ProbioticsEverything

Can I open probiotics capsules?

It is fine to open your probiotics capsules if you would prefer to administer the contents directly into the mouth, or to mix them into cool, non-acidic food and drink. This will not affect the viability of the probiotic bacteria. probioticseverything.comprobiotics capsules

Probiotics are very much ‘alive’. As living things, they can be subject to damage from specific conditions, including extremes of heat and pH. (e.g. how acidic or alkaline an environment is). probioticseverything.comprobiotics capsules

With this knowledge in mind, people are sometimes concerned that probiotic strains in supplements would not survive their passage through the harsh stomach environment. To protect the delicate bacteria inside, several supplement makers use the enteric coating on their capsules. Enteric coating is a special type of coating applied to capsules that prevents them from disintegrating in the stomach, therefore protecting the contents of probiotics capsules from stomach acids. probioticseverything.comprobiotics capsules

How do some probiotic microorganisms remain viable without their capsules?

Some probiotics capsules don’t require an enteric coating because the strains have been shown to thrive in all but the most acidic environments. Some companies say that their probiotic bacteria are tested without the use of a protective capsule to ensure that they are strong enough to survive the stomach acid and reach to the intestines. This is why some products are taken with meals, as it helps dilute the stomach acids, therefore presenting even less of a challenge for our ‘hardy’  little microbes. probioticseverything.comprobiotics capsules

Because the probiotics capsules themselves do not protect the friendly bacteria in our range from stomach acid, it is entirely acceptable to open probiotics capsules and empty the contents directly into the mouth or into food or drink products (so long as these are not too hot, or acidic like fruit juice). probioticseverything.comprobiotics capsules probiotics capsules

This shows that many probiotics capsules on the market don’t require any fancy protective coatings for the probiotic caps in order to ensure a viable product, and that live probiotics in the capsules can reach the intestines alive. As a result, these supplements are ideal for anyone who has difficulty swallowing probiotics in capsule form, as they may take them without any difficulty. probioticseverything.comprobiotics capsules probiotics capsules

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