What Are Probiotics?

According to the FAO/WHO, probiotics are defined as “live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.”

Microorganisms like bacteria are considered “probiotics” when they have been demonstrated, through various scientific studies and clinical trials, to confer health benefits and healthy bowel function in humans and/or animals.

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A Diverse Balancing Act

The human gastrointestinal tract is an important part of the frontline of defense for the body’s health. Our immune system is in constant communication with the microorganisms that live in our gut. In fact, about two-thirds of the human immune system is concentrated in and around the gut for this purpose.

One reason is that there is a communication highway from the gut to the brain. This has been described as the Microbiome-Gut-Brain axis. Its existence demonstrates that the effects of what happens in the gut extends beyond the immune system.!

The GI Tract: The Body’s
Frontline of Defense

It’s helpful to think of the human body as a forest ecosystem. Intestinal health is strengthened by the variety, composition, and balance of all of those microorganisms. Diversity helps promote a more robust ecosystem that can better respond to the undesirable changes in the gut. It is the collective strength of the forest and the interaction of the diverse species living within it which provide protection for the forest.

Like the ecosystem of the forest, the human gastrointestinal tract functions more optimally when there’s balance between its diverse elements. When bacteria and other microorganisms that reside in our gastrointestinal tract fall out of balance, the rest of the human body suffers.

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What To Look For When Choosing
A Probiotic That’s Right For You

Clinically
Documented Strains

Choose probiotics with actual strains that have been researched in scientific study.

Strain
Transparency

Choose probiotics with strain identifications listed in the supplement facts panel for strain transparency. (e.g. B. Longum BB536 vs. B. Longum)

High Quality
Probiotics

Choose a brand with a long, reputable probiotic history that sources from only the finest probiotic suppliers and researchers.

Enteric
Coating

For maximum protection from gastric acid, choose probiotics with enteric coating to ensure probiotic survival through the stomach barrier and delivery into the intestines.

Clinically
Documented
Strains

When it comes to choosing effective probiotics for better health, clinically documented strains matter.™

Jarrow Formulas’ probiotics feature high-quality and clinically documented strains that have been developed through years of research and innovation. Some manufacturers want you to believe that the best probiotic supplements are measured by how many billions of CFUs (colony-forming units) of bacteria they’ve managed to stuff into a capsule. It’s much more important to have the right balance of clinically documented strains..

Genus / Species / Strain

Researchers conduct years of studies on strains before one is selected for probiotic use. These strains are identified by designations such as R0011, R0052, LBV 96, or GR-1 that appear right after the species name.

It’s important for the strains in a probiotic product to have been sufficiently characterized and clinically studied. Some probiotic manufacturers sometimes list only the genus and species names in the supplement facts panel, leaving out the specific strains that are actually present in the product. Knowing the actual strain used in a probiotic formulation is of the utmost importance.

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Strain Transparency

Look For Strain Identification Numbers

It’s important to look for product labels that are transparent in identifying the specific probiotic strains present in the formulation. Probiotic strain identification (see strain ID listed in GREEN to the right) are displayed as a unique letter and number code following the genus and species name (e.g. “Lactobacillus acidophilus La-14”). Strain transparency is critical when choosing an effective probiotic. Genus / species names are typically listed on supplement facts panels, but knowing the specific strain that’s actually in the product is what’s most important.

Avoid Generic Probiotics

Make sure your probiotics contain probiotic strains that have been clinically documented and researched for positive effects. Avoid products that list only generic genus and species names that entirely leave out probiotic strain ID numbers. Such manufacturers are often attempting to hide generic, poorly characterized, or even completely unidentified strains.

Strains Matter™

Choose High Quality Products
For Your Probiotics Needs

As an innovator of consumer probiotics since 1986, Jarrow Formulas® has long advocated for the scientific wisdom of formulating multi-strain probiotics which utilize specially selected bacteria strains that best support targeted health benefits such as intestinal and immune health.*

Strains matter™, and at Jarrow Formulas we take great pride in using high-quality and scientifically documented strains in our probiotic line that have been developed through years of research and innovation alongside renowned partner suppliers Lallemand-Institut Rosell, Chr. Hansen, Morinaga Dairy and HSO Health Care GmbH.

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Enteric Coating

pH-Sensitive, Food Grade Protection
Against Stomach Acid

EnteroGuard® is a proprietary cellulose-based, food-grade, pH-sensitive enteric coating that resists stomach acid and disintegrates in the less acidic pH of the upper intestines.

The acidity of the stomach forms an important natural barrier against the entry of bacteria into the rest of the digestive tract. Jarro-Dophilus’s enteric coated capsules bypass the acid barrier and thereby optimize the amount of friendly bacteria to the intestines, giving superior results with fewer capsules. EnteroGuard® ensures that nearly 100% of the probiotics pass through the stomach unharmed and are released in the intestines intact and ready to act.

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