A look at the overall probiotic market provides a decent indication of which organisms are most frequently included in supplements for probiotic diets. That’s generally a good place to start when trying to find the best probiotic for your needs. There is a range of products that vary enough so that one may be more suitable than the next. People with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) for instance, may prefer a probiotic that is known to help quiet the abdominal pains and cramps identified with the disease.
One particular strain of probiotic, Bifidobacterium infantis, has been demonstrated to reduce symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, passing of gas, incomplete evacuation and straining, in patients with IBS. There was also evidence that taking this particular bacteria helped to normalize the ratio of cytokines (proteins associated with inflammation) within the lining of the gut.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) provides an overview of the market: “Most often, the bacteria come from two groups, Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium. Within each group, there are different species (for example, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidus), and within each species, different strains (or varieties). A few common probiotics, such as Saccharomyces boulardii, are yeasts, which are different from bacteria.”
Most probiotic diet supplements draw from these bacteria genus groups. Many will include one of the Saccharomyces probiotic yeast variants because they assist in keeping the pathogen (bad bacteria) count down. Several variants in the Lactobacillus family have proven to be effective with diarrhea and with some IBS symptoms.
The best probiotic for you may be one that targets a certain symptom, or it may be one of the organic probiotics that throw in a multitude of bacterial strains along with an organic nutrient base that provides supplemental vitamins as well. The organic products with their nutrients are meant to provide support for a weight loss program
There are two other issues to consider. The manufacturing process for a probiotic product is important, because what is important with these consumables is how many of the billions of organisms contained in them are still alive when the products arrive on retail shelves. Production processes that use pasteurization or heat are going to greatly reduce the number of bacteria that make it to your digestive system. That’s why many probiotic yogurts are probiotic in name only.
The other factor is the packaging. Probiotic bacteria don’t survive the stomach acid in the upper reaches of the small intestine very well. Some products are capsules in a special gel that protects the contents. Others contain a probiotic which is a compound that supports the development of probiotic bacteria within the large intestine.
There is a significant body of research that has been done on probiotic bacteria. You can quickly learn to identify which bacterial strains proved to be affective with common health problems in both adults and children. Once you sort through the clinical material you should have a good idea of what you’re looking for in a probiotic.