“Lactobacillus” is the genus, “acidophilus” is the species and “UALa-01™” is the strain of bacteria.

This system of categorization works much like a family.

Strain: UALa-01™ is the simplest level of identification, like a person.  Just like you, a strain can be unique in some of its properties while remaining recognizable as a member of the family.

Species: Species is the strain’s immediate family.  It has siblings with similar traits and properties, but like you and your siblings, different species of probiotics have different abilities and serve different purposes.

Genus: Genus is the strain’s extended family.  It shares the name, “Lactobacillus” with several other species, but their mutual traits are fairly general.

• Don’t be alarmed: Sometimes the genus is abbreviated when written.  For example “Lactobacillus acidophilus” is sometimes written as “ acidophilus”

The two most recognized genera (plural for genus) in probiotics are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.

Lactobacillus colonizes primarily in the small intestine, while Bifidobacterium colonizes primarily in the large intestine also known as the colon.

As you can see in the supplement panel above, every strain is either a member of the Lactobacillus or Bifidobacteriumgenus. This is because these two probiotic genera have a great track record for providing health benefits to your body.

Benefits of Lactobacillus strains

As expected, not all strains are the same and different strains can provide different benefits.  Let’s take a look at the benefits of some well-known Lactobacillus species and strains.

Lactobacillus acidophilus is arguably the most widely recognized and used species in probiotics.  Its history can be traced back to the 1920’s where it was used in milk in part to support digestive health*.

This species helps the body absorb nutrients and digest dairy foods and support the body’s immune system.  Studies have suggested the species plays a role in supporting vaginal and immune health*.

One of the longest studied and most proven strains of L. acidophilus is DDS^®-1 [1] [2] [3] [4] [5].

Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS^®-1 was discovered in the late 1950’s by Dr. Khem Shahani and is now backed by almost 40 years of gold standard randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical studies.

DDS^®-1 has been shown to readily adhere to the intestinal walls, be well-tolerated in virtually all age groups, be acid and bile resistant, and offer the following health benefits*:

• Support lactose digestion
• Help balance the microbiome to reduce gastrointestinal problems²
• Help alleviate mild occasional constipation³
• Support a healthy immune system ^4,5

Lactobacillus rhamnosus is found naturally in your body as well as many dairy products.  The species has been extensively studied in adults and children.  Studies suggest that specific strains of L. rhamnosus are linked to the following benefits*:

• Support digestive and immune health
• Assist with healthy weight management
• Support women’s health

Lactobacillus reuteri is another naturally existing and acid and bile resistant probiotic in your intestinal tract.  This allows it to survive the gastrointestinal tract.

Specific strains of L. reuteri have been linked to a number of benefits*:

• Promote oral health
• Support women’s health
• Support heart health

Yes!  Heart Health!

A particular strain of Lactobacillus reuteri, L. reuteri NCIMB 30242 or LRC™ [1] [2] [3] [4] [5], has been shown to support heart health by naturally maintaining healthy cholesterol levels already within the normal range*.

LRC™ is the first studied probiotic to naturally support both total cholesterol levels and LDL-cholesterol levels^{6, 7} and is the #1 Cardiologist preferred heart health probiotic.  It is has been studied to offer the following benefits*:

• Support healthy cholesterol levels already within the normal range
• Support healthy Vitamin D levels in blood⁸
• Support healthy levels of the biomarkers hs-CRP & fibrinogen⁷
• Support overall digestive and immune function^7,9

Lactobacillus plantarum is unique in that a specific strain of this species has shown to produce antibodies that attack bad bacteria in your gut.  L. plantarum grows best at a temperature near body temperature and is a pro at surviving the harsh journey of your gastrointestinal tract.

For these reasons, L. plantarum is great for your body’s microbiome and specific strains have been connected to the following benefits*:

• Support digestion
• Support a healthy immune system
• Relieve occasional bloating and intestinal discomfort

Lactobacillus gasseri peaks our curiosity with its connection to supporting weight management.  One notable strain of this species is L. gasseri BNR17™ [1] [2] [3] [4].

BNR17™ is an extensively studied strain isolated from human breast milk.  It has been the subject of 18 years of research including three published clinical trials and has been approved by the Korean FDA as a functional ingredient.

Other Lactobacillus strains to look for that support digestive and immune health include L. brevis, L. casei, L. paracasei and L. salivarius.

Benefits of Bifidobacterium strains

Bifidobacterium lactis is an extremely versatile strain found in foods such as yogurt and fermented milk.

Specific strains of B. lactis are linked with the following benefits*:

• Support digestion
• Support a healthy immune system
• Relieve occasional constipation

Bifidobacterium bifidum is one of the most common probiotic found in your gut and has naturally lived there since you were an infant.

Specific strains of B. bifidum have been associated with the following benefits*:

• Support digestion
• Support a healthy immune system
• Aids in lactose digestion

Bifidobacterium longum is known for protecting your intestinal walls from harmful bacteria by helping your body break down proteins and carbohydrates like lactose.

Specific strains of B. longum have been linked to the following benefits*:

• Support digestion
• Support a healthy immune system
• Relieve occasional constipation
• Support a healthy response to occasional stress

Bifidobacterium infantis sounds very close to “infant” because it has been found particularly beneficial to an infant’s microbiome.

Specific strains of this species have been linked to the following benefits*:

• Minimize gastrointestinal distress due to microbiome composition
• Aid in the digestion of human milk
• Colonize the infant microbiome with healthy bacteria
• Utilize the special sugars contained in breast milk

The probiotics listed above are a mere sample of the trillions of bacteria living in your gut!

Keep in mind that much research needs to be done to substantiate and strengthen the correlation of probiotics to the reported benefits listed above.  As always, consult your regulatory professional when crafting product claims.

Fortunately, the excitement surrounding probiotics has cultivated a rich environment for scientific discovery and caused the number of probiotic-related publications to climb drastically.

With the influence of probiotics appearing limitless, scientists continue to explore the potential benefits of these tiny organisms and unlock a few more of their secrets every day.

1. Pakdaman MN, Udani JK, Molina JP, et al. Nutr J 2016;15:56.
2. Nagala R, Routray C. US Gastroenterol Hepatol Rev 2011;7:36-7.
3. Publication in preparation.
4. Gerasimov SV, Ivantsiv VA, Bobryk LM, et al. Eur J Clin Nutr 2016;70:463–9.
5. Gerasimov SV, Vasjuta VV, Myhovych OO et al. Am J Clin Dermatol 2010;11:351–61.
6. Jones et al. Br J Nutr 2012.
7. Jones et al. Euro J Clin Nutr 2012.
8. Jones et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2013.
9. Jones et al. Exp Opin Biol Ther 2013.

*The intent of these materials is to keep you abreast of the evolving science involving probiotics. This material/ information may include publications/studies of unapproved uses for which we cannot promote in the US. Our products are regulated as dietary supplements, not drugs. Therefore, they are not intended to cure, prevent, mitigate, treat or diagnose disease.

* This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.