# Live bacteria in probiotics question?



## 13438 (Jan 12, 2007)

It seems as if all these probiotics companies are competing to have the most live bacteria in one consumption. Is that better? I am assuming the more live bacteria the better? I researched the different probiotics and many of them contain similar if not the same strains of probiotics. Does anyone know that if the probiotic contains more live bacteria , that this is more benefical?


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## SpAsMaN* (May 11, 2002)

www.consumerlab.comDoes research like that...


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I think which strains they have is more important than this one has 10 billion but that one has 11 billion. Some have a lot more than others, but there seems to be a minimum level that most of them meet (if they have what they say on the label)There are only so many of these bacteria that are commercially raised, so I think a lot of products have similar species. Some like Align or Culturelle will tell you which particular strain they have (and both happen to have research that has been done on that specific strain of that species).Species is like knowing if it a dog or is it a cat. Strain is like knowing if is it a Great Dane or is it a Poodle.It's more finding the species and strain that works for you. Different species of probiotic bacteria interact with you, their host, in slightly different ways and so some may be better for your system than others.Some people try a few different strains before finding the ones that work.Consumer labs checks to see if they have the number of live bacteria they say they have, or that the species is the correct one, but that doesn't answer what the optimal number of live bacteria is or which species are the best to take for a given individual.K.


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