Inside Probiotics: What’s Really in Those Capsules and Do They Work?
Probiotics are widely sold with capsules often containing billions of live bacteria, but brands tend to use the same safe strains (mainly Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria) and rely on vague efficacy claims. The piece explains that most ingested bacteria are killed by stomach acid and those that survive usually don’t persist long in the gut; very high doses can pose infection risks for people with weak immune systems. Claims are frequently tied to the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) designation, and qualified health claims often don’t require proof of benefit. With prices around £17.99 for 30 capsules and unclear evidence of benefit, the author suggests probiotics probably don’t harm but offer limited proven advantage for most people.
