Probiotic Supplements
topic
Probiotic supplements contain live microorganisms that, when consumed in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host — with benefits being highly strain-specific (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG for reducing antibiotic-associated diarrhea and childhood diarrhea; Bifidobacterium infantis for IBS; Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 for vaginal health) rather than generic to all probiotic products, and with CFU count, viability at time of consumption, and ability to survive gastric transit varying substantially between products.
Role
Probiotic supplement efficacy is one of the most strain-specific domains in nutrition science — making the product selection decision dramatically more consequential than the simple decision to 'take a probiotic'. The majority of commercially sold probiotic products contain strains for which no clinical evidence exists for the specific condition being targeted, at CFU counts that may be insufficient for demonstrable effect, in formulations that may not survive gastric transit to reach the colon. The person who understands strain specificity supplements differently — choosing the specific clinically validated strain for their specific condition rather than the highest-CFU or best-marketed general probiotic product.
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