How do I know whether my probiotics are "alive"?

How do I know whether my probiotics are "alive"?

It is very important that the probiotics you consume are “live and active.” In fact, the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics defines probiotics as “live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.”
How to determine if the good bugs in your particular supplement are alive is tricky.

According to the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), which is part of National Institutes of Health, manufacturers of these products are only required to list the total weight of the beneficial bacteria on the product’s label. This doesn’t tell you whether these organisms are dead or alive.

But there’s another way to determine if your capsules contain live microorganisms, says the ODS. Look for the amount of colony forming units (CFUs), which some probiotic manufacturers voluntarily list on their labels. This will tell you the number of good bugs that are actually living.

However, these live probiotics can die over time, which renders them useless health wise. That’s why a good manufacturer will list the amount of CFUs in a product at the end of its shelf life or expiration date, not at the time it was manufactured.

Remember also to follow the label instructions for how to store your probiotics. Some need to be refrigerated and others can be stored at room temperature.

Here’s another thing. When you’re looking at the amount of probiotics in a product, one with 50 billion CFUs is not always better than one with 10 billion. That’s because the healthfulness of a probiotic supplement depends on what particular strains (types) of helpful bacteria it contains and what specific health benefits have been attributed to those strains, according the World Gastroenterology Organization.


Source: Barbara Intermill - registered dietitian nutritionist and syndicated columnist
Back to blog