How to Pick a Probiotic

When it comes to supporting your gut health, learning how to pick a probiotic is an essential lesson. After all, these humble bacteria can offer a powerhouse of digestive benefits that cannot be ignored! 

That being said, choosing the right probiotic isn’t so simple - especially with such a wide range on offer. Though with a few handy hints to point you in the right direction, the process becomes a little easier. 

So, are you ready to learn how to pick a probiotic? In this post, we’ve covered everything you need to know about choosing the right probiotic for you - take a look!

What Are Probiotics? 

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty, let’s start with the basics - what are probiotic.

Essentially, probiotics are live bacteria or microorganisms. When ingested, they can help to restore gut health by fighting off any imbalances of bad bacteria in the body. 

Though probiotics are typically used to promote gut health, their benefits have also been linked to mental health, heart health, and more. 

How To Pick A Probiotic 

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s get into the good stuff. Learn how to pick a probiotic with our simple 4-step guide below.

1. Why Do You Want A Probiotic?

Before you start looking for a probiotic, take a moment to ask yourself - why do you want a probiotic in the first place? 

Probiotics offer a very wide range of benefits to overall health, and more often than not, individual strains can have their own specific advantages. 

Take lactobacillus casei for example. One of the world’s most documented strains, this particular strain of probiotic has been shown to have beneficial effects in the gastrointestinal and immune areas.

Similarly, bifidobacterium, a completely plant based probiotic strain, has been shown to impact immune health and bowel function in both adults and children. To read more about the effectiveness of probiotics, click this link. 

So, before you start comparing probiotics, it’s worth considering how you’d like to benefit from these supplements - it’ll make the process a whole lot easier! 

Once you’ve figured out what you want your probiotic to do, you can start comparing products. Don’t worry, all you need to do is keep an eye out for a few certain features.

2. Billions Over Millions

Next, you’ll need to take a look at the amount of bacteria in your probiotic. Many supplements will vary between a couple hundred million to billions - this may leave you scratching your head and wondering what dosage is best.

The general rule of thumb is to rely on the research. In studies using the strains lactobacillus casei and bifidobacterium, the test subjects were generally given doses of 1 billion CFUs per day. 

That said, it’s worth grabbing a probiotic with at least one billion colony-forming units (CFU) and upgrading if necessary. Anything under a billion won’t be as potent. 

3. Live Strains

Next, you’ll benefit from picking products that contain live or active strains of probiotics. The trick here is ensuring they remain alive until they are ingested.

Before you pick up a probiotic product (like our probiotic drinks), be sure to check any expiration dates and storage recommendations. Heat will typically kill probiotics, so be sure to keep them out of direct sunlight and in a cool, dry place, following the necessary refrigeration instructions where applicable (PERKii, as example, needs to remain at 0-4 degrees celsius for optimal delivery). 

This will help to ensure as many of the probiotics inside remain alive until you are ready to consume them. 

4. Targeted Release

The last and most important thing you’ll want to look for in a probiotic is to ensure they are built to survive within the stomach, and reach your gut alive. Because if you’re consuming probiotics, you’ll want to enjoy the full range of benefits on offer.

For probiotics, travelling through the stomach’s acidic environment can be a real challenge. In fact, studies suggest 99% of regular probiotics will die in the first 30-minutes of exposure to this extreme acidity. This doesn’t leave much (if any) bacteria left to reach the intestines.

Probiotics with targeted release allow the bacteria to get through the stomach in one piece. Once they’ve safely reached the gut, they’re triggered to release from their micro-shield encasing, and attach to the intestinal walls and proliferate.

Perkii Probiotics 

Are you on the hunt for a premium, straightforward probiotic for your gut? We’d suggest getting your hands on a PERKii probiotic drink. 

As we mentioned before, passing through the stomach’s acidic environment is no easy task for a probiotic. For regular probiotics, most (if not all) of the bacteria will likely die before it even reaches the gut.

This is where PERKii comes to the rescue. Our micro-shield technology is designed to get probiotics through the gut in one piece and release once it reaches the intestine. With a safer journey into the gut, you can start reaping all the rewards that probiotics offer.

Head to the online store to browse the entire PERKii probiotic drinks range!

*The information in this article should be considered as advice only. Before using probiotics, speak with a healthcare professional.