Probonix stands above other products in the crowded probiotic market for many reasons. Humarian is one of the only probiotic companies to be loud and proud about the scientific testing we have conducted to prove the effectiveness of our products. Probonix is one of the only probiotics to come in liquid form so it’s easier to take for infants and children. Probonix offers multiple strains vs. the numerous one or two strain products on the market. These are great benefits on their own, but the single most important feature separating Probonix from other probiotics is our proprietary acid formula.
After our probiotics are grown, they are saturated in this acid mixture, providing them with a protective acid coating and suspending them in a temporary lag phase (you can read more about the four phases of bacterial growth here). This is different from the majority of probiotics on the market that are sold in the growth phase. Suspending bacteria in the lag phase offers a number of benefits for our probiotics and for you. Probiotics that are suspended in lag phase don’t need to be refrigerated. Refrigeration has traditionally been used to slow down active nutrient consumption and replication during the growth phase to extend probiotic shelf life. Probiotics in the lag phase mature and grow in size, but they do not actively reproduce or consume nutrients. That means that refrigeration is not needed to slow down the replication process. Another benefit of suspending our probiotics in the lag phase is that they last longer. Probonix has a longer shelf life than probiotics that require refrigeration.
The other main benefit provided by lag phase probiotics is a large increase in survivability. Most companies use some combination of encapsulation, freeze-drying, and refrigeration to increase survivability, but the acid coating of Probonix offers better protection than any of these methods. Probiotic bacteria in the growth phase are busy consuming nutrients and replicating. This leaves them vulnerable, as newly replicated bacteria are immature and most susceptible to environmental harm during this stage.
One of the most important characteristics of bacteria in the lag phase is their ability to adapt to environmental changes better than any other bacterial growth phase. When the acid-coated probiotics pass through the stomach, they are not replicating. Instead, they are growing in size, maturing, and adapting to their environment. This characteristic helps the probiotics to survive the harsh acid of the stomach on the way to the intestines and dramatically enhances their survival over traditional probiotic supplements. Once the acid-coated probiotics reach the intestines, the environment changes, allowing bacterial growth to shift from the lag phase to the exponential phase where they multiply in number and flourish throughout the entire intestinal tract.
At Humarian, we have thoroughly tested the effectiveness of this acid coating by investing in a survival rate research study. This study was designed to test the survival rate of Probonix after running it through a simulated digestive system. You can read about the results here. The effectiveness of our acid coating is what gives Humarian total confidence in Probonix as a daily probiotic supplement.