I like that this has many different Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains and is time-released. I feel protected taking this daily. Please note โ It is shaped like a capsule, but it is a tablet that is not coated. If you have reluctance swallowing non-coated pills like me, be prepared to take a big gulp of water, or break them in half as described in #2 below. The company has excellent customer service. In addition to informing me that taking this with a good amount of water is important, they also recently sent a helpful email regarding how to take it for greatest potential effectiveness (I have copied & pasted some of it here, because I didnโt see this detail listed on the Amazon product page): Directly from Balance One, in ALL CAPS to distinguish from my own comments above: 1. TAKE THE PROBIOTIC JUST BEFORE YOU EAT. THIS IS WHEN YOUR STOMACH IS AT ITS LEAST ACIDIC AND IT WILL ALLOW EVEN MORE OF THE PROBIOTIC BACTERIA TO REACH YOUR GUT. EVEN THOUGH OUR PROBIOTIC USES TIME-RELEASE TABLETS THAT ARE ALREADY WELL PROTECTED FROM STOMACH ACID, TAKING IT JUST BEFORE YOU EAT IS STILL AN EXCELLENT IDEA. 2. DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN BREAK THE PROBIOTIC TABLETS IN HALF? THIS IS ANOTHER BENEFIT OF USING OUR TIME-RELEASE TABLETS. SOME PEOPLE TAKE A HALF IN THE MORNING AND A HALF IN THE EVENING. IF YOU WANT TO TRY INCREASING YOUR DOSE, YOU CAN INCREASE IT BY HALF A TABLET AT A TIME. AND IF YOU HAVE DIFFICULTY SWALLOWING LARGER PILLS, BREAKING IT IN HALF WILL MAKE IT MUCH EASIER. 3. CONSIDER SPLITTING YOUR DOSE. WE HAVE MANY CUSTOMERS WHO TAKE ONE TABLET IN THE MORNING AND ONE IN THE EVENING. THE TIME-RELEASE TABLETS RELEASE THEIR BACTERIA OVER 8-10 HOURS, SO THIS ALLOWS FOR A MORE CONSTANT STREAM OF GOOD BACTERIA TO THE GUT. IF YOU PREFER TO TAKE ONE TABLET PER DAY, CONSIDER TAKING A HALF IN THE MORNING AND A HALF IN THE EVENING FOR THE BEST RESULTS.
