Choosing a Probiotic | Ramneek Bhogal | Gut Health
Choosing a Probiotic - Cherokee County, GA - Ramneek Bhogal
No two probiotics are the same—literally. Here are just 3 things to consider.
Because probiotic strains and brands vary widely, functional medicine practitioners will want to stop and read the fine print before deciding on a line of supplements and prescribing a regimen for patients.
A lot can be learned from the label, including whether the probiotic supplement is more generalized for gut health or aimed at more specific digestive health with targeted benefits, like vaginal health and digestive irregularities, how long to expect the probiotic to be effective, and whether its potency is high or low.
1. Potency
Many probiotics will also list the number of microorganisms in each capsule in the billions for probiotic strains, this number is an estimate per capsule that helps you identify a supplement’s potency. A lower-potency supplement will have as little as 5 billion microorganisms per capsule, while a higher-potency one will have as much as 50 billion. This number does not represent the quality of the strains, though.
If you want to support repletion of flora (after an illness or antibiotics) you may want to consider high-potency probiotics for a month or two, then scale down to a lower-potency one to maintain gut wellness. (Talk to your practitioner).
2. Broad Support Vs. Precision Support
If you have a number of digestive issues that need attention, you’ll want to opt for a broad-based, full spectrum multi-strain probiotic that contains multiple active strains of microorganisms.
If your diet is low with fermented foods, if your goal is to normalize or regulate digestion, or you’re traveling abroad and simply want to support digestive health, a general probiotic works well.
However, if you have a targeted goal in mind, there are newer precision probiotics that help support specific issues, such as a need for promoting healthy vaginal flora or supporting GI tract health. (Talk to your practitioner).
3. Raw Materials
In addition to verifying the quality of the live cultures on the label by noting potency at the time of expiration, paying attention to the quality of the raw materials is also important.
Some probiotics use dairy as a source of growing bacteria, but a brand that can boast a non-dairy supplement offers a higher quality product that’s suitable for a broader clientele.
Many patients experience dairy sensitivity in some form—whether through bloating or bowel irregularity—and giving them a probiotic made with dairy may conflict with the results you’re aiming for. The same goes for probiotics that contain whey protein versus vegan protein.