How to choose a quality probiotic - Part 1: Origin

Despite the benefits of probiotics, not all products are made equal. Probiotics come from different origins so you may be surprised to learn where your probiotic has come from. It’s important that the probiotics you choose are from the safest of sources. 

What are the unsafe origins of probiotic bacteria?

Soil (spores)

One source of probiotics that we are particularly frustrated to see people selling, is soil-based probiotics eg bacillus. Soil-based probiotics are often referred to as spore-based and have the potential to cause more harm than good. We usually think of soil as the dirt in a garden, not something we would ingest for our health. Therefore, it's probably not surprising that scientists warn of major concerns. The main reason for side effects from soil-based probiotics is that these bacteria are not naturally found in the human body. Introducing bacteria that are not meant to be in the human body is a very risky proposition. 

When you look at the numbers surrounding probiotics, it may sound like your body has room for any and all bacteria. Our gut microbiota has tens of trillions of bacteria! That’s more than 10 times the number of cells we have in our bodies. However, the reality is that our digestive tract only has a certain amount of space for bacteria to live. This space will be filled with some mix of good and bad bacteria, and healthy probiotics can help you shift the balance so that the good takes up most of the space. When you take spore-based probiotics or bacteria not of a suitable origin, those are taking away inhabitable space in the digestive tract that healthy bacteria could have had. Instead of taking this risk, fill your intestinal walls with bacteria you know is a good choice. The quality of your probiotics is paramount, and not all products are created equally. You don’t want to waste your time and money on products that don’t provide you with the benefits you’re looking for. While you may be tempted to pick some up cheaper probiotics, do not be fooled by a sea of labels that look ‘good enough’. It’s highly likely these probiotics are not good enough.


Here are some things to look for:

  •  Your probiotic should be microbiologically pure. This means no fillers, soy, GMOs, gluten, or other ‘mystery’ ingredients. You want to know exactly what IS in your probiotic, and also what is NOT in your probiotic.  

  • The probiotic origin (species and strain of bacteria). This is the bacterial family it comes from. If advertisements say the probiotic origin is kiwifruit, yoghurt etc this is not a probiotic bacteria. These are prebiotics (like the good food you eat on an anti-inflammatory diet) which support the life of a bacteria while living in you. Yoghurt is a prebiotic - if it claims to have strains or species of bacteria like acidophilus or bifidobacterium in it, this is not a true label claim. These types of bacteria have been added at some stage in processing, and will not be alive after the manufacturing process. Yes, added, but not alive when you eat the yoghurt. Legally yoghurt must be made worldwide of two bacteria’s: Lactobacillus bulgaricus, LB-51 and Streptococcus thermophilus, BC 122.

  • Know who makes them. Your probiotics can only be as good as the team behind them, the scientists who perform the research, science, testing, and formulation. Choose to buy from a company that is a leader in the probiotic industry and has extensive safeguards in place to protect you.     

As a health-conscious consumer choosing a probiotic, are any two factors more important to you than quality and safety? At The Probiotic Store, nothing is more important to us than these two pillars of our products. The Probiotic Store only supplies healthy bacteria that you can trust. While the world of probiotics can be overwhelming, The Probiotic Store is here to make your education, journey, and choice easier. We want you to be healthy, safe, and happy with the probiotics you choose for yourself and your family.