Therapeutic Probiotic Dose (TPD) Comparison

Petri dish with bacteria colonies.Therapeutic Probiotic Dose (TPD) is based on the Colony Forming Units (CFU) count of 10 Billion.

Definition of CFU: One or more, sometimes many, bacterial cells that grow into a visible colony on a Petri dish containing appropriate agar for the microorganism being tested. One colony is one CFU. For instance, 1 CFU may contain 20 bacterial cells or just one cell.

Because many probiotic products are destroyed in the acid of the stomach, the therapeutic dose can be significantly less than the advertised CFU. The chart below compares the Therapeutic Probiotic Dose of Theralac to that of several other probiotic products available on the market.

Product Total CFU (Billion) Retail Cost # Capsules Quantity Per Day Cost Per Day TPD 10B Cost/TPD % Lost In Stomach Acid Cost After Stomach Acid Loss
Theralac 20 $39.50 30 1 $1.32 2 $0.66 5% $0.69
Product A 60 $44.90 30 2 $2.99 12 $0.25 90% $2.49
Product B 1 $13.50 30 1 $0.45 0.1 $4.50 5% $4.74
Product C 30 $22.47 14 1 $1.61 3 $0.54 90% $5.35
Product D No CFU Listed $15.45 180 1 $0.09 0 N/A N/A N/A
Product E No CFU Listed $49.95 60 3 $2.50 0 N/A N/A N/A
Product F No CFU Listed $54.55 90 3 $1.82 0 N/A N/A N/A
Product G No CFU Listed $23.16 30 1 $0.77 0 N/A N/A N/A

Where no CFU is listed, total bacteria counts are often given, which can be very misleading. It is advisable to buy only products that list CFU, the scientifically accepted terminology.