Are Optibac supplements organic?

It's difficult to label live cultures as organic, due to strict organic certification and legal requirements. Generally speaking crops and animals are considered healthier and more natural when grown and reared organically and organic produce is thought to be better for our health¹. However, the same concept does not apply to probiotics like the ones that Optibac offers.

Probiotic bacteria, including Saccharomyces boulardii, a friendly yeast, are single-celled and simpler in their structure and function than fruits, vegetables, grains & meat. Probiotics are not thought to be affected by whether the fermentation medium on which they are grown (the 'food they eat') is organic or not - the natural quality of the bacteria remains the same.

What is a natural probiotic?

In a similar way to people asking if Optibac probiotic supplements are organic, people often want to know about natural probiotics. All Optibac probiotic supplements contain no chemicals, parabens or added sugars and are free from artificial flavourings, colourings and preservatives. It might also worth be noting that none of the strains in any of the products in the Optibac range are genetically modified in any way.

As well as live bacteria supplements, probiotic foods are an alternative way of naturally improving your health. If the foods below are made with organic vegetables and other ingredients then all the better!

5 of the best natural probiotic foods

• Kimchi - a classic Korean dish of fermented vegetables, usually cabbage, carrot and radish, which is similar to sauerkraut
• Kombucha - this is a popular fermented tea made with a few simple ingredients: tea, natural cane sugar, and a live bacteria culture. The result is a delcious natural sparkling drink!
• Tofu - a fermented soy bean food similar to tempeh, which can make a great substitution for meat if you are vegan or vegetarian
• Kefir - a delicious fermented drink traditionally made from cow's milk . Thick, tangy and packed full of beneficial bacteria!
• Yoghurt - another type of fermented milk product and a popular source of natural probiotics²

There are supplements available which contain probiotics and prebiotics, where the prebiotic component may be organic. However, where the label implies that the probiotics themselves are organic, we have found this not to be the case.

In summary, the important thing to understand is that probiotics themselves cannot be considered organic or non-organic. Although the 'organic' question does not apply to our products, our nutrition team endorse organic, natural probiotic supplements and foods as part of a healthy way of life. To find out more about what is important to us as a company, take a look at Our Values. For more information on our ingredients visit the relevant product page, or read our full list of ingredients FAQ.

References

1. Vigar V et al., (2020) A Systematic Review of Organic Versus Conventional Food Consumption: Is There a Measurable Benefit on Human Health? Nutrients, 12(1): 7.
2. Almghawesh E, Slik S, Okkou H. Processing of Functional Yoghurt-Like Product from Soymilk Supplemented by Probiotics. Int J Food Sci. 2022 Feb 23;2022:5898537. doi: 10.1155/2022/5898537. PMID: 35252437; PMCID: PMC8890885.