Why Strain Identity Matters
Probiotic effects are strain-specific rather than species-specific, so a full strain designation — genus, species and strain code — is
2 September 2026Read →
Colony-forming units, strain identity, at-expiry guarantees and how to read a probiotic label properly.
Probiotic effects are strain-specific rather than species-specific, so a full strain designation — genus, species and strain code — is
Live cultures decline over shelf life, so a count guaranteed at expiry is a far more meaningful figure than one measured at the moment
A colony-forming unit is one viable organism capable of multiplying, and CFU is the unit probiotic doses are measured in — typically in
A probiotic is worth considering when you have a specific goal matched to a specific studied strain, at a stated CFU dose, from a label
A complete probiotic label states each strain in full, the CFU per serving, whether that count is guaranteed at expiry, and the storage
Probiotics are generally well tolerated by healthy adults, but they carry a genuine if uncommon infection risk for people who are immun
A prebiotic feeds bacteria, a probiotic supplies them, a synbiotic combines both, and a postbiotic is a non-living bacterial product or
The strongest probiotic evidence concerns specific strains for specific uses — antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and some IBS symptoms am
Some probiotic strains and formulations require refrigeration to maintain viability, while others are engineered to be shelf-stable — a
Survival through the stomach varies by strain and by formulation, and it is one reason delivery technology and strain selection both ap