How probiotics benefit health  

The human body contains around 38 trillion bacteria, which is roughly equal to the number of human cells in the body. This means that we are essentially outnumbered by our own bacteria! Most bacteria reside in the gut and are helpful to support digestion, but healthy bacteria also benefit our lungs, heart, and even the brain. Unhealthy lifestyles, pharmaceutical drugs, environmental toxins, and even stress have negative impacts on our bacterial flora; therefore, probiotic supplementation can be beneficial to maintaining a balance of healthy bacteria.  

Probiotics might lower the number of "bad" bacteria in the gut that can cause illness or inflammation and replace those problematic germs with “good” bacteria that aid the body in performing its various functions. Their benefits may include: 

• Preventing and treating yeast infections
• Preventing and treating urinary tract infections
• Helping with lactose intolerance by breaking down lactose into simple sugars
• Improving skin conditions such as eczema
• Treating certain stomach and respiratory infections, especially in children
• Treating allergies and asthma
• Decreasing inflammation, such as from rheumatoid arthritis

There are hundreds of unique probiotic species that all perform different functions in our bodies. Some strains enhance digestion to minimize uncomfortable symptoms such as diarrhea and constipation, while others can enhance our mood, increase energy, or give us greater mental clarity.

How to choose the right probiotic supplement 

Since our bodies contain trillions of good and bad bacteria, a probiotic with a higher number of colony-forming units (CFUs) will have greater impact on the growth of beneficial bacteria within the gut. It is essential to choose a probiotic which specifies CFUs versus mentioning "active cultures" or "live cultures." Look for a formula with a minimum of 40 billion CFUs.

However, more bacteria do not necessarily mean better effects, as they may compete with each other or interact in various ways. Therefore, a proper combination of bacterial strains and their potency is important for the efficacy and quality of the final product.

For probiotics to exert their potential beneficial effects, they must survive the harsh acidic environment of the stomach and reach the intestines in a viable state. Therefore, choose probiotics with acid-resistant encapsulation which assures the survival of bacteria when passing the stomach and reaching the large intestine.

Also, look for the presence of prebiotics in the formula. These are non-digestible plant fibers present in many vegetables and fruits that feed the good bacteria in the gastrointestinal track.  

Does Dr. Rath Healthy Probiotics formula work? 

Scientists at the Dr. Rath Research Institute tested whether bacteria in Dr. Rath Healthy Probiotics formula will survive when exposed to the highly acidic environment of the stomach, and for how long the bacteria in the formula maintain their viability and growth.

Here are the results:

Our experiments show that bacteria contained in Dr. Rath Healthy Probiotics formula are protected against the highly acidic stomach environment and can multiply after exposure to gastric juice. Moreover, bacteria in our formula remain viable and grow within and also four months after the expiration date.

1. Resistance of Dr. Rath Healthy Probiotics against gastric juice. 

Dr. Rath Healthy Probiotics capsule exposed to acidic gastric juice (pH 2.0) for 45 min. is not visibly altered compared to control neutral environment (pH 7.4).

2. Survival of bacteria in Dr. Rath Healthy Probiotics after exposure to gastric juice.   

Bacteria in Dr. Rath Healthy Probiotics formula exposed to the acidic gastric juice for up to 1 hour remain alive.

3. Viability and growth of bacteria in Dr. Rath Healthy Probiotics.  

We compared the viability and growth of bacteria (Lactobacillus species) in Dr. Rath Healthy Probiotics unexpired formula to Dr. Rath Healthy Probiotics formula that exceeded its expiration date by 4 months.

Bacteria in Dr. Rath Healthy Probiotics formula are alive and grow equally in the unexpired formula and also in the formula that exceeded its expiration date by 4 months. 

When choosing a probiotic supplement – choose Dr. Rath Healthy Probiotics – the formula you can trust!