The material provided below is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to replace the diagnosis or treatment by a qualified healthcare professional. You should always seek medical advice before consuming any new medicines or supplements.
Adding a daily probiotic to your routine is a great way to help maintain your immune and digestive health. The latest science shows that probiotics can even benefit women’s health and weight management, to name a few new areas.
With thousands of probiotic strains and single-versus multi-options, deciding which is best for keeping you healthy can be overwhelming.
Reading a probiotic label can make your head spin with all the unfamiliar names. However, when you know what you are looking at, you can better make the right choices for your health.
You may be surprised to learn that more is not always better. The following provides excellent information to help you assess whether to use a single- or multi-strain probiotic for your health and other factors to consider when evaluating which probiotic product is right for you.
What Are Single-Strain Probiotics?
Probiotics are living microorganisms that help support the body when ingested. Each probiotic is a member of a genus (e.g., family), species, and strain. While different probiotics might be classified within the same genus, or even species, different individual members, which we call strains, may behave differently and, therefore, exert different health benefits.. Single-strain probiotics provide one targeted probiotic strain.
What Are Multi-Strain Probiotics?
Multi-strain probiotics provide more than one strain of probiotic bacteria. They differ not only at the strain level but may also offer a variety of bacteria from different genus and species. Each probiotic strain has unique health benefits, so combining them in a multi-strain probiotic may help to support a wider range of benefits.
Single-Strain Probiotics Benefits
Single-strain probiotics are an easy way to safely and effectively target your most important health goals, like digestive and immune health. The benefits of single-strain probiotics include:
More Targeted and Effective
Each probiotic strain has a different purpose and can offer select benefits to your body. There are thousands of probiotic strains, some with more research than others. That being said, it can be overwhelming to know which strain to pick.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, found in many Culturelle® products, is an extensively studied probiotic strain. In nearly 2,000 scientific studies, including over 300 human clinical trials, it has been shown to help restore the balance of good bacteria in the gut.* L. rhamnosus GG survives stomach acid and bile, adheres to human intestinal epithelial cells, and produces an antimicrobial substance making this strain an ideal probiotic for support of digestive and immune health.*
Choosing a well-researched probiotic strain with the right science-backed support will ensure the product is most effective for your health needs.
Better Stability
A well-researched single-strain probiotic will be formulated to include the scientifically demonstrated amount of probiotic for the benefits noted along with good stability data to ensure you get the amount of the probiotic declared on the label through the expiration date.
For Culturelle® products, we conduct testing to make sure that the amount of live bacteria, or CFUs, listed on the package is maintained through the expiration date so you can be sure you’re getting what the label says you are.
Multi-Strain Probiotic Benefits
Some key potential benefits of multi-strain probiotics exist; however, more science is still needed to confirm these assumptions.
Potentially Broader Effects
With multiple strains of bacteria, a product can have multiple mechanisms of action that provide a broader range of beneficial effects.
It is essential to choose a transparent brand that includes all the strains used and the reason for using them. More is not necessarily better. So, rather than randomly including a bunch of different strains in a product, you want to ensure that each strain is backed by controlled, human clinical studies that tested the same amount per serving delivered by the product you are purchasing.
Potential Additive or Synergistic Effects
Because multiple probiotic strains can potentially have different mechanisms of action, some people believe they may have additive or synergistic effects. For example, if you include two strains that function via the same mechanism of action, do you get 1+1 = 2?
Or, if you include strains with different mechanisms of action, do you get 1+1 = 3? While it’s great to consider, we don’t know enough to prove whether this benefit exists.
Single-Strain vs. Multi-Strain Probiotics
Both single-strain and multi-strain probiotics have benefits. While single strains are more widely studied for their targeted health benefits and may not have to compete with other strains, multi-strain products offer the potential for a broader range of effects. When deciding the best for you, consider the strain(s) quality and the CFUs present.
The most important factor to consider is the quality of the probiotic strains. Look at the available clinical trials behind the strains to help you select the right strain (or strains).
The research today shows that multi-strain probiotics are often not more effective than single-strain probiotics.
When evaluating single- versus multi-strain probiotics, an equally important factor is the number of colony-forming units or CFUs. This refers to the number of live and active microorganisms that can be found in each serving of the probiotic you are taking. It’s the way that live probiotics are measured.
A reputable brand using a well-researched strain will provide the number of CFUs throughout shelf life, not just at the time of manufacturing, to ensure maximum effectiveness.
Probiotic Strains FAQ
How many strains of probiotics are there?
There are thousands of probiotic strains, many lacking sufficient scientific evidence. This is why it is so important to prioritize well-researched strains such as Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG.
Does the number of strains of probiotics matter?
We do not have sufficient scientific evidence to support that more probiotic strains are better. More research is needed to test individual strains against combinations of the same strains. For example, you need to evaluate Strain 1, Strain 2, and Strain 1 + Strain 2 against a placebo to determine whether providing multiple strains is better. This can get complicated, especially as you add more strains!
What strain of probiotics is best?
There is no single probiotic strain that is considered “best.” You want to choose a strain(s) that is clinically effective for your health needs.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG is an excellent choice when evaluating a probiotic to support digestive and immune health*. It is an extensively studied probiotic strain, in nearly 2000 scientific studies, including over 300 human clinical trials.
About Culturelle® Probiotic Products
Culturelle® is one of the most respected probiotic brands for a reason. Most Culturelle® products contain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, a probiotic strain scientifically demonstrated to support digestive and immune health*.
For specific health needs, the Culturelle® product line does offer a few select multi-strain products, including:
- Culturelle® 4:1 Women’s Probiotic, which combines the clinically-studied probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG for digestive and immune health with a clinically studied blend of four lactobacilli most commonly found in healthy women’s vaginal microbiomes and shown to support vaginal health.*
- Culturelle® Metabolism + Weight Management with SlimBiotics®. SlimBiotics® is blend of powerful strains, which has been clinically studied to target body fat and healthy body shape*, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, a clinically studied probiotic, for a total of 12 billion colony CFUs.
Additionally, Culturelle® products are committed to purity and strength. Thanks to our unique, state-of-the-art manufacturing process and packaging, we can guarantee that the number of naturally sourced, live Lactobacillus GG cultures stated on the package is the amount that will make it to your intestinal tract. This is true as long as the expiration date has not passed.
The Bottom Line
When choosing between a single-strain and multi-strain probiotic, remember:
- Proven Strains: Look for a probiotic with either a proven strain or strains, each of which has been tested and researched.
- Potency & Strength: Check that the amount per serving in the product matches the amount used in the studies for the benefit it provides, and that the label claim is throughout the shelf-life.
One of the best digestive and immune support options* is Culturelle® products, which include a guaranteed amount of the well-studied and highly effective probiotic strain, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
