How to Choose a Probiotic

Probiotics are sold in the form of a dietary supplement. It can be purchased in pill form or in powder form. Probiotics contain the good bacteria that your body needs to stay healthy. They are especially helpful for individuals who have to take antibiotics because the antibiotics kill the good bacteria along with the bad bacteria.

Instructions

1. Look for powdered probiotics or probiotic capsules that are filled with powder. These are the most effective form of probiotics. Liquid probiotics are not as effective and won't last as long when stored for later use.

2. Read the label to find out how many organisms are guaranteed to be in each dose. Pick a probiotic that has at least 1 billion organisms per gram. Anything less won't be a big benefit to your body's health.

3. Choose probiotics that are uncentrifuged, as noted on the label. This means that the manufacturer did not use centrifuging as its processing method. This method actually destroys cells and makes the living organisms useless.

4. Buy a single-strain probiotic. It may sound good on the label that there are multiple strains of bacteria in the probiotic, but it is not. Often one strain overpowers the other, rendering one of the strains ineffective. In other words, buy a probiotic that contains L. acidophilus or B. bifidum, but not both.

5. Read online reviews. Reviews from others who have tried the product before you can really help you decide between two or three decent brands. Reviews list helpful tips on how to take the probiotic and also whether the user suffered any side effects from a certain brand such as gas or diarrhea.

Tips & Warnings

• Request a list of test results from the manufacturer of the probiotic you are curious about. These results will say how potent the probiotic is.

• Store your probiotics in a tightly sealed container in your refrigerator. Otherwise, the organisms will lose their effectiveness.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• A Study on Probiotics