I’ve dabbled with probiotics on and off for a decade. Maybe longer. My overall opinion on them, before now, was: “Meh.” But guess what? Turns out all those good bacteria probably weren’t even making it to my gut. And that’s why you need an enteric coating on your New Roots probiotic capsules.
Let me explain: as you probably know, probiotics (good bacteria) help support intestinal and gastrointestinal health and could promote favourable gut flora. But harsh stomach acid can kill off your probiotics before they even get to their destination. Obviously, they need to make it to your intestine alive so they can get to work.
That means you need something that’s stable enough to pass through gastric acid but will break down and release properly when the time comes.
What is an enteric coating?
I’ve learned a lot about my insides while doing research for this post.
Like DNA, everyone’s gut “microbiota” (also called your microbiome) is unique. There are, however, certain bacterial combinations that healthy people have in common. And health experts have been telling us for some time that good intestinal health extends far beyond “just your gut.”
There are still a lot of unknowns, but one thing most doctors and scientists agree on is that good gastrointestinal health is important.
If you get sick, having good bacteria on your side may get you feeling better faster. And probiotics could help.
But dead probiotics don’t help anyone.
I probably hadn’t found much success with probiotics before because my stomach acid was destroying all of the good bacteria before they could do their job. Stomach acid, after all, is about as acidic as battery acid.
Basically, I was just swallowing all the money I spent on those probiotics. (Figuratively, that’s a hard pill to swallow.)
That’s why a probiotic with enteric coating is key and, more specifically, where GPS Enteric Coating technology comes in. New Roots Herbal probiotics feature GPS Enteric Coating, a scientifically proven method that protects your probiotics to ensure they survive merciless stomach acid en route to the gut where they’ll get to work.
Studies have shown that an enteric-coated capsule delivers 100 per cent of the probiotics because they get past the starting line and into the small intestine. From here, they’re slowly released and have an opportunity to work their magic.
From where I sit, there doesn’t seem to be any reason to buy a probiotic without enteric coating. Anything else seems like a waste of money.
But maybe you’ve heard of enteric coating before and you’re thinking, “Um, this ain’t new.” No, enteric coating itself isn’t, but GPS Enteric Coating is. It’s a natural, water-based way to create an enteric-coated tablet or capsule — while, in general, an enteric coating could be made of anything from fatty acids and waxes to shellac or even plastics. Yuck.
Look for gastro-resistant New Roots probiotics featuring GPS Enteric Coating in the refrigerated section of your local health store. And remember to keep them in the fridge when you get home!
Acidophilus Ultra is an enteric-coated capsule from New Roots
Three cheers for good gut flora!
Our guts play host to billions of good bacteria that support crucial bodily functions. Most of us know that digestion is one of those functions, but did you know that it also supports good nutrient absorption and a healthy immune system, too?
While I believe our bodies come built to do a lot of hard work, I also know that supporting it with various tools — like good nutrition, exercise and sometimes high-quality supplements — tends to keep the machinery running more smoothly.
I’ve only been taking the New Roots Herbal Acidophilus Ultra* (a gluten-free probiotic with a blend of 11 probiotics and 11 billion live active cells) for a couple of weeks, so it’s hard to say if I’ve noticed any substantial differences, but at least this time I know that all those billions of cells aren’t just crashing and burning in stomach acid.
Enteric coating is the protection that gives New Roots Acidophilus Ultra its versatility. While many probiotics need to be taken with food, I like that I can take these on an empty stomach OR with food. Because sometimes I’m doing a little intermittent fasting and other times I wake up early to workout but feel puke-y if I eat beforehand.
Acidophilus Ultra ultimately delivers more than what you could get through fortified yoghurts, tablets, powders or capsules without enteric coating.
About New Roots
New Roots Herbal is a Canadian nutraceutical company based in Quebec. Every product is created in Canada in the company’s own research and development laboratory using leading-edge testing and analytical equipment. In fact, New Roots does more than 600 hours each week of testing devoted to product quality.
From its beginnings in the ‘80s, New Roots wanted to create the most therapeutic nutraceutical formulas on the market. And now, more than 8,600 stores sell New Roots products worldwide.
Sourcing ingredients from around the globe is no small feat, but New Roots is committed to bringing in the best of the best from some of the world’s most unspoiled ecosystems. And then they still test each ingredient (right down to its specific genus and species!) in its lab to confirm quality — looking for pesticides, solvent residues, peroxides and PCBs — and potency, and to ensure that every product ultimately adheres to Health Canada’s strict guidelines. No exceptions.
The in-house New Roots scientists specialize in biotechnology, enzymology, chemistry, biodistribution, sterility, microbiology and protein chemistry — several of whom have been published in peer-reviewed journals.
It’s these guys (and gals) who undertake all of the quality-control testing that ensures ingredients are contaminant-free, fully potent and haven’t oxidized in transit.
They even do something called “disintegration testing” when it comes to a probiotic product like Acidophilus Ultra. Since it needs to dissolve in the intestines, the testing process actually mimics the human digestive system so the scientists can study how the product dissolves. Did it happen at the right time? How about in the right place?
Those are tip-of-the-iceberg observations made every day at the lab so you can feel good buying New Roots products, knowing that what’s on the label is what’s in the bottle.
*To see if this product is right for you, read and follow the label; for a summary of claims and cautions please click here.
DISCLOSURES: This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the physician advice with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. New Roots Herbal is a Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)-compliant, manufacturer of natural health products (NHPs). I have participated in a paid partnership with New Roots Herbal; opinions in this post are my own.
Jackie M says
Wow! Make so much sense – really gotta research the vitamins and probiotics we take to make sure we are not wasting our money.
louise gilbert says
I’m new with probiotics. This article is very interesting. I have learned that probiotic is good for you
sarah alexis says
We could all use a healthy jump start to better gut health!
Rosanne Robinson says
I didn’t know that the enteric coating on a probiotic was so important for it’s efficiency. Thx very much for sharing this helpful information.
Patricia Yarascavitch says
Might explain why I never noticed any difference in my gut health. I might try these now and see if they help.
Diane R says
Had no Idea that the probiotics I had been Ingesting may not have even made it to my lower intestine. Who knew!
Linda says
I had no idea that the coating on a probiotic was so vital for it’s efficiency. I had not hear of enteric coating before reading this article.
Betty Spry says
I have not started to take probiotics but my sister needs them due to medication. I will pass this on to her
Kiki Kentris says
Thanks for sharing this, definitely will be purchasing probiotics with enteric coating my next order!
Jennifer P. says
I just started researching probiotics, so this is really helpful information and will help me make my decision – thanks for posting!
Liezl Cudal Tan says
I found this post quite informative. I’m a novice with probiotics as I only have with probiotic infused yogurt.
Stephanie LaPlante says
Interesting information I should take into consideration. I take probiotics every day faithfully.
Soozle (Suzie B) says
Great information! Not something I had ever thought before when i have bought probiotics!
Andy D says
There’s some super interesting stuff that I had no idea about. I really think it could help with my IBS.
ivy pluchinsky says
Thanks for sharing this, very interesting.
Kristy Reid says
I currently don’t use probiotics, but I used to take acidophilus daily to prevent cold sores.
Seems buying probiotics with enteric coatings is a no brainer. But, then again, you don’t know, until you know.
Melinda says
I like that this is a Canadian company. I am going to check our their products.
Sherri Gelbart says
Interesting, I wouldn’t want to spend all the money on nothing either!
Catherine Robichaud says
This is great info. Thank you for sharing.
Michelle Policelli says
Thank you for sharing! This was definitely an interesting read
Kathy downey says
Well it all makes sense why they didn’t work ! Thanks for sharing all this information !
Amanda Masters says
I can definitely see why I havent noticed any results. I need to really commit to the right product which I clearly wasn’t doing. Thanks for the info.
Sarah Ferguson says
I’m definitely going to be trying this brand. I recently switched my probiotics and didn’t realize my new ones didn’t have enteric coating… That’s disturbing… So much money down the drain.
Florence Cochrane says
This is interesting. Thank you for sharing.
Deborah Peever says
I tried the yogurt variety for a while but I do not like sweeteners . In capsule form I am more apt to get the full amount. I have been dealing with hair loss due to digestive problems. This is interesting , thank you
Judy Cowan says
This make a lot of sense, I am going to look into them. I have been taking probiotics for quite some time for IBS and other issues and I wasn’t sure that they were actually helping.
Sandra Dufoe says
Thank you for sharing this it is great information to have.
Clair Palmer says
thanks for sharing, I knew it was important and I was taking some for the longest time but wasnt notice a difference really, great article
janicour says
I take them daily. As a nurse I know how important they are for gut health, and the consequences if the gut loses bacteria .
Julie F says
I have Microscopic Colitis and take probiotic’s every day but had not heard of this company so will have to look them up!
Mommy Gearest says
Perfect!
Jaimee M says
So interesting. Good to read about, I’ve never tried taking prebiotic before
Mommy Gearest says
This is actually a PRObiotic (though I’ve heard good things about prebiotics, too!).
Hibby Turnbull says
Ok so I have been taking probiotics for years. I put my son on a really good infant one to help with gut health. He had many issues this milk protein and they were a life saver. I thought I was well informed but you have brought new information to me and now I need to look into this. Thanks for sharing – very insightful.
Mommy Gearest says
I’m so glad I could help! I thought this was so interesting myself.
Shirley says
This is great information as I use probiotics daily
Mommy Gearest says
Make sure you check your bottle for GPS Enteric Coating!
Nicole Graham says
This is fascinating, and sounds like they could be on to something. I took probiotics for a long time. I may need to rethink them and try these.
Lynda Cook says
Thank you for the great information, I learned something new
Lynda Cook says
Plus I think I found my new probiotic, I am definitely going to check them out!
kristen visser says
thank you for sharing!! I didnt realize how important taking something like this was
Anna Roszak Robinson says
Thank you! I really appreciate all the information you provide us.
Mommy Gearest says
So nice of you to say – and you’re most welcome!
Alayne L says
It makes sense about enteric coating. Thanks for all the great info. I like that New Roots is Canadian too! 🙂
Mommy Gearest says
YES! Love supporting Canadian!!
Viv Sluys says
This is the first I’ve ever heard of enteric coating on probiotics! Very interesting it makes a lot of sense that something would be needed to make sure the stomach acid destroys much of the good and that the probiotic supplements would need a coating. It’s good that this company is doing a better for your body and the earth version of the coating!
Darlene Sharpe says
Interesting and gas changed my perspective on probiotics a little.
Darlene Burns says
Wow this is a very interesting read .Thank you for sharing
Christine De Medeiros says
Great article