What Are Probiotics?

Probiotics are the "good" or "friendly" bacteria that are normal inhabitants of the intestinal tract. Although the word bacteria is usually associated with germs and illness, friendly bacteria help the body to function, maintain health and fight illness and disease. "Bad" or "pathogenic" bacteria on the other hand, can cause intestinal microflora imbalances and lead to illness and disease.

Why Do We Need Probiotics?

Over 400 different species and more than 100 trillion total bacteria live in the human intestinal tract. Friendly and pathogenic bacteria form a delicate and constantly changing balance as they compete to take hold and remain. While human beings usually start life with a relatively healthy intestinal tract, age and lifestyle & environmental factors such as caesarean delivery, poor eating habits, chlorinated drinking water, stress, disease, the use of antibiotics in food production as well as in medical treatments, bacterial infections, traveler's bugs, alcohol consumption and a number of other factors can greatly reduce the number of friendly bacteria.

This allows pathogenic bacteria to take hold and cause problems. When the ratio of good bacteria to bad is lowered, problems begin to arise such as excessive gas, bloating, diarrhea, intestinal toxicity, constipation and poor absorption of nutrients. If this imbalance is left untreated the symptoms can become chronic and can compromise the immune system and lead to other serious illnesses. A healthy lower intestine should contain at least 85% friendly bacteria to prevent the over colonization of disease causing micro-organisms like E. coli, salmonella and many others.

What Do Probiotics Supplements Do? Research is establishing the importance of supplementing with probiotics. They enhance immune function, produce antioxidants, improve nutrition through the enhanced breakdown and absorption of vitamins, minerals and amino acids and they synthesize the B vitamins, which are necessary for a healthy nervous system.

They reduce instances of constipation, and diarrhea including infantile, traveler's and antibiotic induced diarrhea, inhibit food poisoning, and produce substances that can contribute to the reduction of cholesterol, management of blood sugar levels, normalization of skin conditions and maintenance of bone health.

Probiotics are widely recommended for fungal and yeast infections such as Candida because they establish large, healthy populations of friendly bacteria that compete with the harmful yeast that is trying to take up residence. Probiotics are also essential in the treatment and prevention of thrush, vaginal yeast infections, and athlete's foot. Good health is fundamentally reliant upon the friendly, symbiotic bacteria that inhabit the digestive tract.

Supplementing your diet with a probiotic blend properly formulated to reflect the composition of healthy gut flora diversity at different stages of life will ensure the repopulation of the intestinal tract with the strains most useful to your age, lifestyle and condition.The consistent use of the correct probiotics will improve intestinal health and help guard against disease.

When Should We Take Probiotics? The best results are obtained if probiotics are taken regularly, preferably daily, in order to replace bacteria lost via damaging lifestyle and environmental factors. The latest research indicates that probiotics work best when consumed on a full stomach when the acidity of the gastric juices has been neutralized by food.

Lactic bacteria are sensitive to extreme acidity and therefore, their passage through the stomach is easier when gastric juice is not as concentrated. Capsules may also be opened and their contents directly mixed with cool or warm (but not hot) foods to simulate how some probiotics occur in nature, where they cover raw foods.

Please note that Udo's Choice Infant's Blend Probiotic Powder, has been designed to be added to an infant's formula or other liquid as part of the meal.

Best Before Date Guarantee:

Flora's dating process is based on the "Best Before date", which means that the bacterial count on the bottle reflects the minimum number of bacteria in each capsule.

Udo's Choice Probiotics boast some of the largest bacterial counts available at time of manufacture so that even by the expiry date you still get the optimum amount of probiotics needed for proper digestion, strong immune function & overall health.

The bacterial count at time of manufacture (indicated on side panel of label) is much higher than the Best Before date count to compensate for the 2% – 4% monthly decrease that generally occurs with probiotics.

The bacterial count found on Udo's Choice Probiotic labels reflects only the number of viable or active bacteria in the product. Any damaged or ineffective bacteria were not included in the count. Refrigeration ensures maximum potency and stability however; Udo's Choice

Probiotics can be left unrefrigerated for short periods of time, making them convenient for travel. All Udo's Choice Probiotics may be frozen to further extend shelf life.

State of the Art Manufacturing

This process, which is both simple and complex, is one where state-of-the-art equipment and the knowledge of expert technicians play a key role in order to produce probiotics at the highest possible standardized concentration.

Mother-culture & Fermentation

The bacteria proliferate in culture media of increasing volume, until they are placed in the fermentor. The resulting probiotic culture goes from clear to cloudy as the bacteria reproduce. Filtration Once fermentation is complete, the culture is then concentrated to reduce its volume and protected to survive the next phase.

Lyophilization (freeze-drying) The concentrated bacterial culture is frozen at – 40°C. Then, through a process called sublimation, the ice is converted into steam, yielding a solid crust ready for grinding.

Grinding The crust is then gently ground into a fine powder with a high bacterial concentration. This is called the pure culture.

Mixing The pure culture is mixed with excipients to make the subsequent encapsulation or compression phase possible.

Packaging Specific Udo's Choice Probiotics are available in powder, capsule or lozenge formats. Flora uses vegetarian capsules because of their low moisture content which prolongs the shelf life of moisture sensitive products such as probiotics. Flora uses only light-resistant, recyclable, nonreactive, nitrogen flushed, dark brown glass bottles which prolong stability and product integrity.