The benefits AND caveat of Probiotics

So I was recently asked about probiotics and what I thought about them. So, here is what I know... They are the good bacteria that create balance in your gut. I would like to add that 60% of your immune system is found in the gut, hence why it is so important for this balance! There are several different strains of probiotics out there. The fewer strains you take together the better (they are live organisms and you don't want them fighting amongst themselves in your belly). They are super important to take AFTER you are on antibiotics since antibiotics wipe out all bacteria from your system, good and bad. Probiotics are commonly found in yogurt, kefir and fermented foods. You can also buy them in capsule or chewable form. Here is where the caveat comes in. You should take probiotics that say "guaranteed potency upon consumption, NOT upon production". This is where the frustration kicks in for me. Almost all the brands out there say they guarantee potency upon production. That basically means by the time they get swallowed by you, they could very well be dead. Nice huh? Well, there is more. I was shopping at a pretty big chain vitamin store and was standing in front of what should have been a refrigerated probiotic section, except this one was broken. That's right, hotter then Haiti’s in that section. I said something to the clerk and he just shrugged it off. Nice to know the store cares so much about the product. Then I was at a health food store and the clerk there told me that the only refrigerated brand that gets shipped to them cold was the Natren’s brand. All the other brands that have that giant KEEP REFRIGERATED sticker on them don't even bother to send it to the stores properly. So, where do we go from here? Honestly, I'm not sure. I have heard very good things about Natren’s, but they can be pretty pricey. I have also been referred to Solaray who has a multidophilus (which is the brand I'm currently taking) but who knows if it's alive. I did just hear about testing your probiotics by soaking them in sugary water at a 90 degree temp for a few hours and if it smells yeasty, it's alive. I'm gonna give that a try on mine and report back to you.