Choosing the Right Probiotic: Look Beyond 'Yuck-ult'

Many of us understand the intrinsic value that probiotics can add to digestive health. However, choosing a probiotic can seem a daunting task as large numbers and complicated latin monikers wink at you from the label. Some might think that it’s all too hard and opt with the renowned Yakult …

While it is true Yakult is one of the most well-known brands, note that it only contains a single bacteria strain and it is primarily composed of sugar, in my opinion defeats the purpose. (For the uninitiated, the ingredient ‘sucrose’ = table sugar). A better alternative for those of you interested in maintaining digestive flora is to select a probiotic from online or your local pharmacy. Be sure to –

• Choose a supplement from a well-known and trusted manufacturer. 

• Look for a probiotic with 15 billion and upwards of live probiotics in each capsule. A lot of the microorganisms you’ll ingest won’t survive the trip through the gastrointestinal tract, so as a general rule – MORE IS BETTER. 

• Select a product with several different strains of bacteria. Each strain has it’s own health benefits and survival rates, so find a breadth of cultures. 

• Choose well-researched strains that have plenty of clinical trials supporting their efficacy. 

• Maximize the potency of your choice by selecting a supplement with acid and bile resistant bacteria strains.

Here are a couple of websites to help you get started in your search:

http://www.swansonvitamins.com/

http://probiotics.mercola.com/probiotics.html