Bio-Kult products are unique multi-species, multi-strain probiotic supplements. Each human being hosts hundreds of different bacterial strains in their gut. Each strain has unique properties and health benefits, a multi-strain should therefore exert more positive benefits on a wider range of gastrointestinal complaints.  All our strains have shown in vitro that they are able to work synergistically together.  A recent review by Chapman et al concluded that ‘multi-strains appear to show greater efficacy than single strains, including strains that are components of the mixtures themselves’.  We, therefore, believe that it is the greater number of strains in a product that are more important than the dosage.  Studies are showing some benefit with doses as low as 1 x 10⁸ (100 million) CFU a day.

You will be fine taking Bio-Kult anytime of day and there are different schools of thought about this. The general recommendation is to take probiotic supplements with food as the food buffers the acidic pH of the stomach that is designed to destroy bacteria.  However, Bio-Kult is manufactured in a way (it has a protective coating) that enables it to survive the acidity of the stomach.  Latest research is indicating taking probiotics directly before food enables them to be buffered with the acidity but also to reach the bottom of the stomach before the bulk of the food consumed. There is also the added potential bonus of the probiotics assisting with food digestion in the small intestine if taken with a meal.  Traditionally they have always been consumed as part of a fermented food source such as yogurt, kefir or sauerkraut.  You may also prefer to take the capsules with food to ensure greater compliance.

Bio-Kult has been formulated to and is safe to be taken long-term.  However, some people may use it at specific times such as after antibiotics, while traveling abroad, to alleviate a symptom or to support immunity during the winter months.  Some of the ingested bacteria may be able to colonize within the gut lining in the short term, while others exert a positive effect as they move through before being excreted via the stool.  Therefore, a regular daily intake is recommended to maintain balanced gut flora and to support our digestive and immune systems.

Bio-Kult is a natural product and the improvement seen will vary between each individual. This can range from a few days to a few months.

Our products contain a high concentration of probiotic. If there is a pathogenic overload in your gut, and you start off with a high dose, in a small number of people experience a ‘die-off' side effect, such as bloating, this may be experienced for a few days.

What is the die-off effect?
The die-off effect, also known as a Herxheimer reaction, named after one of the German physicians who identified this “healing crisis” phenomenon, is the consequence of a sudden, massive die-off of harmful bacteria.¹ It may occur in some individuals who first start taking a probiotic supplement.

What are the possible symptoms?
Some individuals may experience temporary symptoms, such as bloating, gas, nausea, headaches or flare-ups of previous symptoms. These symptoms can be negligible in some, whereas for a small number of individuals the symptoms can be enough to stop the supplements.

Why does it occur?
When certain pathogenic bacteria, viruses or fungi are destroyed, they release toxins, which can be absorbed into the bloodstream. This puts pressure on the liver to break down these by-products ready for elimination via healthy regular bowel movements. If there is an overgrowth that is killed off suddenly or the body is struggling to detox or excrete these toxins, the build-up could lead to the temporary symptoms mentioned above.

Managing the symptoms
Although, it is an encouraging sign that pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and yeasts are being killed off, the symptoms for some can be very unpleasant.² To reduce the incidence and severity of this reaction we recommend building the dose up slowly, starting at ½ to 1 capsule. The capsules can be twisted and pulled apart and the powder added to water or cold/warm foods. If symptoms do occur we recommend reducing the dose or having a break for a couple of days until symptoms subside before building up again slowly. It is important to not destroy pathogens faster than the body can eliminate the toxins. Bio-Kult’s 2 billion CFU capsules allow the consumer more control in regulating their probiotic intake.

Blistering the product offers greater flexibility and a far higher protection against extremes of temperature. Thus ensuring the stability, integrity and quality of the product is kept for every individual capsule until the end of shelf life.

The Bio-Kult formula consists of just cellulose and the 14 probiotic strains. The probiotic bacteria are naturally ‘speckled’ in color, and this may be seen in a Bio-Kult capsule. If darker specks cannot be seen, it does not mean there is no probiotic bacteria in your capsule – it just means there is not a gathering of bacteria in one area of the capsule.

Bio-Kult capsules have a target weight, however, it is impossible to fill every single capsule to this exact quantity. We therefore have upper and lower tolerances for the weight of the capsules. During a run of Bio-Kult, ‘in process checks’ are conducted every 15 minutes, and one of these checks is to verify the weight of the capsules is within tolerance. A capsule that is at the lower end of the specification may look under-filled when compared to a capsule at the higher end of specification.

Bio-Kult Original Multi-strain, Bio-Kult Candéa and Bio-Kult Pro-Cyan are all vegetarian and approved by The Vegetarian Society.  Our capsules are all vegetable based rather than gelatine, they are made of hydroxy-propyl-methyl cellulose.  However, Bio-Kult Infantis contains fish so is not suitable for vegetarians.

Yes, evidence shows that taking live bacteria supplements at the same time as an antibiotic can reduce the incidence of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. For best results, take the supplement at the opposite end of the day to the antibiotic. Where this is not possible, take the probiotic supplement at least three hours after the antibiotic course.

Our products contain naturally occurring beneficial microorganisms which have been previously shown to be safe to take during pregnancy. However, we would always recommend that advice should be sought from your Doctor/Health Care Practitioner whenever taking supplements.

They should be prescribed at the discretion of the Health Care Practitioner for pregnant women, milk allergies, and in cases of immunosuppression.

Each of our probiotic strains need various nutrition sources to aid in their growth in culture.  Cow's milk and soy are used in the fermentation (manufacturing) process, (although it goes through a filtration process a number of times) and in our cryoprotectants (protective coating used on our strains before freeze drying to enhance stability). On testing the final Bio-Kult products, small traces of milk proteins; casein and beta lacto globulin have been detected so would not be suitable for those with a severe milk allergy (to milk proteins). We have found that the amount of lactose and soya are at the lower limit of detection. Tests have also shown that many of our strains produce lactase, the enzyme deficient in lactose intolerant sufferers necessary to breakdown lactose (the milk sugar). Our products are, therefore, suitable for those with a lactose intolerance. I can confirm that only non-GMO ingredients are used.

All the products in the Bio-Kult range are non-GMO. We have full certification from all our suppliers for all ingredients.

Bio-Kult products do not contain gluten, nuts or eggs.

Evidence has shown that taking a probiotic supplement can help prevent recurrent yeast infections.

Yes. Probiotic supplements have been shown to improve intestinal permeability and reduce inflammation in sufferers of leaky gut syndrome.

Studies have shown that giving probiotic supplements to travelers reduces the incidence of stomach issues while traveling.

There is some general concern debated about this in scientific literature but there is limited scientific data to back this up. In many studies, the comparisons are not strictly valid because in each study the dose of multi-strain probiotic bacteria differed from that of the single strain. A recent review concluded that multi-strains appear more effective than single strains overall. We believe a wider number of strains provide a wider range of benefits overall, and multi-strains are how we understand probiotics to be provided in nature and within the gut flora.
We are able to guarantee the stability and count of all the bacteria within the Bio-Kult products until the end of the products shelf life.

All our products are manufactured to an extremely high standard (cGMP accredited) in our purpose built facility in Somerset (Probiotics International Ltd.), in the UK, enabling us to stay in complete control of our quality standards. Bio-Kult is manufactured using the latest techniques. The probiotics themselves are encapsulated (with a protective coating) during a freeze-drying process (lyophilisation). This process aids in the protection of the bacteria while on the shelf and from the harsh acidic environment of the stomach (shown in vitro to survive pH2 for 2 hours). The Bio-Kult blister pack offers further protection against moisture and extremes of temperature. No refrigeration is required due to this high protection. An external laboratory undertakes regular rigorous stability testing on Bio-Kult so unlike some other companies we are able to guarantee stability and count until the end of the two-year shelf life when kept at room temperature up to 25 degrees Celsius.

Individual probiotic strains have different requirements to aid their growth in culture and the human gastrointestinal tract. Bio-Kult is not marketed as a ‘starter culture’ to make yogurt or soured milk and the strains in Bio-Kult have not been chosen for their ability to ferment milk (namely species Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus). Our strains are freeze dried to enhance their stability and shelf life and are believed to become active again once they meet the complex environment of the small intestine. However, some people have had some success culturing milk, but others have not. We complete rigorous stability testing on each batch of Bio-Kult enabling us to guarantee the stated quantity of at least 2 billion probiotic per capsule for the entire 2 year shelf life. This stability testing is undertaken every 3 months by an external laboratory for which we receive certification. We also have a vast array of clinical trials that show beneficial outcomes of taking our multi-strain probiotic products, implying they must be reaching the intestines alive. For further details of these please see our research booklet http://www.protexin.com/ourprobioticresearch/