by The Puritan's Pride Editorial Team
This content is intended as general information. We encourage you to explore the full range of Puritan’s Pride® Probiotic offerings for product-specific benefits.
Your body is home to 38 trillion microorganisms that assist in maintaining optimal health. Different areas of the body, such as the skin, digestive tract, and mouth, have varying communities of microorganisms and their unique microbiomes. The digestive tract has the highest density of resident microorganisms and is the most studied. Some of these microorganisms are helpful bacteria known as probiotics.*
Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.1,2 The roles these microorganisms play are as diverse as they are. Just like vitamins and minerals have different roles in promoting optimal health, various types of probiotics have different health benefits. Some probiotic products provide a blend of different strains, similar to a multivitamin. Other products take a more targeted approach by delivering just one strain, akin to taking a single‐letter vitamin.
Live microorganisms are often found in fermented foods. The history of fermented foods in the human diet dates back thousands of years. Fermented foods are created by undergoing a process in which microorganisms like yeast and bacteria break down food components and convert them into other products. Fermentation is used to make foods more digestible and nutritious or to impart texture and flavor. Examples of fermented foods include leavened bread, cheeses, yogurt, kefir, fermented vegetables, such as sauerkraut or kimchi, and miso. It was not until the early 1900s that fermented dairy products, like yogurt, began to be associated with health benefits.
Recognizing the beneficial effects of ingesting certain, live bacterial species on human health, the term “probiotic” was coined in the 1960s. Derived from the Latin word “pro,” meaning “for,” and the Greek word “bios,” meaning “life,” probiotics can be thought of as “for life.”
Today, the scientific community recognizes probiotics as living microorganisms that provide health benefits when taken in adequate amounts. Depending on the species and strain, a probiotic may impact one or more of the following areas of health:
Puritan's Pride® Premium Probiotic 10 contains clinically studied strains for digestive and immune health.* Each capsule provides twenty billion colony-forming units (CFU), which represents the number of live, active microbial cells. It provides advanced support for optimal intestinal balance and contains a one month supply of rapid-release capsules.*
Puritan’s Pride® Acidophilus is ideal for everyday use, providing friendly bacteria for the digestive and immune systems.* Each serving provides four billion CFU with guaranteed quality and CFU through expiration. This product features Lactobacillus acidophilus which is naturally found in the healthy human digestive system.
Antibiotics may deplete or alter the composition of microorganisms naturally residing in the gut. Probiotics provide friendly bacteria for the digestive system.* Puritan’s Pride probiotic products are not intended to replace antibiotic medications, nor should you discontinue taking prescribed medications while supplementing with probiotics. Consult your primary care provider before taking probiotics.
A probiotic's benefits depend on the amount and type of strains included in the formula. Certain probiotic strains, when provided in adequate amounts, may provide relief from occasional constipation, gas, and bloating when taken daily.*
Both probiotics and prebiotics can support your gut microbiota, but there are important differences between the two. Probiotics are live microorganisms that introduce new, friendly bacteria to your gut. Think of prebiotics as food for the microorganisms already residing within your gut. Unlike probiotics, prebiotics are non-living substances. Instead, they are food substances, like fibers, that we cannot digest ourselves but are selectively utilized by the beneficial microorganisms already residing in our gut.
Fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, miso, and kimchi naturally contain live microorganisms. However, generally the live microorganisms found in fermented foods are not considered probiotics because they contain a mixture of microorganisms at an unknown dose. (^2) According to the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP), “to qualify as a probiotic, the amount of types of the live microorganisms must be known, and they must be scientifically tested to provide a benefit”.2 Supplement your diet with both fermented foods and probiotics to improve the quality, quantity, and variety of strains consumed to provide optimal health benefits.*
Probiotic supplements should be taken on a routine, ongoing basis for continued benefits. Supplementation temporarily changes gut microbiota. If supplementation is discontinued, a person’s microbiota typically returns to its previous status within one to three weeks.3
Since probiotics are live microorganisms, they must be stored appropriately and carefully. Proper storage conditions will vary depending on the strains of probiotics in the product. Probiotics should not be stored in the refrigerator unless the manufacturer or packaging says otherwise.
At Puritan’s Pride, we take special care in choosing the right packaging to suit the particular needs of the strains in our products. Strains that are sensitive to humidity are packaged in advanced bottles with drying technology to control moisture. Other strains are happy in our opaque white bottles that block out light. Ensure the potency of your probiotics at home by keeping the bottle tightly sealed and avoiding storing it in areas such as the bathroom, where showers can generate excessive humidity.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
