Reuterina’s probiotic products with Limosilactobacillus reuteri Protectis® (formerly known as Lactobacillus reuteri) are among the most scientifically well-documented probiotics in the world. To date the efficacy and safety of Reuterina’s different strains of L. reuteri have been documented in 246 clinical studies in around 20,000 people of all ages (May 2020).
Reuterina’s strains of L. reuteri has been tested in 120 studies in children, from newborns up to 18 years old, and in 126 studies in adults.
– L. reuteri is of human origin and one of few bacterial species that has co-evolved with humans since the beginning.
– Our L. reuteri products are of the highest quality and are manufactured under controlled conditions.
– Efficacy and safety are tested and documented in the target populations, from newborns to the elderly.
– Our probiotics contain viable freeze-dried L. reuteri.
– The number of live bacteria is guaranteed until expiry.
– The probiotic bacteria are always defined on strain level.
Many probiotics die when they encounter the acidic environment of the stomach, but L. reuteri survive throughout the entire GI tract and beyond. Samples taken from throughout the body show that L. reuteri is present in:
– Breast milk
– The vagina
– The mouth
– The stomach
– The small intestine
– The large intestine
– Faeces
The first strain of L. reuteri for human use, L. reuteri Protectis® DSM 17938, was isolated in 1990 from the breast milk of a Peruvian mother living in the Andes. Other human strains are L. reuteri ATCC PTA 5289, which is used in oral health products and was isolated from the oral cavity of a Japanese woman with remarkably good dental health. L. reuteri ATCC PTA 6475 is an anti-inflammatory strain isolated from the breast milk of a Finnish woman.
Today L. reuteri bacteria are produced in modern production facilities under controlled conditions to ensure that the product you buy contains exactly the same bacterial strain every time. The bacteria are cultured with the correct food and temperature to grow and duplicate. Through careful testing and quality control, each dose has the right number of viable organisms with no contaminants.
Safety has been proven in babies, infants, children, healthy adults and immunocompromised adults. Even when taken at 10 billion units per day – meaning 1000 times the recommended daily dose – no serious adverse effects have been observed.
L. reuteri is a species of bacteria that is grounded in evolution. It lives in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of animals, with each species carrying its own specialised strains that are passed down through generations. Humans and their ancestors have coevolved with their own strains of L. reuteri over millions of years.
As a result of this evolutionary process, L. reuteri contributes to human health throughout life. Humans are born almost sterile and first encounter L. reuteri during the birthing process and through breastfeeding. As a key member of the gut microbiota, L. reuteri plays an important role in helping babies to digest breast milk and solids foods. Throughout life, the bacteria tighten the lining of the gut to prevent leakage and improve immune response. They also release molecules that promote a healthy and diverse microbiota and prevent the growth of pathogens. Supporting the gut microbiota is especially important later in life, because elderly individuals tend to lose diversity in their guts.
Some people today still have L. reuteri as part of their microbiota, but many people lack these strains as a result of our modern lifestyles. A low-fibre diet, increased sanitation, antibiotic use and rising rates of birth by Cesarean section, which do not expose babies to the bacterium, have all played a role in depleting L. reuteri from our GI tract.
People can reintroduce L. reuteri through the use of probiotics, but they must be replenished frequently, since the bacteria are continually washed out of the GI tract.
