Liquid Probiotics - All You Need To Know

• Are liquid probiotics effective?
• What to look for in a liquid probiotic
• How to take liquid probiotics

As with any question regarding probiotic supplements, the quality of the strain of probiotic bacteria used is usually the most important consideration. Finding a well-researched product, and matching the specific strains to your health requirements, is the best way of ensuring the best health outcomes.

But, there are other considerations when it comes to deciding on a probiotic, like ease of use, taste, or shelf-stability. Nowadays, probiotic supplements come in all sorts of formats - from capsules and gummies to liquids. Below are three things to consider when deciding if a liquid probiotic might be right for you.

Are liquid probiotics effective?

For people that find swallowing tablets difficult, then liquid probiotics can be a good option. The most obvious benefit of a liquid probiotic, is their ease of use for babies and toddlers. Parents can put just a few drops of the probiotic liquid on their child’s tongue, or add them to cold food and/or drinks. No fuss, no drama. Another advantage of a liquid product here is that the live bacteria can also have an effect in the mouth and oesophagus, along with lower down in the GI tract (stomach, small intestines and large intestine). Due to their ease of use for this age group, liquid probiotics for kids and toddlers are a popular choice.

Most people are time-poor these days, rushing from one thing to the next. For this reason, convenience is very important when choosing a probiotic supplement. This is where liquid products may lose out a bit. Probiotic capsules and gummies can be quickly swallowed down with breakfast every day, or popped in to a handbag to take later on. Many do not even require refrigeration, making them even easier to fit in around a busy life.

What to look for in a liquid probiotic

Liquid probiotics come in many different guises, including; probiotic liquid supplements, yoghurt drinks and more traditional fermented beverages such as kefir and kombucha. It is therefore difficult to make generalised statements about them, as they are all quite different. However, it is fair to say that liquid probiotics often have a much shorter shelf life than other forms. They may also require refrigeration once opened, as they are not as stable at room temperatures as other forms of probiotics.

Due to the relatively short shelf-life of most liquid probiotics, some wonder if they can be frozen, and then defrosted as required. The answer to this question will likely differ from product to product. In general, though, it is not a good idea to freeze liquid probiotics, as it could damage the probiotic bacteria.

For some, the taste of a product is a key consideration when choosing a supplement. Some liquid products are either ‘flavour neutral’ (not tasting of much), or flavoured with only natural extracts. It is always worth checking though that no artificial colours or flavours have been added. These can have unwanted side effects, especially on the digestive system. Many liquid probiotics for children are flavoured. Whilst this makes them taste nicer, the amounts of sugars and/or sweeteners can have detrimental effects on health.

How to take liquid probiotics

Liquid probiotics can sometimes struggle to provide exact dosage information per serving. This is particularly true for traditional fermented probiotic drinks. It can be difficult, then, to know how much, or indeed how little, you are getting. The bacteria count may differ from batch to batch, too. Correct storage conditions are also important to preserve the delicate probiotics, and prevent against any spoilage of the product. This can be a drawback of relying on fermented drinks as a sole source of probiotics in your diet as the dosage (and often strain) is difficult to determine. However, this should not detract from the point that they can still make an excellent addition to any healthy, balanced eating regime.

Summary

Finding a probiotic that satisfies your own individual requirements can elevate your health and lifestyle in so many ways. No matter what form it comes in, remember to ensure you choose a probiotic supplement with highly researched strains of bacteria that are researched for your specific health requirements.

You can take a look at some of this probiotic research on our Latest Research page. 

References

1. Maria L Marco, Dustin Heeney, Sylvie Binda, Christopher J Cifelli, Paul D Cotter, Benoit Foligne, Michael Ganzle, Remco Kort, Gonca Pasin, Anne Pihlanto, Eddy J Smid and Robert Hutkins. Health benefits of fermented foods: microbiota and beyond. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 2017.