Do More Strains Equal More Benefits?
Advertising around the globe points to the digestive health benefits of probiotics, and consumers are taking note. But digestion is not the whole story. Some probiotic strains support immunity and even help the body with protein absorption. Not all probiotics have the same benefits or are supported by documented scientific research.
Multi-strain Formulations
In addition to strain-specific benefits, multi strain formulations and their benefits are highly dependent on the final blend and the clinical research associated with that particular multi-strain formulation. Simply adding multiple strains to a product does not ensure that consumers will see different or greater benefits.
Whether a finished probiotic product has one strain or many, benefit claims like digestion, immunity and protein utilization can only be supported by studies on that individual strain or particular blend. Additionally, it can’t be assumed that study results on individual strains can be seen when that same strain is included in a multi-strain formulation, especially if the strains are not used at the same level as in the published clinical studies.
Research Supports Benefits Beyond Digestive Health
BC30™ (Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086) has long-term safety data and over 25 published papers demonstrating its digestive health, immune health and protein utilization benefits. No other strain has the same attributes, and the data that supports claims associated with BC30 provides confidence in the efficacy of the probiotic ingredient. For example, one study demonstrated that BC30 enhanced T-cell response to bacterial and viral challenges, while additional studies showed that the strain increased the response of several key immune-modulating cytokines—proteins that aid in immune response.
In addition to clinical work showing digestive and immune support, initial research has shown that BC30 enhances the body’s ability to efficiently utilize protein, making this probiotic an excellent ingredient for use in sports nutrition and meal replacement products. BC30, combined with one serving of protein per day, has been shown to increase the absorption of 23 important amino acids over the baseline compared to protein intake without the strain.
– Digest More –
