What’s the Strongest and Best Probiotic Supplement?

Health-conscious consumers interested in boosting their gut health may wonder how to choose the best probiotic supplement.

Which source of beneficial bacteria is best? Which species provide the most benefit? Are synbiotics (a combination of pro- and prebiotics) more important? How much good bacteria is enough, and what probiotics are best for good health?

One of the most common queries made by people wondering which probiotics to take is, what’s the strongest supplement on the market?

Perhaps these people appreciate that a high-strength probiotic is needed to exert the desired effects in the gut.

But is the strength the main aspect we should be considering?

With this article, we shall attempt to demystify the buying process for consumers, and advise them on the best probiotic to take for their health.

We will also provide information on the strongest probiotic supplement currently available.

So, what should you look for in a probiotic supplement? There are probably a few key criteria:

• Strength (number of beneficial live bacteria)

• Origin (where the bacteria came from)

• Number of probiotic strains (bifidobacteria, lactobacilli, etc)

• Form (probiotic powder, pill, liquid, etc)

Strength may not be the only consideration, but along with origin, it’s probably the main differentiator between the best probiotic supplement and the worst.

After all, the definition of probiotics is “live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.”

That caveat is worth stressing: when administered in adequate amounts.

Essentially, probiotics must be high-strength in order to take root in the intensely competitive gut environment, which is home to tens of trillions of native bacteria.

While there is no firm consensus on the best number of live bacteria to introduce via food and/or supplements, a significant number is needed due to the inhospitably acidic environment through which probiotics must pass to do their good work.

Stomach acid, for example, kills swathes of beneficial bacteria as outlined in a 2018 paper by the American Chemical Society.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of probiotic supplements are not capable of surviving this perilous journey through the body due to their comparatively low number of Colony-Forming Units (CFU).

Indeed, most probiotics offer just 5, 10 or 20 billion live bacteria.

Even if a respectable number of them were to survive our stomach acid, they are unlikely to become entrenched when faced with tens of trillions of highly competitive resident bacteria.

What about the origin of the probiotic bacteria? And do different strains of probiotics make a meaningful difference?

Live cultures contained in supplements tend to derive from animals (typically cows) or soil. However, there are novel origins in use. More on that later.

As far as probiotic strains are concerned, specific strains and strain combinations continue to be the subject of research around the world. 

Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) and bifidobacteria are perhaps the best-known and most commonly featured microorganisms in commercial nutritional supplements due to their long history of application and effectiveness.

While some strains of probiotic bacteria have been shown to improve skin hydration and elasticity, others have different effects such as synthesising vitamins, reinforcing the gut barrier, neutralising toxins and enhancing digestion.

Ostensibly, different types of probiotics have their own unique benefits. Thus, the best probiotics for inflammation might not necessarily be the best probiotics for immune support.

A good rule of thumb when considering which probiotic to take is to ask yourself whether it is both sufficiently powerful and featuring clinically-studied strains.

As mentioned, there are different types of probiotic supplement, from liquid formulas and tablets to powders and freeze-dried capsules.

Some products contain a single strain, others a combination, and others still combine probiotics with added ingredients such as prebiotics, protein, vitamins, even herbs.

Broadly speaking, the delivery mechanism is unimportant.

The important thing isn’t whether the probiotics are embedded in a pill or liquid – but that they can balance gastrointestinal flora, inhibit gut pathogens and, importantly, survive their passage through the body to provide a beneficial effect.

It is not only a question of potency. We recommend Progurt because its strains naturally support the growth and proliferation of other innate beneficial bacteria.

Of course, that is not to say you might not enjoy some transient benefit from another quality supplement.

We would, for the most part, advise against single-strain probiotics. Human beings harbour upwards of 500 probiotic strains in the body, so flooding our system with a single strain has the potential to create an unwanted imbalance.

It is vital to use synergistic strains which work together.

Truth be told, there is still a lot to learn about gut health: the research area is continually expanding, and is certainly more complicated than first supposed.

We have attempted to make sense of the research in two long-form articles on the subject: How to Restore Gut Health by Nourishing Your Microbiome and 3 Factors You Must Consider When Trying to Improve Gut Health. Although the microbiome is a complex topic, we have endeavoured to communicate the information in a way which can be easily understood by the layperson.

Now you have a better idea of what to look for in a good probiotic, you’ll understand why we consider Progurt the best. 

Developed by the International Probiotics Institute based in Australia, these high grade probiotics are unlike anything else on the market.

While most probiotics exist as capsules, Progurt comes in sachet form; just disperse in pure, non-fluoridated water, stir and drink. You can also use it to make your own probiotic yogurt.

As for the six million dollar question, exactly how potent is Progurt? You’ll find the answer on every palm-sized box of Progurt sachets: 1 trillion Colony-Forming Units.

Progurt is the only supplement that offers a 1 trillion megadose in every serving.

Indeed, competitors generally offer between 1-30 billion active cultures per tablet/capsule – although there are a handful of supplements that supply between 100 and 500 billion CFU.

The supplement market has grown in size in recent years, so there is still plenty of misinformation out there concerning probiotics.

For example, we have found examples of products marketed as ‘mega-potency’ or ‘super-strength’ which contain just two or three billion active cultures.

In no way could such a dosage be described as high-strength. As humans, our native microbiomes are teeming with trillions of native bacteria: each of us is home to around 39 trillion bacterial cells and 30 trillion human cells.

Introducing a few billion active cultures into such a frenzied, competitive environment is not likely to produce meaningful, long-lasting results. A glass of water spilled into the ocean does not, after all, generate a wave!

Although there are no hard and fast rules about what constitutes a strong probiotic, given the resistance that meets bacteria introduced to the digestive system, a figure of 100 billion + seems more accurate.

Back to Progurt, then. Progurt is unique for a number of reasons.

Not only is it the strongest probiotic on the market, and available as sachets rather than capsules, but it is also a multi-strain probiotic that contains entirely human-derived bacteria.

In other words, the live cultures in Progurt were isolated and cultured from native human bacteria. This is quite atypical, since the vast majority of manufacturers, as mentioned earlier, obtain their strains from cows or soil.

The reasoning is simple: native human bacteria is much more likely to replicate/colonise than bacteria more attuned to other environments.

The native intestinal strains included in Progurt work synergistically and include:

• Lactobacillus Acidophilus

• Lactobacillus Bifidus

• S. Thermophilus

Whether you’re considering taking a probiotic for general digestive health, immunity, antibiotic recovery, IBS relief, dysbiosis or some other reason, Progurt’s intuitive strains make it the perfect choice – even setting aside the therapeutic dosage and unique delivery system.

Importantly, the aforementioned bacterial strains are the ones commonly fragile or missing due to a combination of Caesarian birth, antibiotic exposure and the typical Western diet and lifestyle.

It is not only a question of potency.

We recommend Progurt because its strains naturally support the growth and proliferation of other innate beneficial bacteria.

Of course, that is not to say you might not enjoy some transient benefit from another quality supplement.

We would, for the most part, advise against single-strain probiotics. Human beings harbour upwards of 500 probiotic strains in the body, so flooding our system with a single strain has the potential to create an unwanted imbalance.

It is vital to use synergistic strains that work together.

Truth be told, there is still a lot to learn about gut health: the research area is continually expanding, and is certainly more complicated than first supposed.

We have attempted to make sense of the research in two long-form articles on the subject: How to Restore Gut Health by Nourishing Your Microbiome and 3 Factors You Must Consider When Trying to Improve Gut Health.

Although the microbiome is a complex topic, we have endeavoured to communicate the information in a way that can be easily understood by the layperson.

So, what is the best probiotic supplement to buy? We think we’ve answered that question. 

Whether you use Progurt or another product, though, it’s wise to regulate lifestyle factors (emotional stress, medication, alcohol consumption, sleeping habits, etc) if you want to positively influence your microbiome.

These are all factors which affect probiotic colonisation and gut health more generally.

Remember that ‘gut feeling’ is much more than a stock phrase: it describes a complex mind-gut connection deeply rooted in reality and keenly perceived by each of us. 

Trust your gut and make the changes necessary to enjoy better health.

Water for Health Ltd began trading in 2007 with the goal of positively affecting the lives of many. We still retain that mission because we believe that proper hydration and nutrition can make a massive difference to people’s health and quality of life. Click here to find out more.