Stomach acid is brutal on bacteria, which is a problem for any probiotic supplement trying to deliver live organisms to the gut. Enteric coating is one answer: a special outer layer designed to resist the stomach's acidic environment and only break down once it reaches the less harsh conditions of the small intestine.[1]
Estimated survival through simulated stomach acid, by delivery format, without enteric coating.[1]
Those numbers come from lab models simulating digestion, not from tracking bacteria through actual human digestive tracts, a limitation the researchers themselves flag. Still, the pattern is consistent enough to matter: unprotected powder effectively doesn't survive, while a basic capsule or tablet already outperforms it substantially before any specialized coating enters the picture.
What to do with this
If a probiotic supplement doesn't specify its CFU count or delivery format on the label, that's a reasonable reason to look for a different product. Dose and delivery method both affect how many organisms survive the trip. Enteric coating isn't a guarantee, but the available research supports it as a meaningful upgrade over plain powder or an uncoated capsule. Given that most of this evidence comes from lab models rather than people, treat any single product's specific survival claim with some skepticism until it's tested in humans.
