Which are the most common myths about probiotics?

Published By: K.D Cameron

1) Some probiotic strains are better than others

People already know a lot and yet very little about probiotics. One can say that people are well-informed of what probiotics are – these are beneficial bacteria which live in a human’s digestive tract. But here is the biggest problem – hundreds of different strains of these beneficial bacteria live in every organism and their ratio varies from one person to another. Which means that one cannot claim that a given probiotic strain is the best of all. The one that’s good for you will probably not be so good for the person next to you. That’s why more and more people prefer combined probiotic supplements which contain more strains to only one or two.

And the means that further confuses people is advertising. Certain companies promote products with a single probiotic strain and claim that according to research this one is “the most important” and “the best strain” for human health – this can confuse even doctors. Scientific research is really important and it shows the benefit of a given product but this doesn’t mean that that benefit cannot be achieved by another probiotic strain. When that information is not shared, it seems like the product in question is unique, and in reality that is hardly likely, considering that hundreds of probiotic strains exist.

2) All probiotics must be kept in a refrigerator

It’s not necessary to keep every probiotic in a fridge. This depends on the specific product, so you should pay special attention to the label. If nothing is mentioned anywhere, this means that storage in a fridge is unnecessary. Formerly, it was believed that useful bacteria die if the probiotic is kept at room temperature. Technology has long been developed in a way that doesn’t require a special storage regime of this kind of dietary supplements. Yet – follow the instructions on the label and you can never be wrong.

3) If I don’t feel any benefit, then the probiotic isn’t working.

Many people believe that if they don’t feel the benefit of a probiotic, then it doesn’t work and is not real. There’s a simple way to find out if that is so. Prepare some yoghurt by dissolving a probiotic capsule. If you get yoghurt – then the supplement is real and is working. How can you prepare yoghurt? There are many recipes online for that but here’s a special vegan recipe:

Vegan coconut yoghurt

Ingredients:

¾ to 1 glass of coconut water

450 g of coconut fruit

Probiotic powder (approximately 2 capsules)

Instructions:

Mix the coconut water and coconut fruit until you get a homogeneous mixture. Add the probiotic (only the internal content of the capsules) and mix for a while with a mixer or a liquidizer.

Pour in a deep bowl – you shouldn’t fill it to the top, so that the mixture doesn’t overflow.

Cover it and leave it for 8-16 hours.

When your vegan yoghurt is ready, you can add vanilla or fruits of your choice and sweeten if you want.

NOTE: The time required for the preparation of yoghurt may vary depending on temperature. There are also special instruments for preparing yoghurt that you can use. When it’s ready the product can be kept in a refrigerator for 7 days.

4) Probiotic supplements need a special coating.

There is a lot of research on that matter but you will definitely be surprised by the conclusions: research shows that it’s better for probiotics not to have special coating.

Almost always they are offered in the form of capsules, which are resistant enough to endure the effect of gastric acid. This is necessary so that probiotics can reach the gastrointestinal tract. But is the special enteric coating he best solution?

The process by which this special enteric coating is made requires a lot of heat and heat can destroy probiotics.

So if you start taking probiotics and you buy two kinds – one with an enteric coating and one without, the one without coating will have a better effect. This is the main reason why most probiotic supplements of Swanson don’t have an enteric coating.

5) I don’t need probiotics because I eat yoghurt.

There are several things that are not right in this statement. To begin with, you should read carefully the contents of the yoghurt you buy – it mustn’t contain added sugar. It’s obvious that the carefully prepared probiotic supplements won’t contain hidden calories like maybe the yoghurts in the stores do.

Then we reach the question – what amount of useful bacteria do you get by consuming yoghurt? Indeed, there are some brands whose creators have put a lot of resources in advertising and scientific studies, in order to show that the consumption of their yoghurt is very beneficial. But the participants in those studies have eaten that yoghurt several times a day. If you seek a regulated and constant daily support for your digestive system, probiotic supplements are the better choice for you, because they are made after special formulas and contain much higher doses of beneficial bacteria. This, however, doesn’t mean that you should stop eating yoghurt. On the contrary. Adequate nourishment is important for the health of every person.

	ProBiotic-4 • Supplies 3 billion viable organisms from bacteria that are beneficial to us • Contains four different strains of bacteria • Veggie capsules. Does not contain dairy products. Price: € 11.09 Quantity:
	Probiotic Complex • A combination of probiotic bacteria for optimum health. • Has over four billion viable organisms of five beneficial strains. • It also contains FOS (frictooligosaccharides). Price: € 25.56 Quantity:
	ProLacto Acidophilus • Preferred acidophilus supplement • Each capsule supplies 4 billion CFU • Supports colon health Price: € 14.15 Quantity:
	Dr. Stephen Langer's Ultimate 16 Strain Probiotic with FOS • Fourfold increase in strains and more than twofold increase in the number of colony-forming units (CFU) relative to standard probiotics • A new formula, which now includes Lactobacillus reuteri • Special vegetarian capsules for safe transportation of probiotics to the small intestine Price: € 13.22 Out of stock
	NutraFlora Probiotic Enhancing Formula • A pure-source prebiotic supplement for intestinal health • Features an impressive 95% fructooligosaccharides content Price: € 11.89 Out of stock