Transient vs. Colonizing

[Jay]

As I understand it (or just a victim of marketing) the probiotics in yogurt are transient while the probiotics in kefir are colonizing.

So, now that I don't eat dairy I find that I'm getting my probiotics from other sources. For the sources below, do they provide transient or colonizing probiotics?

Kimchi

Kombucha

Coconut Kefir

Sauerkraut

I've been eating/drinking all of these except the sauerkraut b/c I've yet to find one that I thought had the probiotics in tact. I'm also taking a Trader Joe's probiotic supplement but I question its effectiveness and will upgrade to a more trusted brand when it is done.

I'm also open to suggestions for other probiotic sources.

[Melissa Urban]

You know, from what I understand, all probiotics are found to colonize the intestine transiently (http://www.ajcn.org/content/83/6/1256.full), which is why Dr. TIm Gerstmar (a recent guest poster on the beauty of probiotics) recommends regular consumption. You can't just drink some kefir once and call it good - those bacterial only stick around for a few weeks, tops. In addition, I do believe there's some marketing hype going on with some probiotic brands that promise to colonize the intestine better/longer/with more "staying power" than others. I'm not buying it.

Dr, Tim recommends (as do we) including fermented foods - all of which you've mentioned above - a few times a week as part of your regular diet. If you mix them up, including some raw (unpasteurized) sauerkraut, some pastured, organic kefir (if you tolerate it well) and some kombucha, you should be getting a good mix of bacteria on a regular basis.

Read the recent post on our site to evaluate your Trader Joe's supplement. From what I've seen at my local Trader Joe's, I'm not at all impressed with the quality of their products or their sourcing, so I wouldn't be surprised if their supplements weren't up to snuff, either.

Link: http://whole9life.com/2012/04/probiotics-101/

[pdc4]

What are your thoughts on Trunature probiotic from Costco? Thank you!

[Guest]

pdc4,

We're not familiar with that brand, sorry.

Dallas

[Johnny M]

I don't really have a perspective on this but I just listened to a Chris Kresser podcast that talked about probiotics. While I don't always understand everything he has to say, he cited a study where it was found that regular probiotic consumption doesn't actually change the amount of gut flora in your body even though the health benefits are clear. It seems rather that your body responds in various ways to their consumption, not to their increased presence in the gut.

http://chriskresser.com/rhr-chronic-stress-cortisol-resistance-and-modern-disease