Beware of Snake-Oil Probiotics

On The Gut Club someone asked about a Slovenia Probiotic Mixture. I have great respect for some of the raw probiotics that Eastern Europe produces and often sell on to retail packagers to mix and sell.

Multi EM ferment™

Today, there was a mixture which I must described as tossing in the kitchen sink!!! The mixture was literally tossing in anything and everything that could possibly have a health benefit.

What is in it? 20 BCFU consisting of:

Bacillus subtilis Lactobacillus delbrückii
 Bifidobacterium bifidum Lactobacillus farraginis
 Bifidobacterium breve Lactobacillus gasseri
 Bifidobacterium longum Lactobacillus helveticus
 Bifidobacterium infantis Lactobacillus johnsonii
 Bifidobacterium lactis Lactobacillus paracasei
 Bifidobacterium lactis Lactobacillus parafarraginis
 Enterococcus faecium Lactobacillus plantarum
 Lactobacillus acidophilus Lactobacillus reuteri
 Lactobacillus amylolyticus Lactobacillus rhamnosus
 Lactobacillus amylovorus Lactobacillus salivarius
 Lactobacillus bulgaricus Lactobacillus zeae
 Lactobacillus casei Lactococcus diacetylactis
 Lactobacillus casei Lactococcus lactis
 Lactobacillus casei Streptococcus thermophilus
 Lactobacillus crispatus

At least one of these I have never seen for sale in a probiotic before,  Lactobacillus zeae. I found almost nothing about it effects clinically and not a single safety study.

So we toss every strain on the lab kitchen shelf in… BUT WAIT, THERE IS MORE…

  • Pineapple,
  • Angelica Root,
  • Anise,
  • Basil,
  • Knot,
  • Fennel,
  • Pomegranate,
  • Blueberries,
  • Raspberry – Leaves,
  • Ginger,
  • Olive – Leaves,
  • Oregano,
  • Peppermint,
  • Rosemary,
  • Red Tea,
  • Red Clover,
  • Sage,
  • Black Cumin,
  • Sweet Root,
  • Thyme,
  • Maca,
  • Pink Root,
  • Turmeric,
  • Cinnamon,
  • Vanilla,
  • Cardamom,
  • Saffron,
  • Grapefruit Extract,
  • Terrible Roast Extract (OPC) and
  • Ganoderma lucidum

And it’s manufactured in Germany — so this must be good!

Bottom Line

This is the typical pattern that I see with a lot of supplements and probiotics. Toss in whatever marketing studies find are popular and sell it. No medical studies, and literally no science often. Just give the masses what is currently circulating as alternative medicine urban myths.

This is the new snake-oil salesmanship!