Is Stomach Acidity A Major Problem For Probiotics
Theres a fourth factor influencing the viability of probiotics and thats the way the contents of the capsule are released.
A standard capsule will dissolve in the stomach as a result of the milieus acidity. So when delivered in such capsules, billions of dehydrated probiotics are released into this hostile environment. They are immediately rehydrated and are thus no longer dormant, but have to then withstand the acidity of the stomach in order to reach the gentler environment of the gut alive and intact, where they will be reunited with all the conditions conducive to their growth. In theory, the majority of probiotic species of the Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Streptococcus genera are able to transition safely through the stomach especially if supplements are taken in the morning on an empty stomach and if the storage conditions are right but in practice, a considerable number will fail to stay the course.
To prevent a significant percentage of the probiotics falling at the final hurdle, manufacturers use gastro-resistant or delayed-release capsules. These capsules only disintegrate once theyve passed through the stomach . This minimises the amount of contact time between the probiotics and the acid elements of the stomach.
The following supplements should ideally be kept in the fridge:
The following products can be stored at room temperature :
- Bacillus subtilis DR Caps .
- H. Pylori Fight .
- Saccharomyces boulardii .
How Long Do Smoothies Last In The Fridge
- You are here:
If you love your smoothies, youre probably wondering how long you can store it in your fridge without it spoiling. In fact, lots of people prefer to prepare smoothies in advance so they can manage a busy work and home life. So the big question is: how long do smoothies last in the fridge?
The Problem With Expired Probiotics
Most probiotics have a shelf life that’s around one year. But things like heat and light can kill probiotics in both supplements and food. So, if you have a probiotic supplement that’s been improperly handled, either during transportation or because you’ve stored it improperly, it’s possible that the probiotics are no longer living and, thus, no longer beneficial to you.
One of the major problems with probiotics is that labeling recommendations only require the manufacturer to list the total amount of probiotics in a supplement, but that weight can include both living and dead microorganisms, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.
In other words, you may think you’re getting a strong probiotic with 10 billion colony-forming units , but there’s really no way to tell whether those probiotics are dead or alive. It’s entirely possible that a lot of the probiotics were dead or expired even before the supplement made it’s way into your hands.
Some people suggest doing the probiotic milk test, which involves stirring the contents of a probiotic capsule into a bowl of milk and waiting to see if the milk turns into yogurt. This would mean that the bacteria in the probiotic are alive and able to ferment the milk. However, the test isn’t always totally reliable.
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The Risks Posed By Oxygen During Storage
Once the probiotic cells are dehydrated, they can be deprived of food and placed in unfavourable conditions though not too unfavourable – without fear of them dying. When water is removed from cells, the cell components come into direct contact with ambient air, and importantly, with oxygen! The risk of oxidative stress is therefore at its greatest. Not only are dehydrated probiotic cells more exposed to reactive oxygen species, but theyre also deprived of the antioxidant tools they need to combat them. These free radicals the same molecules that play a key role in the ageing process break down the cells membranes, intracellular proteins and DNA to such an extent as to make them unviable once theyre rehydrated.
Thus the first precaution to take to ensure probiotics remain viable is to package them in a hermetically-sealed container to reduce any contact with the atmosphere. For certain highly-fragile strains, individual blister-packing of capsules prevents them from being exposed to air each time the pot is opened. Exposure to oxygen can also be minimised by using a special encapsulation technique called microspherization, in which the probiotics are coated in microparticles which form a physical barrier against the environment .
The Probiotic Cold Chain
I heard that Fleetwood Mac originally wrote their song The Chain because Mick was tired of getting bad probiotics for his bloating.
If probiotics have to be kept cold, we cant take a hyper-focused view and worry JUST about whether or not they were in the fridge when we bought them. The reality is, that many probiotics are refrigerated when they arrive, but they havent been kept cold for much more during their lifecycle.
To benefit most from temperature-sensitive probiotics, we have to be guaranteed that a product that requires refrigeration was cold all the time.
This means deep breath the raw materials of the strains themselves were grown cold, then transported to the manufacturer cold, where they were stored cold, and the product was made cold , then the product was stored cold, then went to their shipping/distribution and kept cold, then shipped completely cold to vendors, arriving cold, and promptly being put into the refrigerator.
Dirty secret time: this doesnt happen. Oftentimes, temperature-sensitive probiotics spend most of their life out of the cold chain. Just because you bought a probiotic in the fridge, doesnt mean the manufacturer or retailer did a good job ensuring the cold chain was intact.
Now, we ourselves created a monster when we taught people this early on. If our products were warm for even moments or hours, people were demanding full refunds. The cold chain is important in many cases, but theres even more nuance.
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Probiotics In Need Of An Easy Button
Of all the supplements out there, theres nothing quite as complicated as probiotics. We covered a lot in our first part of our Probiotic Buying Guide, and we have more to do on specifics.
The big problem with probiotics is our perception. Saying Probiotics is like saying Herbs. There are lots of plants that fit into herbs but they have very different effects. We have to stop thinking about probiotics as a universal, one size fits all thing. We must change our mindset!
We have to look for specific strains with clinical data supporting their use. Based on what strains we choose, then we can get a little picky about whether something needs to be refrigerated or not.
Heres what our probiotic goals should be, especially as it pertains to temperature and refrigeration:
- Be aware of what strains are being used.
- Determine if those strains are temperature sensitive or not.
- Ask tough questions to find the truth about whether or not the cold chain has been maintained, if it is required.
Im asking you to be a pest of sorts. Here are a couple of questions to ask:
- What do you do to guarantee the cold chain was maintained for these refrigerated probiotics?
- Do you have access to stability data? Have you looked at a recent lots stability data?
- Do your probiotics have excursion stability data? What is the longest it can be out of the cold chain and still maintain potency?
Just trying to keep it real
Neal Smoller, PharmD
How To Defrost Sauerkraut
The process of defrosting sauerkraut will depend on the equipment at hand and the amount of time you have to prepare the meal. There are 3 main methods of defrosting sauerkraut: thawing on the countertop, defrosting in the microwave, and in the fridge.
Thawing Sauerkraut On the Countertop
Equipment Required
2. A smaller dish that can fit well in the middle f the larger bowl
Instructions
1. Measure out the required serving amount of frozen sauerkraut from your storage and place it in the smaller dish.
2. Halfway fill the large bowl with tap water and set it on the countertop.
3. Gently place the small dish of sauerkraut in the middle of the larger bowl and let it sit at room temperature for a few hours or overnight.
4. Use the thawed sauerkraut immediately once it’s fully thawed.
Defrosting In The Microwave
2. A microwave-safe lid
Instructions
1. Transfer the frozen sauerkraut into the microwave-safe bowl. Use the lid to loosely cover the sauerkraut to prevent splatters all over the microwave.
2. Set the microwave to 30- 59% power. Thawing on a lower temperature setting allows the sauerkraut to get warm all the way through and thaw without overcooking the outer layer. Alternatively, you can use the defrost setting thats available on some microwave models.
3. Stir the sauerkraut after every 1 minute of heating until it’s thawed through. Use the heated sauerkraut immediately.
Defrosting Sauerkraut In The Fridge
Equipment Needed
1. Fridge ready container equipped with a lid
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How To Freeze Sauerkraut
Before freezing sauerkraut it’s recommended to drain out the liquid first so as to preserve some of the flavor and texture.
Step By Step Freezing Process
Equipment Required
-
Ice cube trays or a muffin tin
-
Large sieve
Instructions
1. If you are dealing with homemade sauerkraut thats still in its liquid you should use a large sieve to drain out the liquid. If you are using cooked sauerkraut ensure that the soup gets drained off.
2. Measure out small serving amounts into individual ice cubes or a muffin tin for large serving sizes. This prevents having to thaw and refreeze large amounts of sauerkraut every time you need to cook it.
3. Freeze the sauerkraut overnight or at least for 4 hours when they will have frozen solid.
4. Transfer the individually frozen pieces of sauerkraut into freezer bags and squeeze out as much air as you can before sealing them.
5. Transfer the freezer bag into a freezer and keep under constant frozen temperature until when you need to consume the sauerkraut. The sauerkraut can remain frozen for 8 to 12 months.
The Enemies Of Probiotic Storage
Probiotic bacteria can be delicate and the process of getting them from the manufacturer to your gut may put them at risk if the proper precautions arent taken. In one consumer test of a selected number of probiotics supplements, 85% of them did not contain the number of organisms listed on their product. One of the major reasons was the shipping and warehousing process did not follow procedures to keep the probiotics cold.
Here we dive deeper into the reasons probiotic supplements become ineffective, with the major one being heat exposure.
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Do Probiotics Really Expire
Probiotic manufacturers are required by law to indicate expiry dates on their products labels. But this does not always mean that probiotics cease to be effective after that date.
Sometimes, the microorganisms in your supplement die even before the indicated date. Other times, their shelf-life extends way beyond the expiry date shown on the label. Their viability is determined by various factors.
How Do I Best Store Miso
If you havent opened the miso jar, it can stay in a cold room temperature.
So, a kitchen cabinet is still fine. Avoid placing it near the stove or oven because heat will heavily affect its quality.
After you open the jar, the miso will start degrading. Move it into the fridge to slow down the process.
Make sure to close it well because even a little bit of air will affect the miso. Use a clean and dry spoon every time you scoop out the miso paste to avoid contamination.
Also read: do this if you want to freeze your miso
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How Long Does It Last
Just like most pickled or fermented vegetable products, sauerkraut manufacturers put a best by date, best before date, or sell by date as part of the food label.
Either refrigerated or unrefrigerated kind of sauerkraut can last months after its best by date as long as you havent opened it yet. Even canned sauerkraut can stay at its best quality for 3 to 5 years unopened. However, once you have it already opened, the next step will be done differently for each type.
An opened unrefrigerated sauerkraut or pasteurized sauerkraut can last only one week at most in the refrigerator. Why that short? That is because it does not contain any lactose bacteria to continue the fermentation.
The refrigerated sauerkraut, on the other hand, can retain its freshness up to months as long as you have it submerged in its brine. It usually lasts up to six months from production. Why is that the opposite of the shelf-stable sauerkraut? That is because the bacteria in refrigerated sauerkrauts are alive.
Homemade sauerkraut can stay in its peak quality for about one year in the best storage conditions.
How Long Does Thawed Sauerkraut Last
Sauerkraut thawed overnight in the refrigerator will last for up to 5 days in the fridge. That is why this is the safest and most recommended method for thawing frozen sauerkraut.
Sauerkraut that is thawed using a cool bowl of water must be consumed immediately. However, you can store any excess thawed sauerkraut in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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So Why Is This Information Important
Well, probiotics that require refrigeration contain probiotic bacteria that are in the growth phase. These probiotics are already replicating and consuming nutrients. Through refrigeration, the metabolism of these bacteria is slowed, so they consume nutrients more slowly. This effectively extends the short shelf life of the product. Without refrigeration, these probiotics progress through the growth phase at a much faster pace, so they would enter the death phase in a matter of weeks, or even days. Dead probiotics cant help anyone. With refrigeration, metabolism is slowed enough to provide a shelf life of several months.
Unfortunately, probiotic bacteria in the growth phase are busy consuming nutrients and trying to replicate, so they are far less likely to survive a trip through the stomach acid, as they are most vulnerable to environmental harm during this stage.
Probonix does not require refrigeration because it contains probiotic bacteria that are in the lag phase. These bacteria do not begin to actively divide until they reach their destination. This means that they can safely sit at room temperature because there is no metabolism to slow down. This also allows for a drastic increase in shelf life over refrigerated probiotics.
Probiotic supplements that keep their bacteria in the lag phase will have much better survival rates than their refrigerated counterparts.
Do Probiotics Really Need To Be Live In Order To Provide Benefits
For the most part, yes. Scientific research shows that probiotic microorganisms do indeed need to be living to exert these effects.
For the most part, but not exclusively, as in certain cases, taking non-live probiotics will also generate beneficial effects. For example, when you take non-liveL. rhamnosus type probiotics, youre ingesting all the bacterias cellular components. Its impossible for it to secrete new substances or reproduce in your digestive tract, but some of its constituents are still able to act! The lactase it contains plays a part in hydrolysing lactose and thus helps you digest milk better, so reducing digestive discomfort. The bacterias DNA, a highly-resistant structure, can also influence cell signalling pathways likely to combat intestinal inflammation. The strain Lactobacillus reuteri contained in the product H. Pylori Fight, tends to aggregate with and neutralise the toxic bacteria Helicobacter pylori in the stomach, reducing its impact. It doesnt need to be live in order to do this.
Nonetheless, the beneficial effects of bacteria are usually dependent on them being alive, and more precisely, alive at the point of entry into the intestinal tract. This means they have to survive stomach-emptying movements, acid secretion, the most aggressive enzymes, the violence of the pyloric sphincter, contact with bile as well as the original manufacturing process, encapsulation and storage!
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Does Heating Sauerkraut Destroy Probiotics
does sauerkrautheat does killsauerkrautprobioticsBest Sellers in Canned & Jarred Sauerkraut
- #1.
- Frank’s Bavarian Sauerkraut, 14-Ounce
- Bubbies Sauerkraut, 25 Ounce with Prime Time Direct Silicone Basting Brush in a PTD Sealed Bag.
- Raw Organic Sauerkraut, “Purple Cabbage” Variety, 16 Oz Jar.
- Amish Wedding Old Fashioned Sauerkraut, 32 Ounce Glass Jar.
Is Lactobacillus Acidophilus Dangerous
There may be good proof that L. acidophilus will help deal with and stop such infections. Lactobacilli are usually the commonest micro organism within the vagina. They produce lactic acid, which prevents the expansion of different dangerous micro organism . Consuming yogurt that incorporates L. acidophilus may stop vaginal infections.
Lactobacillus acidophilus Aspect Results
- puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or across the eyes, face, lips, or tongue.
- bother respiration.
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Does Terraflora Broad Spectrum Synbiotic Need To Be Refrigerated
Short answer: No. The probiotic bio-complex in Terraflora is made up of a sophisticated blend of select Bacillus strains. Selected for their unique characteristics, Bacillus can exist in two forms. Under favorable conditions the bacteria grow in a vegetative form, but when starved of nutrients, they differentiate into a dormant life form known as an endospore or simply a spore. These spores come alive when introduced to an ideal environment, like the human gut. Terraflora is a balanced formulation of a new generation of probiotics they are inherently resilient, heat-stable, and require no refrigeration.
Are there certain brands which dont need to be refrigerated or do all probiotics, regardless of labeling, need to be refrigerated?
References