Archive for the ‘probiotics’ Category

Probiotics: Labeling & Naming of Probiotic Strains

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

When considering a product with probiotics, it is important to ascertain what strains are used and also if they have been clinically tested. The International Probiotics Association (IPA) and The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) offer guidelines to manufacturers to state both the specific strains and quantity of probiotics at the end of shelf life. This helps consumers make an informed choice when comparing between different probiotic foods, supplements and enzymes.

The IPA has been working with companies to clearly delineate on their packaging which strains are used. The FDA currently only allows products with probiotics to make the health claim that they positively impact the normal functioning of the human body.

Eamonn M.M. Quigley, MD and Mary Ellen Sanders, PHD stipulate, “[w]hen considering which probiotic formulation- supplements or foods- to recommend to patients, the most important criterion is that the probiotic has been clinically tested and shown to be useful for the particular indication.”[1] They also point out that “the benefits of probiotics are strain-specific.”

When first acquainting oneself with probiotics, the nomenclature can be a bit confusing. The IPA website has cleverly described the naming of specific strains in terms of German cars to help specify what each part of the probiotic strain name means. From their website[2]:

Bacterial group –>  German car = lactic acid bacteria
Bacterial genus  –> Volkswagen = Lactobacillus
Bacterial species –> VW Golf = Lactobacillus acidophilus
Bacterial strain –>    VW Golf 1.4 D = Lb. acidophilus LC1

Tune in next week to learn about the benefits and meet the probiotic strains in Attune products:
Bifidobacterium Lactis HN019, Lactobacillus Acidophilus NCFM, and Lactobacillus casei Lc-11

[1] Quigley, E.M.M., Sanders, M.E. “Probiotic Foods for Gastrointestinal Health” Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News., 2009.

[2] International Probiotic Association, “Consumers: Nomenclature” http://internationalprobiotics.org/consumers.aspx

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Probiotics: What are they?

Monday, March 8th, 2010

Around the world, people have turned to probiotics for many years. In the United States, probiotics are becoming increasingly available in supplements, enzymes and foods. Our very own Attune chocolate bars and granola bars each have 6.1 billion probiotic CFU’s (colony forming units). With all this attention in the media and in retail stores, you may be wondering what are probiotics?

The World Health Organization defines probiotics as “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host.” To put it another way, probiotics are good bacteria that help support digestive health.

Probiotic means “pro life.” The probiotics story begins with intestinal bacteria, which are a community of good and bad bacteria that live in the digestive system. Each of us has naturally occurring bacterial communities in our digestive systems. They help protect the body from harmful bacteria, also known as pathogens. They also exercise the immune system to ensure it is ready to react to bad bacteria. Probiotics strengthen the intestinal wall so it acts as a defensive barrier and help digest fiber in the diet, so we can absorb the nutrients from the foods we eat.

Christine Gorman in a Time magazine article about probiotics states there are “at least 400 species of bacteria” in your colon. “Which ones you have depend largely on your environment and diet. An abundance of good bacteria in the colon generally crowds out stray bad bacteria in your food.”[1] When the balance is disrupted between the good and bad bacteria in your body, this can impact your health.

Probiotics must be alive when consumed and able to reach the intestine alive to have an effect. The required amount of probiotics must be present at the time of consumption and not when the product was made.

We will be exploring more on probiotics in the coming weeks. For more information, check out the International Probiotic Association link listed in our Resources section or the Attune  Probiotic page.

[1] Gorman, Christine. “Healthy Germs.” Time, December 28, 1998 – January 4, 1999: 197.

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