Hey, I'm wondering if/what the differences are between different types/strains of probiotics. Are there certain ones that are more prone to helping with acne? Are there better/specific ones someone should add into their regimen when taking antibiotics? ETC, any info is appreciated!
Answer
I did a deep dive on probiotics one time. My main takeaways:
- Diversity matters (when choosing a probiotic, opt for one with a number of strains. A supp with 8 strains of microbes is better than one with 2. The idea here is you don’t want to monocrop your gut)
- Temperature matters (shelf-stable probiotics are mostly a joke. You want refrigerated.)
- Higher CFU likely > than lower CFU
- Whole food sources > supplements (fermented foods like fresh sauerkraut, kimchi, and kefir are superior)
Answer
I use Garden of Life 5 day max care when I take antibiotics. It’s kept in the refrigerator section of my local health food store. I asked them one time about the refrigerator vs. shelf staple thing. They said even the “good” live probiotics (which garden of life is) are only refrigerated at the store, not by the manufacturer or while shipping.