilized by probiotic bacteria already in the colon, to promote their growth and colonization
• Normalize bowel function - may be used to manage diarrhea and constipation

Prebiotic sources - include:

• FOS (Fructooligosaccharides) are the major class of prebiotics.   Found in chicory, garlic, onion, wheat, rye, bananas, leeks, tomatoes, legumes, fruits, Jerusalem artichoke,and raw honey. FOS is a type of sugar that can dramatically increase the growth rate of beneficial bacteria.
• Fiber.    Dominant in a healthy colon is BIFIDO bacteria, a family that thrives on dietary soluble fiber - i.e. the type in most fruits and grains. BIFIDO bacteria break down this fiber, creating fatty acids (called butyrate) that help promote healthy peristalsis in the colon to facilitate easy bowel movements.

 

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