A healthy immune system is supported by “good” and “bad” bacteria in your body is balanced, which helps to strengthen the immune system and to keep the body healthy.

Probiotics must reach our guts alive to provide maximum health benefits. You will be able to fight harmful bacteria because dead microorganisms won’t adhere to your gut walls.

In addition, some living microorganisms must reach your digestive system. Good bacteria are less likely to be present in your gut if there are fewer live microorganisms. Like your personal soldiers, these bacteria protect your body. Bad bacteria easily overtake the good bacteria in very small numbers, negating the positive effects of probiotics.

Benefits of probiotics

Science is still discovering the full potential of probiotics, as with other types of supplements. Regular consumption, on the other hand, has been found to help support digestive health by maintaining the balance of beneficial and non-beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract. It is possible to defend against occasional digestive issues by maintaining a natural balance of good bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. A significant portion of the immune system is located in the digestive tract, so probiotics can also support antimicrobial defenses. These foods contain probiotics:

PROBIOTIC FOODS:

There are many foods that contain probiotics. In general, yogurt and kefir are the most popular options; however, if you suffer from a dairy allergy or sensitivity, this can be harmful.   Almond yogurt, coconut yogurt, and coconut kefir are all dairy alternatives for those who are allergic to dairy. Keep an eye on these products to make sure there is no added sugar since sugar causes inflammation in the gut.  If you want to consume sweetened products, try stevia, xylitol, or coconut sugar.   The fermentation process enables certain foods to become more digestible. A few examples include sauerkraut, apple cider vinegar, pickles, cultured vegetables, and kombucha. However, consuming the required number of probiotics from diet alone is still difficult, even with these options. The rescue arrives in the form of supplements!

PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTS 101:

It can be very frustrating trying to find a probiotic supplement. Hundreds of strains of marijuana are available. How can I make the best decision? Are there many CFUs (colonies forming units) in the sample? When it comes to taking them, do you take them with food or without food? Would you recommend taking them during the daytime? At what temperature should they be stored?  An important factor to consider is that if one wants to boost their “good” and “bad” bacteria, they should use a multi-strain formula, which contains both species diversity and variety in numbers of genera (groups). The following are some of the most popular probiotic species and their main benefits:

• Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus acidophilus:  

They are among the most common strains of probiotics on the market. Dairy products are easily found in the refrigerator section since they are made with milk. Those allergic to dairy or sensitive to dairy can have problems. The products are excellent for treating females who have candida Albicans, a fungus that may cause yeast infections. These probiotic strains are much better found in foods like yogurt since supplements are too fragile and can’t hold up in acidic guts. The amount of probiotics you should take depends on how much survives the stomach acidic environment.

• Lactobacillus Plantarum:  

Especially if you suffer from digestive issues, like irritable bowel syndrome, this strain can help. Scientists in Lund, Sweden, first identified the protein in 1986 when they were investigating how to rejuvenate human colon tissue. The effects of antibiotics on the human gastrointestinal system have consistently been shown to be reduced when L.plantarum is taken.

•  Saccharomyces Boulardii:  

The probiotic is exceptionally well researched and is one of the best choices for diarrhea and C. difficile infections (a common gastrointestinal infection that often persists). This strain is also a very good option for patients suffering from Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. Furthermore, S. boulardii occurs naturally in the vaginal area and can be useful for treating various conditions, such as lactose intolerance.

Do Probiotics Really Expire?

The labels of probiotic products must display expiration dates required by law. Although probiotics are no longer effective after that time, this does not always apply.

There are times when bacteria in your supplement die before they have reached the indicated date. They may also be sold well past their labeled expiration date. Various factors determine whether they will be viable.

Furthermore, it may be hard to figure out whether the weight recommended by the label includes deceased or living microorganisms.

How do expired probiotics affect the body?

A variety of factors can affect probiotic viability, including toxicity caused by oxygen and acidity caused by stomach acid:

Oxygen Toxicity:

Microaerophilic probiotics are most common. Their growth and reproduction require very little oxygen. In some cases, they can breed even in an atmosphere without oxygen.

Microorganisms typically grow faster when there is a proper balance of oxygen in the air. Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium species, among other probiotic strains. Oxygen toxicity particularly affects plants. In healthy humans, such strains were discovered in their intestines. They cannot tolerate high oxygen concentrations, so they find it difficult to thrive in such environments.

Because of this, probiotics’ viability is strongly affected by their storage conditions. According to a study conducted in Australia, microencapsulation is significantly beneficial to probiotics. Probiotics inside an airtight capsule are protected from changing oxygen levels.

Additionally, probiotics obtained from foods live much longer than those obtained from supplements. In this way, they carry beneficial bacteria more effectively. To confirm this, however, more studies must be conducted.

Stomach Acid:

As a probiotic, you first have to deal with your stomach acid before getting to your gut. The acidity level in your stomach is essential for digestion. As long as they do not enter, the nanoparticles will kill most microbes inside. The beneficial bacteria are also destroyed by this process.

It takes approximately two weeks for probiotics to reach your gut when their concentration is greatly reduced. No matter how many live probiotics you ingest, it would be futile if very few reached your gut. It is a good idea to take probiotics when your stomach is empty to protect them from stomach acid. Acid production decreases when your stomach doesn’t have anything to digest.

Probiotics are also usually coated with alginate or enteric coating by manufacturers. Microorganisms are supposed to be protected from stomach acid by these. The effectiveness of these approaches has not yet been proven.

What happens when we consume expired probiotics?

Nutritional supplements taken after their expiration date won’t hurt you. The potency of some drugs is lost upon expiration, and therefore their effectiveness is lessened. It is best to throw out old supplements for certain types of supplements.

In general, probiotic foods and supplements are considered safe since the bacteria used as probiotics already exist naturally in your body. As well as mild stomach upset, diarrhea, or flatulence (passing gas) and bloating during the first few days after starting them, they can also cause allergies.

It is common practice among manufacturers of probiotics to front-load their products so that a certain number of viable cells remain at the expiration date. Their ideal is for them to remain above this number for 2 years at room temperature.

Important Things about Expired Probiotics

One year is the expiration date for most probiotic supplements. Many factors, such as heat and light, can cause their deaths. As a result, if a probiotic gets mishandled during storage or shipping, it may die and no longer be beneficial to you.

A probiotic that has gone beyond its expiration date is not harmful to you, but its potency may be reduced, and you may not see the desired benefits. Buying a new one is the best option if the old one has expired. Probulin, for example, is a trustworthy place to restock on new probiotics.