Probiotic

2 billion CFUper scoop

What it is

A probiotic is a live organism taken in an amount intended to support the gut microbiome.

Why it is in ONCE DUSK

Gut is one of the six jobs DUSK covers, which is why it is not a separate purchase for anyone taking it.

Why this dose

Two billion CFU. The number most people shop on is the biggest CFU figure on the box, which is close to meaningless on its own. The two figures that matter are which strain it is, because effects are strain specific rather than species specific, and whether the count is guaranteed at expiry rather than on the day it was blended. Anyone can print a large number measured at blending.

The form we specify

Guaranteed at expiry, not at time of blending.

How it works with the rest of the formula

The probiotic is the slowest-acting of the four gut ingredients and the most fragile in the tub. The enzymes work immediately on food, ginger and peppermint work on comfort, and the probiotic works on the microbiome over weeks. Vitamin C helps here too, since ascorbate scavenges oxygen and oxygen is what degrades a live culture on the shelf.

What to look for on any label

Ignore the biggest number on the box. Ask which strain, because effects are strain specific and a result proven for one strain does not transfer to another strain of the same species. Then ask whether the CFU count is guaranteed at expiry or measured at blending, because only the first number is a promise. Finally, spore-forming strains survive ambient shelf life far better than non-spore strains, which is why they dominate powders.

The honest limit

Probiotic effects are strain specific. A claim proven for one strain does not transfer to another strain of the same species.

Questions

How many CFU should a probiotic have?

More matters less than which strain, and less than whether the count is guaranteed at expiry rather than at blending. DUSK specifies 2 billion CFU guaranteed at expiry.

What does CFU at expiry mean?

It means the count you are promised is what is still alive at the end of shelf life, not what was there the day it was blended. The second number is easy to inflate.

Why is the strain more important than the count?

Because probiotic effects are strain specific. Research proving something for one strain does not carry over to another strain of the same species.

Probiotic is one of 19 actives in one scoop.ONCE DUSK · night time beauty + rest · every milligram printed

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This page is educational and is not medical advice. If you are pregnant, nursing, or taking prescription medication, speak to your doctor first.