How to Not Get Scammed When Buying Probiotics

While it's important to have a food-first approach, supplements can help. The only drawback? Well, probiotics are sold as dietary supplements, which don't have to go through a rigorous testing or approval process, so the health claims are not guaranteed.

"Some brands label the dosage of probiotics, but it only states the amount 'at time of manufacturing,' not when the consumer purchased or takes it," says Rachel Daniels, MS, RD Sr. and the director of nutrition at Virtual Health Partners. "Probiotics are fragile and to stay alive they need to be at a certain temperature, humidity and level of light. Companies cannot control all of these factors from the time of manufacturing to transport, to the time of sale, so it is difficult to guarantee how many bacteria are alive once you open your container."

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