Liquid probiotics have recently emerged as a notable trend in the health and wellness sphere, captivating the attention of health enthusiasts and practitioners alike. There are several compelling factors that shed light on the surging demand for liquid probiotic formulations.
Forms of Probiotics
- Capsules and Tablets: This is one of the most common forms of probiotics available on the market. The probiotic bacteria are typically freeze-dried and encapsulated in a capsule or compressed into a tablet.
- Powders: Probiotics are also available in powder form, quickly mixed into beverages or food. This form allows for flexible dosing and can be suitable for individuals with difficulty swallowing capsules or tablets.
- Liquid Probiotics: Liquid probiotics are becoming increasingly popular, often in small bottles or vials, and can be consumed directly or added to beverages.
- Fermented Foods: Certain foods and beverages naturally contain live probiotic bacteria due to fermentation. Examples include yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, and other fermented dairy or vegetable products.
- Probiotic Drinks: These are specially formulated beverages that contain live probiotic bacteria. They are often marketed as functional beverages with added health benefits.
- Probiotic Chocolates and Gummies: Some companies have developed probiotic-infused chocolates or gummies as a more enjoyable and convenient way to consume probiotics, particularly for children.
It’s worth noting that the effectiveness of probiotics can vary depending on the specific strains of bacteria used, their viability, and the delivery mechanism. Different forms may have varying levels of stability, shelf life, and survivability of the probiotic strains during storage and digestion. Therefore, choosing a reputable brand and consulting healthcare professionals for guidance on the most suitable form of probiotics for individual needs is essential.
What is a liquid spore probiotic?
Liquid probiotics with spore-forming refer to a specific type of probiotic formulation that contains spore-forming bacteria in liquid form. Spore-forming bacteria are unique because they can form protective spores or a dormant state, allowing them to survive extreme environmental conditions such as temperature, stomach acid, and chemical processes—other digestion.
Bacillus coagulans is the most well-known spore-forming probiotic strain. This strain has been studied extensively and, researchers mostly found it in liquid spore probiotic products. The result has indicated that this strain has potential benefits for digestive health, immune support, and gut microbiota regulation.
The main advantage of liquid probiotics in spore form is that they are highly resistant to environmental factors, making them more likely to survive production, storage, and transportation. This allows for greater viability and effectiveness of probiotics when consumed.
It is important to note that while liquid spore probiotics have become popular, scientific research on their benefits is still being developed.
Representatives of this product line, such as Enterogermina of Sanofy, or products of the LiveSpo brand, such as LiveSpo Navax, LiveSpo Colon, and LiveSpo DIA30,… all contain beneficial bacteria in the form of spores. In particular, with the product line of LiveSpo all in Liquid Form, Multi-strain, and High concentration.
What makes Liquid Spore Probiotics Difference?
Liquid probiotics in spore form have a few distinguishing characteristics that set them apart from other forms of probiotics:
- Enhanced Stability: The spore-forming bacteria found in liquid spore probiotics can form a protective spore, which makes them highly resistant to environmental factors such as heat, moisture, and acidity. This enhanced stability allows the bacteria to survive manufacturing processes, transportation, and storage and maintain viability until consumed.
- Survivability: The spores of liquid spore probiotics can survive the acidic conditions of the stomach and reach the intestines intact. Once they reach the intestines, the spores can germinate and become active, live bacteria, exerting their probiotic effects.
- Shelf Life: The spore-forming nature of these probiotics often extends their shelf life. Liquid spore probiotics can have a longer shelf life than other probiotic forms, reducing the need for refrigeration or special storage conditions.
- Ease of Consumption: Liquid spore probiotics are in liquid form, making them convenient and easy to consume without swallowing concerns. Adding them to beverages is also an option.
- Versatility: Liquid probiotics in spore form can be incorporated into various products, including functional beverages, liquid supplements, and food recipes. This versatility allows for diverse applications and can cater to different consumer preferences.
It’s important to note that while liquid spore probiotics have unique advantages, the overall effectiveness and benefits of any probiotic depend on several factors, including the specific strain, dosage, individual health conditions, and other co-existing bacteria in the gut.
Trends in the use of Liquid Probiotics
Probiotics and Respiratory inflammation
LiveSpo has conducted clinical trials for LiveSpo NAVAX – the world’s first spray-on probiotic spores.
This study is the first randomized and blinded clinical trial in children with RSV infection to demonstrate the safety and beneficial effects of a nasal spray containing Bacillus spore probiotics in alleviating symptoms. Clinical respiratory failure due to RSV infection, thus shortening the duration of treatment to 1 day and improving the effectiveness of symptomatic treatment by 10–50%. Sprayed Bacillus spores significantly inhibited the replication of RSV (630 times) and S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae co-infected bacteria (103–104 times), thereby reducing the excessive immune response of epithelial cells to lower IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α proinflammatory cytokine levels (2.7–12.7-fold) in the nasal passages.
This result marks a new trend in using liquid probiotics for treating inflammatory respiratory diseases.
Reference about LiveSpo Navax: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-16136-z
Probiotics and Vaginal Health
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are common gynecological infections worldwide, especially in tropical and underdeveloped countries, especially in the reproductive age group. Microorganisms that cause sexually transmitted diseases include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. Broad-spectrum antibiotics can lead to side effects such as loss of appetite, fatigue, and sexual problems, while repeated treatment can lead to antibiotic resistance. , poses a significant challenge for the treatment of STIs worldwide. However, there is a limit on the effectiveness of oral probiotics or suppositories due to their slow onset and sensitivity to acidic and temperature conditions. Fortunately, Bacillus strains have demonstrated exceptional stability in both acidic and thermal environments, making them particularly suitable for vaginal spray probiotics against sexually transmitted diseases—sexual route.
LiveSpo has conducted a clinical trial for the product LiveSpo X-Secret – Liquid Probiotics spray to support vaginal health. The results of this study indicate that: Vaginal spray probiotics containing Bacillus strains may be a safe and effective symptomatic treatment for viral, fungal, and sexually transmitted diseases. Or bacteria offers a promising alternative to traditional antibiotic therapy.
This will be a new trend in gynecological health care instead of oral probiotics or other antibiotics.
Reference about LiveSpo X-Secret: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05783856?term=NCT05783856&draw=2&rank=1
