To Get Your Probiotics, Opt for This Over Pills

A new study examines probiotics in food vs. supplements. (Photo: StockFood/Eising Studio)

By this point, you’ve probably heard that probiotics are important for your overall health. But according to new research, the way you get your probiotics matters, too.

The new study in animals, published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology, showed that a particular strain of probiotics is more effective when it’s taken in dairy form, versus supplement form. Researchers say this is the first clinical study that investigates whether the way we eat probiotics makes any difference.

For the study, researchers investigated the role of the probiotic strain Lactobacillus casei BL23 (which is genetically similar to the probiotic strain that is commonly added to dairy products like yogurt) on mice that had inflamed colons. The mice that had the probiotic in milk had reduced symptoms compared with those that had the probiotic as a supplement, as well as those that just had milk.

As a result, the researchers concluded, how well this popular form of probiotics works is linked to the way it’s consumed.

Related: How To Stock A Probiotic Pantry

But why milk? Milk and milk products provide a “buffering capacity”, making it a more hospitable place for probiotics to live, study author Maria Marco, PhD, an associate professor and microbiologist at the University of California, Davis, tells Yahoo Health.

Not only that, but some components of milk like calcium, lactoferrin, and certain peptides seem to be able to better support the growth of probiotic bacteria while inhibiting some human disease-causing bacteria and viruses, she says. Plus, probiotics might also benefit from carbohydrates found in milk while traveling through the intestines.

The findings are important because, as Gina Keatley, a certified dietitian-nutritionist practicing in New York City, tells Yahoo Health, “we know very little about probiotics.”

Here’s what we do know: Probiotics are bacteria and yeast that live in our bodies. While scientists know that bacteria can adapt to their environment, it’s not entirely known what that means in terms of the best way to get the bacteria into our bodies or how they grow once they’re in there.

We care so much about optimizing the function of probiotics in our bodies because they’re essential for our overall health and foster the growth of good bacteria, explains registered dietitian nutritionistBeth Warren, author of Living a Real Life with Real Food.

“Billions of bacteria grow in our gut, which is the host of 70 percent of our immune system,” she tells Yahoo Health. “A balanced gut of good bacteria contributes to improved health, including digestion, mental issues, and weight maintenance.”

Related: The 10 Healthiest Foods For Your Gut

Probiotics are commonly found in yogurt, but can also be found in soft cheeses and kefir, as well as kimchi, raw pickles, and miso.

All probiotics aren’t created equally, though. Warren points out that there are different forms of probiotics in different foods and supplements, and their benefits depend on what you need or symptoms you’re experiencing.

“It’s not that a probiotic from one food is more effective versus another, as much as it is about what types the person needs and what medical conditions they are facing that a specific strain of bacteria can help,” she says.

Marco agrees, noting that she only studied a particular popular strain of probiotics and more research needs to be done before concluding that all forms of probiotics should be taken with milk.

“If you are taking a probiotic preparation that works for you, then there is no reason to change,” Marco says. “More research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms of how probiotics work, why they are not always efficacious, and why consuming probiotics in certain food formats (e.g. dairy) might be better than others.”

In the meantime, keep on eating that yogurt.

For more on how probiotics can affect your health, watch the video below:

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