Purchasing a probiotic supplement can be a waste of money, unless you know how to decipher the language printed on the label, say experts.

Often referred to as “The Mother of Probiotics,” Natasha Trenev was key to the establishment of the industry standards for labeling of probiotic supplements. For the past 34 years she has educated consumers about the health benefits of yogurt and liquid acidophilus, and the importance of probiotics and beneficial bacteria.

To help consumers ensure they’re getting living, health-promoting probiotic bacteria in the supplements they’re buying, Trenev established four categories of information probiotics distributors are required to clearly display on their product labels and commented on how some distributors avoid providing that information to consumers.

1. The type and quantity of living bacteria, including minimum number of viable bacteria cells: “Many supplement labels inappropriately list the number of living organisms in each capsule as a milligram weight, which does not tell the consumer anything about the number of viable bacteria cells (colony forming units or CFUs) they are getting in that capsule,” said Trenev. “CFU is the only true scientific measure used for counting living bacteria cells. When a company reports bacterial count as a milligram weight, it’s likely they don’t want consumers to know the actual CFU count in their product because it’s quite low.”

2. A suggested expiration date or “use by” date: “Companies are required to include a statement as to the minimum number of viable CFUs for each bacterial species that will be present in the supplement up to the expiration date when proper storage conditions are provided,” said Trenev. “However, most manufacturers ignore this requirement by providing a CFU count that is only effective at the time of manufacture, which is meaningless because that count will be significantly reduced by the time the consumer purchases and uses the product, typically months later.”

3. Storage requirements: “If the product is adversely affected by heat, as are virtually all probiotic cultures, then failure to control temperature at any stage in the life of the product will sacrifice the product’s potency.”

4. Additional ingredients: “If you see an ingredient on the label that you’re not familiar with, call the company or contact them through their homepage,” said Trenev.

(StatePoint)