There are many different types of probiotic supplements on the market, which offer various types of strains of healthy bacteria. This particular supplement contains Bacillus coagulants at a level per dose of 1 billion colony forming units (CFUs), which is a term of measurement of viable bacterial cells. As a general rule, 1 billion CFUs is the minimum dose a probiotic supplement should contain, so the dose in this supplement is on the low side. The recommended daily dose for both children and adults is between 1-10 billion CFUs. According to an article in the medical journal, the American Family Physician (see below), the recommended dose for children is between 5-10 billion CFUs a day in order to promote a healthy immune and digestive system. PLEASE NOTE: Though this gummy supplement is safe for children, it tastes so delicious, parents will need to, absolutely, hide the bottle of gummies from their children in between doses. In addition to the Bacilllus coagulants, this supplement also contains the prebiotic, inulin. Prebiotics feed probiotic bacteria, helping it to grow and flourish. The technical name for a supplement which contains a synergistic combination of both probiotic and prebiotic, such as this one does, is a “synbiotic.” I did some research on Bacillus coagulants, the type of bacteria contained in this supplement, as well as the additional ingredients. I have included what I learned below for those who might be interested, including a list of references for some of the relevant scientific studies on Bacillus coagulants and ideal dosages of probiotics for children. Bacillus coagulants bacteria is particularly robust, meaning it is able to withstand high levels of acid in the stomach without being destroyed. The goal is for it to make it all the way to the large intestines intact. From what I can discover in my own research on the subject, it is actually better to take probiotics with meals, as they are subjected to less stomach acid than when the stomach is empty, because the stomach acid is diluted by food and other liquids. I will admit, though, that expert opinion does vary on this important issue. I personally have taken probiotics both with food and without food, and I haven't noticed a big difference either way. I personally find it more convenient to take a gummy supplement like this one with a meal so I don't have to brush my teeth an extra time due to eating sticky candy between meals. Scientific research on Bacillus coagulants has found it to not only promote digestive health, which all probiotics do, but to also be helpful in alleviating symptoms of the following conditions: â€"Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), both diarrhea and constipation types â€"Rheumatoid arthritis â€"Inflammation, as measured by reduced blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) â€"Respiratory tract infection due to cold, cough and/or flu â€"Antibiotic destruction of healthy bowel flora This supplement additionally includes a small amount of vitamin C and a large dose of B12 at 500 mcg. This means that, if you opt to take this particular supplement, you won't need to take a separate B12 supplement from another source. B12 is a crucial vitamin, in particular, for vegans and vegetarians. Note that the recommended daily intake (RDI) for vitamin B12 for people over 14 is 2.4 mcg. Research has indicated that the most of this particular vitamin your body can absorb at a given time is only about 10 mcg, so the other 490 mcg in this supplement will simply be eliminated from the body, as the saying goes, as “expensive urine.” Which process also means, by the way, that there is no danger of overdose of B12. The other ingredients in this gummy are fairly innocuous for what is, basically, a candy delivery system for the probiotic and prebiotic. A main ingredient is “sucrose,” which is simply the scientific name for table sugar. Note that if one is going to eat candy, sugar is very much preferable to high-fructose corn syrup, which is the sweetener in most gummy candy. This gummy also contains cornstarch and pectin, which are harmless food thickeners. Its orange color derives from turmeric and carrot, which are food sources rather than unhealthy dyes such as Yellow 5, Red 40, and Blue 1, which are contained in the gummy bears made by Haribo. The ingredients citric acid and sodium citrate are non-harmful preservatives which also add a zesty tartness to the orange/citrus flavor of these gummies. Interestingly, citric acid and sodium citrate are both used medically as alkalinizing agents which make the urine less acidic. Because of that, they are frequently combined with potassium citrate to prevent Gout and/or kidney stones as well as metabolic acidosis in people with kidney problems. Overall, this is a good supplement in and of itself, but very expensive. If you take it as directed, 2 per day, it will only last 25 days, which is not even a full month's supply. Nutritional Information: Servings per container: 25 @ 2 gummies each Calories: 25 Vitamin C 90 mg Vitamin B12 500 mcg Inulin 2.5 gm Bacillus coagulans LactoSpore 10 mg (1 billion CFUs) Other ingredients: sucrose, water, pectin, less than 2% of sodium citrate, citric acid, color (turmeric, black carrot), natural flavors, cornstarch. Research Bacillus coagulans: a viable adjunct therapy for relieving symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis according to a randomized, controlled trial. David R Mandel, Katy Eichas, and Judith Holmes. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2010; 10: 1. Effects of dietary fiber with Bacillus coagulans lilac-01 on bowel movement and fecal properties of healthy volunteers with a tendency for constipation. Kimiko Minamida, Mie Nishimura, Kazunori Miwa & Jun Nishihira. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, Volume 79, 2015 - Issue 2: 300-306. Efficacy of a synbiotic containing Bacillus coagulans in treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Mehran Rogha, Mozhdehalsadat Zahiri Esfahani, and Amir Houshang Zargarzadeh. Gastroenterol Hepatol Bed Bench. 2014 Summer; 7(3): 156â€"163. Potential use of Bacillus coagulans in the food industry. Gözde Konuray and Zerrin Erginkaya. Foods. 2018 Jun; 7(6): 92. Probiotics. Benjamin Kligler, MD, Andreas Cohrssen, MD. Am Fam Physician. 2008 Nov 1;78(9):1073-1078