When choosing a probiotic, it’s easy to focus on the big number on the bottle.
10 billion CFU. 20 billion. 50 billion.
But there’s another part of the probiotic story that gets far less attention: what happens after you swallow it.
Probiotics are live microorganisms, and before they can interact with the ecosystem of your gut, they have quite a journey ahead of them. That’s why Nourish Probiotics is slow release — and why that seemingly small detail is actually a rather clever one.
First, your probiotic has to make the journey
Your digestive system isn't exactly a gentle environment.
The stomach contains powerful digestive juices and can become highly acidic — conditions that help break down food and form part of the body's natural defence against microorganisms entering through what we eat and drink.
Very useful for us.
Potentially challenging for the live microorganisms we've deliberately swallowed in a probiotic.
And the stomach isn't the only hurdle. During gastrointestinal transit, probiotic organisms can also encounter digestive enzymes and bile salts.
So when scientists formulate probiotics, the question isn't simply “How many bacteria can we put in a capsule?”
It's also:
How do we think about their journey through the digestive system?
Enter: slow release
This is where the capsule itself becomes part of the story.
Rather than releasing its entire contents all at once, Nourish's slow-release capsule is designed to release its contents gradually.
Why is that interesting?
Because probiotics aren't simply another ingredient we're trying to dissolve as quickly as possible. They're living microorganisms travelling through an environment that changes considerably from one part of the digestive tract to another.
Research into probiotic delivery has consequently become a field of its own, with scientists investigating different encapsulation and controlled-release technologies designed to help protect probiotic organisms during gastrointestinal transit.
One 2024 laboratory study comparing different commercially available probiotic formats found a striking difference after simulated gastrointestinal transit: the delayed-release formulation tested retained more than 50% culturability, compared with less than 1% for the standard capsule, powder and liquid formulations tested.
That doesn't mean every slow- or delayed-release probiotic will produce those exact results — survival varies depending on the strains, formulation and technology involved.
But it does demonstrate something important:
With probiotics, delivery matters.
Which brings us back to those billions
CFU stands for colony-forming units and is used to estimate the number of viable microorganisms in a probiotic.
Nourish contains 20 billion CFU per capsule.
That's an impressive concentration — but it isn't the whole reason Nourish was formulated the way it was.
Because when it comes to probiotics, more isn't automatically better.
The organisms themselves matter. Their ratios matter. How they complement one another matters. How the product is stored matters. And, as we've discovered, how they're delivered deserves consideration too.
Eight strains, chosen to work together
Your gut microbiome isn't made up of one type of bacterium. It's an incredibly complex ecosystem containing vast communities of microorganisms occupying different niches and performing different functions.
That's why Nourish takes a multi-strain approach.
Each once-daily capsule contains eight complementary probiotic species from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium groups:
Lactobacillus acidophilus
Lactobacillus casei
Bifidobacterium lactis/animalis
Lactobacillus plantarum
Bifidobacterium longum
Lactobacillus paracasei
Lactobacillus rhamnosus
Bifidobacterium bifidum
The blend has been formulated with defined ratios and CFU targets, with the species selected to complement one another through considerations such as substrate sharing and niche coverage.
In other words, Nourish isn't about squeezing the biggest possible number onto the label.
It's about creating a more considered microbial blend.
Your probiotics aren't necessarily moving in permanently
Here's another interesting bit of probiotic science.
It's tempting to imagine taking a probiotic as simply “adding good bacteria” to your gut, where they then move in and stay forever.
The reality is more nuanced.
Many probiotic organisms are considered transient. Rather than permanently colonising the gut, they may pass through the gastrointestinal tract and interact with the existing microbial ecosystem along the way.
That’s another reason the journey itself matters.
The goal isn't to replace the enormously complex microbiome you already have. It's to support a balanced microbial ecosystem.
And what feeds that ecosystem?
This is where prebiotics enter the conversation.
Although the words sound almost identical, probiotics and prebiotics aren't the same thing.
Probiotics are live microorganisms.
Prebiotics are substrates selectively used by microorganisms in the gut.
This is why the two can work naturally alongside one another. Nourish can be paired with a high-quality prebiotic such as Klean+, combining probiotic organisms with the substrates that support beneficial members of the gut ecosystem - an approach often referred to as symbiotic support.
The best time to take Nourish?
Here's the refreshingly uncomplicated part.
Nourish can be taken at any time of day, with or without food.
You don't need to calculate the perfect moment between breakfast and coffee or set an alarm reminding you to take it precisely 23 minutes before dinner.
With Nourish, consistency matters more than timing.
One capsule, once a day.
It's also shelf-stable below 25°C and doesn't require refrigeration, making it easy to keep at home, at work or take with you when travelling.
Because a good daily wellness habit should be one you can actually maintain.
Slow release. Smart thinking.
There's much more happening inside a probiotic capsule than the number printed on the front might suggest.
Nourish combines eight complementary strains and 20 billion CFU with a slow-release format designed to release its contents gradually.
Add once-daily convenience, shelf stability and no refrigeration, and you've got a probiotic formulated not just around what you're taking, but around making it easy to take consistently too.
Because when it comes to probiotics, the question isn't only:
How many are in there?
It's also:
How thoughtfully have they been formulated?
Nourish Probiotics. 8 strains. 20 billion CFU. Slow release. Once daily.
Shop Nourish Probiotics and make smarter gut support part of your everyday routine.
This article is for general educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Nourish Probiotics is an unregistered complementary medicine and has not been evaluated by SAHPRA for its quality, safety or intended use. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.