You don’t want to just take a broad mix of different strains at a high dosage.

“I call that the sledgehammer approach,” explains renowned integrative physician Robert Rountree, M.D. “More doesn’t necessarily equal better. They have to be targeted; every bacterium does different things. They’ve each got an assigned job.”

Scientists have identified over 8,000 unique strains of gut bacteria1, all with different characteristics, functions, and health implications. (For example, research has shown that the strain Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07 can help with abdominal bloating2, while Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 314 can potentially support healthy cholesterol levels3.*)

With such a broad range of functions across different strains, if you don’t take a targeted approach, your probiotic may be full of strains that don’t actually address your needs—or do much of anything. 

Gut health expert Vincent Pedre, M.D., explains, “Many commercial brands lack the technology to identify specific strains and how much of that strain each dose contains. That could mean you get an ineffective or potentially harmful dose.” Rountree echoes this concern, saying, “If a company doesn’t know what strains of bacteria their probiotic has, I would run.”