I’m already using a probiotic with Bifidobacterium that’s not on your list, can I keep going with it? How are the ones on your list different?

Unfortunately, not all probiotics on the market are effective, including many brands commonly found at drug/grocery stores. Some don’t contain strain-level information so we can’t confirm what is in them. Some contain strains that don’t have adequate research behind them. Some only contain Lactobacillus strains which have other benefits, but will not have the same outcomes as Bifidobacterium probiotics.

Probiotics on our list have been carefully selected and reviewed by our scientific team to meet our criteria: they contain research-backed strains that are optimized for your age (there are different strains that optimal for babies, toddlers, children and adults). We also only present products that are relevant to you based on your sample results (e.g. we only show a recommendation a Bifidobacterium probiotic if your levels are not adequate)

If you’d like to continue using your preferred brand, confirm that it has Bifidobacterium strains that are researched for your age (baby, toddler, child, adult), and that the company provides the data backing them (see our guide here). You can also take another sample to see if Bifidobacterium levels are increasing. However, if you were taking that probiotic before you took your sample and Bifidobacterium levels are still low, it is likely that isn’t an effective formulation for your baby.

If you are taking a probiotic with Lactobacillus strains, that has a different expected outcome and you may want to take a Bifidobacterium probiotic in addition to a Lactobacillus probiotic. See our FAQ on combining probiotics.