Probiotic Culture...I am wondering if dry or dried probiotics are as effective as the living kind in yogurt.?!
Question: Probiotic Culture...I am wondering if dry or dried probiotics are as effective as the living kind in yogurt..?
I use to by a lot of liquid acidophilus and eat yogurt. But recently I have seen Kashi cereal with probiotics. also, I bought a very expensive bottle of pills by Nature's Way called Primadophilus Optima that claims to have 35 billion cfu potency of 14 strains of probiotics. However, I thought a culture needed moisture to thrive and survive. I would appreciate some input, advice, and educational direction. I bought the bottle and I'm taking the pills to be on the safe side but sometimes I worry that I'm just being a sucker for false claims.
Thank you in advance for your help.Health Question & Answer
Thank you in advance for your help.Health Question & Answer
Answers:
Yes, you're exactly right... Probiotic cultures need moisture to reproduce, survive, and thrive.
However, in capsules, they aren't active, so they don't need the moisture. The easiest way I've found to relate it is that they are like in suspended animation. Once they hit a bodily fluid (or other liquid), they are activated and start doing their thing. That's the reason they don't need to be in a liquid form.
In order for a company to advertise on their bottle that a probiotic has a certain number of CFU (Colony Forming Units) or "Viable Organisms", they have to prove it in in-vitro assays (which is basically a simulated digestive tract) that they would do that.
All that being said, various people prefer capsules or liquid/yogurt options... that's a personal choice. ;-)Health Question & Answer
However, in capsules, they aren't active, so they don't need the moisture. The easiest way I've found to relate it is that they are like in suspended animation. Once they hit a bodily fluid (or other liquid), they are activated and start doing their thing. That's the reason they don't need to be in a liquid form.
In order for a company to advertise on their bottle that a probiotic has a certain number of CFU (Colony Forming Units) or "Viable Organisms", they have to prove it in in-vitro assays (which is basically a simulated digestive tract) that they would do that.
All that being said, various people prefer capsules or liquid/yogurt options... that's a personal choice. ;-)Health Question & Answer
I like Dr. Ohhira's probiotics. It's a little pricey but it works. I agree that it's tough to accept some of those potency claims.Health Question & Answer