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PSA: If a probiotic is on the shelf, not in a cooler, it's probably not worth buying. The best companies certify the count of organisms at time of manufacture,
by CGMthrowaway 10mo ago
PSA: If a probiotic is on the shelf, not in a cooler, it's probably not worth buying. The best companies certify the count of organisms at time of manufacture, but no counts are guaranteed at the shelf. Probiotics are living organisms and ought to be refrigerated for max lifespan.
You can get refrigerated probiotic supps at a place like Whole Foods.
Source: I used to work in the industry.
- Aeglaecia 10mo agodoes this apply universally to bacterial strains ?
- CGMthrowaway 10mo agoYes
- zdragnar 10mo agoThe Internet almost universally disagrees, based on a quick search: https://seed.com/cultured/probiotics-refrigeration-storage-guide/ https://seed.com/cultured/probiotics-refrigeration-storage-g...
- CGMthrowaway 10mo agoLyophilization is a fancy word for freeze-drying. "If a probiotic is refrigerated, it doesn’t mean it’s a better quality" is of course true. But nothing that I said is false. If I am getting probiotics from a quality source, I am going to prefer the refrigerated product over the "shelf-stable" one every time.
- zdragnar 10mo agoThere's a difference between "choosing one over the other" and the original claim of shelf stabilized probiotics being not worth buying. On a few occasions when my dog has gotten sick, or needed antibiotics, shelf stabilized probiotics cleaned their digestion right up. Are strains that only survive when refrigerated probably a higher count? Maybe. Are there stains that are better but can't be freeze dried? Probably. Are there shelf stable probiotics that are worth buying, especially if you don't have access to refrigerated stuff? Absolutely!
- CGMthrowaway 10mo agoI never denied any of that. Read my comment again, more carefully.
- zdragnar 10mo agoThe very first line of your comment: > PSA: If a probiotic is on the shelf, not in a cooler, it's probably not worth buying. is exactly what I was responding to, along with your one word response "Yes" to that applying equally to all bacterial strains, which is also untrue.
- CGMthrowaway 10mo agoThe statements below can all be taken as true, together. Probably doesn't not mean always. https://i.imgur.com/BRNn0rJ.png https://i.imgur.com/BRNn0rJ.png If a probiotic is on the shelf, not in a cooler, it's probably not worth buying Strains that only survive when refrigerated are maybe probably a higher count There are probably strains that are better but can't be freeze dried There are absolutely shelf stable probiotics that are worth buying, especially if you don't have access to refrigerated stuff
- DANmode 10mo agoWhy do you think they’re here, sharing the info with you? If you could just Google it up, not nearly as interesting to HN.
- CGMthrowaway 10mo agoThank you
- temp0826 10mo agoThere are some newer types of probiotics (called "spore-based") which claim better shelf stability (don't require refrigeration) and resistance (to populate further down the digestive system). But you're absolutely right, they tend to die off pretty quickly (be extra weary of ordering them online, especially during the summer if they're going to sit around in a hot delivery truck or mailbox!).
- CGMthrowaway 10mo agoThat is more around solving a different problem than shelf-stability, which is the fact that most probiotics targeting the intestines don't survive in great measure beyond the stomach.
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- zamadatix 10mo agoWhen I asked my doctor about which kinds of probiotics are most effective she specifically mentioned refrigerated vs non-refrigerated is not a way to identify quality or effectiveness unless you know the specific strain(s) needed cannot be made shelf-stable. This lined up with asking my endodontist after they prescribed some antibiotics for a tooth infection. They did warn that the use by dates are a bit bull, not to stock up on them as they do deteriorate in quality with time, and not to try to keep even the shelf-stable ones above room temperature. Maybe I misunderstood what my doctor said, maybe my doctor was just wrong, maybe it's actually extremely nuanced, maybe it's something I hadn't even considered. I guess all I'm saying is it's probably better to talk to your doctor(s) about it than follow self-sourced (in both the above and this comment) medical advice from HN.
- Enginerrrd 10mo agoAlso frankly, doctor =/= expert on probiotics. None of their training really addresses that and while they might be more qualified to read research than random layman I would not in general ascribe authority to what a random practitioner has to say about probiotics. Frankly, the research on probiotics is still very much in its infancy and a LOT remains to be figured out.
- xattt 10mo ago> doctor =/= expert on probiotics Medical microbiologists would love to have a word with you. Medicine and medicine-adjacent disciplines each develop institutional knowledge that percolates from each specialized discipline. > …the research on probiotics is still very much in its infancy and a LOT remains to be figured out. I’m curious who you think does the research. It’s certainly not Bubba from down the creek.
- cwnyth 10mo agoPhDs do the research. Not your typical overworked family practitioner.
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- agumonkey 10mo agowhat kind of cooler, near zero or just yogurt level temperatures ?
- CGMthrowaway 10mo agoFreezing has potential to cause damage to the organisms, safer to refrigerate (and consume asap)
- anjel 10mo agoThey sell a yogurt starter that is purportedly Salivarius and ruteirii culture over at Beazos' Clubhouse. I haven't had it tested but it's way easier than the usual Bulgarian microbes. Assuming the cultures are as labeled, I have to imagine eating live culture yogurt is more likely to propogate than loszenges made in a factory though.
- davio 10mo agoI've made the L. reuteri "yogurt" from the BioGaia Gastrus tablets from amazon and it works well. First batch is a little watery but after that it pretty much looks like greek yogurt when I use half and half.
- anjel 10mo agoThe salivarius / ruteiri culture is way more forgiving than that. Makes a firm, tart yogurt even with non fat milk, without having to add powdered milk.
- ac29 10mo ago> The best companies certify the count of organisms at time of manufacture The best companies certify the viable count at expiration, I've seen many that do. There is a difference between probiotics in live culture and shelf stable products but both can be viable methods of delivery.
- dsego 10mo agoSo I shouldn't spend money lactibiane buccodental oral probiotics in pills?
- curl-up 10mo agoA very naive question: why are "dry and on the shelf" not worth buying, when so many of the food-related microorganisms obviously work fine through such distribution (baking yeasts, various yogurt starters, cheese molds, etc.)?
- michael1999 10mo agoYeasts and fungi produce durable spores. But most gut bacteria do not form spores. When they dry out, they die.
- mlmonkey 10mo agoWhy not run an experiment like this post: take a probiotic capsule, put its contents in a growing medium; after a day or two, sample from the medium and send it in for testing, and see which strains actually grew?
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