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View Full Version : L. Acidophilus facts



ConfusedMuse
08-18-2021, 01:02 PM
I've seen many cautions on TSB about not adding acidophilus to formula before heating, since heat kills acidophilus. Many have misconceptions about this probiotic but I've been using it for 50 years and have had advice from both doctors and pharmacists. I'd like to offer my knowledge, which might help some of you who worry about it and clear up some confusion.

1) Lactobacillus acidophilus is the main probiotic found in yogurt (and many other fermented foods). It is also the best thing out there for "gut support". It forms naturally between temps of 98-107 degrees Fahrenheit (my grandmother used to make yogurt by clabbering milk on the back of the stove).

2) Cooking temps must be above 115 degrees to kill it quickly. (I hope you aren't serving your formula at 115 degrees!) It can survive up to 100 degree temp for about 8 hours. It can survive at room temperature in excess of 2 weeks.

3) Those of you using shelf-stable acidophilus may be surprised at the final statement in #2. That's because the stuff you buy from the shelf is probably already dead. In fact, the acidophilus bacteria in most yogurt is dead, too: killed by the pasteurization process. This is why acidophilus is often found in the ingredients list. They know that it is the main reason for eating yogurt, so they add it back in. In fact, the shelf-stable probiotic you buy has an asterisk next to the claim "X million live cultures!" on the label for a reason and if you read the fine print, it qualifies that statement with "...at the time of manufacture".

4) Research on mice has shown that "heat-killed" acidophilus still has a positive effect on gut flora. Research has also shown that live-culture is both faster and more effective.

5) There are a few brands of live-culture acidophilus on the market. The recent fad for probiotics has brought them out of the woodwork (at least on the dry shelf) but Lactinex has been around for at least 50 years. It's a little pricey (around $15-20 for 50 tablets) but not as pricey as some live-culture brands. It is a chewable tablet and tastes a little bit like ice cream (naturally sweet, so there's no sugar or flavor additives), which means if you want to treat an adult squirrel (or dog or cat or kid) with it, you don't have to hide it in food or water or shove it down a throat. They *do* have some milk protein in them but I'm allergic to milk and and tolerate them fine.

6) I use a dosage of one tablet crushed into 1 cup of formula (I wait until it cools before adding). My vet had me give my cat 1/2 tablet 4x day so you could probably do more than one for that volume, especially if they're having tummy troubles. I don't think you can overdose on it.

7) To find live-culture acidophilus, you have to ask the pharmacist because they keep it in their medication fridge, but you don't need an rx for it. You may have to order Lactinex but they're happy to help. They usually keep another brand in stock regularly (but 5 years ago, Lactinex was still standard).

I refrigerate both live-culture and dead, just to be safe. I don't heat my formula in the microwave (so there's no chance of scalding, and it never gets hot enough to kill the acidophilus in the formula) by heating a bowl of water slightly warmer than I want the formula and setting a shotglass of formula in the bowl. It takes a few minutes to warm but it's gentler and safer and definitely won't kill the cultures. It also keeps the formula warm for me until she finishes eating :grin3

CritterMom
08-18-2021, 02:00 PM
I can only speak for myself, but I usually make up all the formula I need for the next day the night before, and I frequently make it up with much warmer water than I am going to feed the baby with. The powder gets wet faster and dissolves better. Then it sits in the fridge until morning, when I detemine how many syringes I am feeding, fill them to that level, pop the nipples on and put the whole thing, nipple side down, in a glass of warm water so the formula heats inside the syringe. I find they eat better with as close to no interruption, so if I need 6cc's, I fill 6 1cc syringes and nipples, and just drop them and pop the new one in the mouth as they finish. So killing the probiotics in the formula becomes a real possibility. It is nice to know that killed "bugs" work, too!

ConfusedMuse
08-18-2021, 02:22 PM
Unless you're heating formula above 115 degrees, it can take the heat! Even at 115 it wouldn't die off immediately. This wouldn't be true in the microwave, of course, which can kill bacteria in 30 seconds but I hope nobody is nuking their formula. Microwave will also kill nutrition in food :)

I hate how they cry and scramble when I refill, but I tried heating the syringes and they leaked, even with nipples on. Also, I accidentally napalmed 2/3 of my nipples when I decided to sterilize in boiling water (which you do with human baby nipples, too, so I'm not a freak... about that anyway lol) but then I went to grab the mail and got super-excited about an unexpected tax refund check, went upstairs and forgot them on the stove o.O You have NO idea how terrible burnt Miracle Nipples smell.

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