Multi-strain probiotic 20 bn CFU
Effects are strain-dependent: a generic “probiotic” means nothing.
The short version
What it does It aims to diversify gut bacteria, especially after a course of treatment or on unstable transit.
What it does not do The trial we have is on fermented foods, not capsules. And a product with no named strain allows no effect to be predicted.
What the studies say
Wastyk’s trial compared two diets over ten weeks: the one rich in fermented foods increased microbial diversity and lowered inflammatory markers. It is the cleanest piece of work we have on the microbiome — and it is about FOODS, not capsules.
That is the main limitation, and we write it down: the trial we have does not test a probiotic in capsule form. Besides, probiotic effects are strain-dependent: a generic “multi-strain” product allows no prediction at all.
Yoghurt, kefir and sauerkraut have better data than the capsule. If you take a capsule, insist on at least one named strain.
How to take it
Relevant for bloating, unstable transit, or after a course of antibiotics. Not very relevant if your transit is fine.
One dose a day, often on an empty stomach or at bedtime depending on the strain. At least four weeks before judging. Alongside antibiotics, leave two to three hours.
Four weeks. If nothing moves, change strain rather than increasing CFUs. And before buying a second box: try ten weeks of fermented foods, which is what was actually tested.
What is inside
This is the decisive point. A strain is named on three levels: genus, species, and strain identifier — for example Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. A product that writes only “Lactobacillus” says nothing: effects do not transfer from one strain to another.
Look for fully named strains, and the CFU count GUARANTEED AT THE EXPIRY DATE, not at manufacture — the gap can be tenfold. Gastro-resistant capsules protect the passage through the stomach. The CFU count is the least informative criterion, and it is the one everyone advertises.
Products at 50 billion CFU with no named strain. Caution in immunosuppression or with a central line: probiotic infections have been described.
Cautions
- Severe immunosuppression
- Central venous catheter
The three options
Named strains, CFUs guaranteed at expiry
None guarantees its CFUs at expiry
Nor does this one: the entire aisle states the count at manufacture. It is the most important criterion on the market and the least respected. In its favour: strains named with their identifier, three of them clinically studied, gastro-resistant capsules, packed in France.
For whom — Anyone who wants a product you can actually reason about.
Gastro-resistant multi-strain
25 strains, 180 capsules
Gastro-resistant capsules, the best duration-to-price ratio in the aisle, over 3,000 reviews. The strains are named to genus and species, but without a strain identifier: there is no way back to the trials that concern them.
For whom — A four-week course after treatment or on unstable transit.
Fermented foods
Nothing to buy
Kefir, plain yoghurt, unpasteurised sauerkraut. These are the foods used in the trial we have, and they feed the rest of your flora at the same time.
For whom — Everyone — and it is the choice we recommend first.
Nothing to buy here — the text above explains why.
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