00:00Probiotics are increasingly popular among consumers today.
00:05The market has responded with a flood of probiotics which are available in pharmacies, health food stores, and groceries.
00:14But there are several important considerations when it comes to selecting a probiotic.
00:21Probiotics are defined as living organisms that confer benefit to an individual when they are taken in adequate amounts.
00:30Scientific studies have confirmed the effectiveness of probiotics in a variety of conditions.
00:38And investigations are currently underway for their application in even more.
00:45People use probiotics to boost their immunity, support cognitive ability, and improve gut health.
00:53But are all probiotics the same?
00:55Because a specific strain of bacterium is tested and shown to be beneficial in a given condition, this does not mean that all bacteria from the same species will work.
01:09Often these effects are strain-specific so that only a specific strain of bacterium will give you a specific benefit.
01:18Benefits such as vitamin synthesis or the reinforcement of the bowel wall may be species-specific.
01:27Other effects, such as boosting a nervous system or the immune system, may be found in only some members of that species.
01:37That is, those may be strain-specific.
01:40To make it even more complicated, the efficacy of a particular strain can vary with the age, the health, and the diet of a given person.
01:52The potency of a supplement may also vary based on the production techniques used in the manufacture.
01:57Probiotics are produced using spray-dyeing techniques, encapsulation techniques, and freeze-drying techniques that vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.
02:12These methods are crucial for the survival, the effectiveness, and the viability of the bacterium used in the supplement.
02:20Storage requirements and shelf life vary widely, and these too may have a significant impact on the effectiveness of a product.
02:33Probiotic bacterial species are not equivalent.
02:38Particular benefits can only be attributed to the particular strain that was used in the studies supporting any claim.
02:46They cannot be extended universally to all members of the same species of bacterium.
02:54This may be even more important when probiotics are used as food-based therapies for specific medical conditions,
03:02such as ulcerative colitis, antibiotic-induced diarrhea, or in complications of liver disease.
03:10In order to have the desired effect, we will need to ensure the specific strain and production techniques
03:19that produce the desired result under experimental conditions.
03:25One tool we use today to ensure the desired result is the CFU.
03:31The CFU, or colony-forming units, reflect the number of bacteria that are available in each dose.
03:39It is a measure of the number of colonies that form when the contents of a dose are cultured in the laboratory.
03:47Even the required CFU can vary from medical condition to medical condition.
03:53The take-home message is this.
03:56Do your homework well.
03:57Research the specific strain used in your supplement
04:01and identify which manufacturer and with what techniques achieved those results.
04:07I hope you enjoyed the video.
04:09If you did, like and share the video with your friends and family.
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04:17Until the next video, stay healthy and stay safe.
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