Safety of Probiotic Spores

The universal definition of probiotics according to the World Food Organization is “live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.” Probiotics are ingested orally by both animals and humans in a variety of foodstuffs, beverages and nutritional supplements. According to the California Dairy Research Foundation, there are hundreds of clinical studies demonstrating that probiotics improve digestive health and help the body's immune system.

Identification

• Probiotics are beneficial bacteria, typically the lactic-acid producing variety. These are live bacteria that especially thrive in milk, which contains lactose sugars on which they feed. The most common examples of probiotic lactic acid bacteria are the bifidobacteria and lactobacillus strains. The most common type of probiotic bacterial spores are of the genus Bacillus.

  Probiotic spores are common in animal feed and are also included in food and dietary supplements for human consumption. They are dormant life forms in a resting state that can live in conditions too harsh (high pH, wide temperature swings and dehydration) for the survival of lactic acid bacteria. Think of them as individual bacteria sleeping comfortably in a protective cocoon. Basillus coagulans is widely used in non-dairy products and dietary supplements because of its hardiness and shelf life longevity.

Mechanisms of Action

• Literally millions of probiotic bacteria can fit on a single microscope slide.

  When traditional lactic acid-producing bacteria such as Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus acidophilus are introduced into a nutrient-rich environment such as milk, they multiply rapidly into millions of reproducing bacteria that produce large quantities of lactic acid as a waste product. This lowers the pH of the milk and ferments such familiar products as cheese and yogurt. Probiotic lactic acid bacteria also survive quite nicely in milk, but do not mulitply quickly and are not as efficient in acidification. Their long-term survival capabilities are limited in beverages, food and confectionery products.

Significance

• Conditions that are not ideal for probiotic lactic acid-producing bacteria will hinder growth or kill them. Then, by definition they are no longer probiotics. This limits the types of food and beverages that can provide the potential health benefits of probiotics.

  In contrast, bacterial spores are dormant until they germinate or become “activated.” Once metabolically active they demonstrate probiotic properties. This makes them ideal for addition to non-dairy applications to improve shelf life stability. In addition, researchers at the School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, postulate that probiotic spores may be more effective in their health claims since they can survive the harsh acidic conditions in the stomach. Probiotics do not effectively deliver a health benefit to the host until they reach the intestinal tract and small intestine, alive and in significant numbers to deliver their antimicrobial and other health benefits.

Safety Considerations

• Sporing bacteria are the cause of a number of serious diseases in humans. For example, anthrax results from the aerobic sporing bacteria Bacillus anthracis and is very hardy under almost any conditions. In 1995, Raul Cano and Monica Borucki of California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, reported having recovered and reanimated bacterial spores from the digestive tracts of bees that had been entombed in amber for between 25 and 40 million years.

  People can be frightened by the term “bacterial spores” if they don't understand that there are good as well as bad bacteria in the world. Ethical probiotic manufacturers follow strict guidelines to assure the efficacy and purity of their bacterial strains and operate under Good Manufacturing (GMP) and FDA rules and regulations for food production.

Precautions & Warnings

• Most probiotics on the market are clinically proven to be safe and effective. There are no known drug interactions and safely coincides with consumption of other supplements and medications, including antibiotics. Consult your physician regarding your diet, medications, dietary supplements and natural remedies before using probiotics as a dietary supplement.