Top Gut experts have revealed “red flag” supplements you should never invest in – because they are likely to be completely useless.
Dr. Karan Rajan, an NHS enterosurgical surgeon, analyzed the labels on the back of various vitamin pills claiming to boost digestive health and raised concerns about the listed ingredients.
Many products do not specify sufficient details of the material. This means you don’t know what you’re taking, but other products quickly become old and useless.
In a clip posted to Tiktok, Dr. Rajan said to be 5,300 more on the lookout for certain probiotic supplements, popular tablets containing “healthy” bacteria that are said to improve gut health. He spoke to all his followers.
First, Dr. Rajan warned against the purchase of probiotics that claim to contain only the bacterial form of “Lactobacillus” or “Bifidobacterium.”
These terms are too broad, he says, not describing specific strains that can help with certain health issues.
For example, a type of bifidobacterium called “Lactis BB-12 + S. Thermophilus” is good for preventing antibiotic-induced diarrhea, while the subspecies “Lactis W52 + B. Bifidum W23” are It helps reduce the risk of zema.
As a result, the unnamed strain of bacteria is roughly as useful as labeling a “mammal” zoo. Dr. Rajan said.
“Streets are important because not all bacteria of the same species do the same thing,” he said.
“One strain may improve digestion, and the other strain may find you’re not doing anything in your gut.”
Another warning sign is a supplement that claims to contain a huge number of what is known as colony-forming units (CFUs). To the number of live bacteria in the product.
Dr. Rajan emphasized that more living bacteria are not necessarily superior.
“It doesn’t matter if you survive stomach acid and colonize your intestines,” he said.
“There is evidence that, for example, just 1 billion CFU of a certain form of bifidobacterium is as good at removing IBS symptoms as 10 billion CFU of the same strain,” he said.
Next on the list is to make sure the supplement is still on the date.
“Living bacteria have deteriorated over time, especially when you’ve been sitting on a shelf for years,” Dr. Rajan said.
He advised to choose a product that contains a packet that lists the phrase “executable by the end of shelf life” as it means that bacteria are likely to be useful longer.
CFU stands for colony forming unit and refers to the number of live bacteria in a product. However, Dr. Rajan stresses that more living bacteria are not necessarily superior.
On the other hand, if the phrase “at manufacture” is used to warn you of the amount of bacteria in the product, it may be that bacteria are not available to the intestines by the time you take it.
Dr. Rajan also suggests when purchasing a particular product, looking for supplements with “function-specific strains” as well as “random intestinal parties.”
“If you specifically need help with bloating, look for a stock like Bifidobacterium Infantis 35624,” he said.
He added the tension Saccharomyces Boulaaridi may help with diarrhea.
Finally, Dr. Rajan said he would be careful of products with multiple complex-sounding bacterial strains.
“The 15-strain probiotics sound impressive, but if they’re all fighting for survival in your gut, it’s just a bacterial hunger game,” he said.
“Some stocks compete or cancel each other.”
