The kind I am taking now contains 30 billion per cap. It is one of the best on the market where I am, one that can be bought at health stores. It is called Super 8, and is made especially for candida overgrowth, to mazimize absorption of nutrients from the small intestine. The name is Udos's Super 8 by Flora.
I have used many and this one works for me.
FOS does not agree with me, and for some others too. FOS is a type of sugar molecule from fruits that is added to some probiotics as it is suppsed to feed the bifo bacteria.
NEW FINDINGS report that some do not tolerate FOS at all. It makes them bloated.
It is said to feed some bacteria in the intestines, and this happened to me.
Some are fine with it, so have to try to see.
I bought another probiotic to try out, and it had FOS in it. For one week I was ok, then the constant bloating, like I was months pregnant, and the fatigue started.
I thought it was just balancing my intestines, but it just kept getting worse.
I eventually stopped it and went back to my regular Super 8, and was much better.
About one year ago, I was using a probiotic that had 4 billion per cap, only 3 strains of friendly bacteria. I was taking 4 a day, and this was not enough. By the 4th month of antibiotic treatment I was so ill with candida overgrowth, and eventually figured it out that the probiotic I was on was not doing anything for me. I bought the high potency super 8, and was much better.
So, a low potency of 16 billion per day, was not enough for me.
I now take 60 billion total a day. this probiotic has 8 strains of friendly bacteria in it.
Some days, I just take one a day, and more homemade yogurt, to cut costs.
I also make my own homemade yogurt.
Plain.
A good probiotic is the most important I feel. Because of taking one that was not effective for me, I had to STOP antibiotics because of a severe candida overgrowth.
I had not idea the probiotic was not working... until a few months into the antibioitcs, and by then my yeast overgrowth was deadly. I was also on flagyl/biaxin and this combo for me was really tough on yeast overgrowth.
Trish