Live bacteria supplements taken by mothers during breastfeeding appear to positively influence the microbial and mineral composition of breastmilk.

Evidence remains unclear as to whether the supplemented live bacteria strains themselves enter the mammary gland. Nevertheless, evidence indicates an increase in Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria in both the colostrum and mature milk in those taking live bacteria supplements, which may potentially bestow benefits on the child.

Giving a live bacteria supplement to your child is a more direct way to provide a high amount of friendly bacteria to the developing infant gut.

If you are taking any medications, or have any medical conditions including allergies please consult your doctor before taking any food supplement.

Each of Bio-Kult specific live bacteria strains need various nutrition sources to aid in their growth in culture. Cow's milk and soya are used in the fermentation (manufacturing) process, (although it goes through a filtration process a number of times) and in our cryoprotectants (the 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 .Whilst there will be variations between batches, as an example, on last testing, the amount of casein per Bio-Kult Everyday capsule is roughly equivalent to that found in 0.028ml of semi-skimmed milk (that’s less than 1/100th of a 5ml teaspoon) and the amount of beta-lactoglobulin is even less. Therefore we do not recommend Bio-Kult for those with a severe milk allergy (to milk proteins). However, for others it is unlikely to have side effects.

Very small amounts of lactose are also detected in some of the final Bio-Kult products. As an example, on last testing, the amount of lactose per capsule of Bio-Kult Everyday is roughly equivalent to that found in 0.05ml of semi-skimmed milk (that’s less than 1/100th of a teaspoon). This is far below the amount likely to affect lactose intolerance sufferers (scientific studies and the European Food Standards Agency have found that the majority of people with lactose maldigestion will tolerate up to 12g of lactose as a single dose with no or minor symptoms and higher doses may be tolerated if distributed throughout the day). Tests have also shown that many of Bio-Kult strains produce lactase, the enzyme deficient in lactose intolerant sufferers necessary to breakdown lactose (the milk sugar). Bio-Kult products are therefore suitable for those with a lactose intolerance.

Results for soya were below the labs lower limit of detection. We can confirm that only non-GM ingredients are used.

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

The live bacterial strains contained in the Bio-Kult range have not been subject to genetic modification.

Any additional ingredients within the range are also not subject to genetic modification.

Individual bacterial 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 state a quantity of at least 2 billion live bacteria per capsule. 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 live bacteria products, implying they must be reaching the intestines alive.

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

What are the possible symptoms?

Some individuals may experience temporary symptoms, such as bloating, gas, loose stools, constipation, 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 breakdown 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. 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 the symptoms disappear. It is important to not destroy pathogens faster than the body can eliminate the toxins.

Bio-Kult Infantis is suitable for vegetarians.

Bio-Kult Infantis is suitable from birth, for infants who are breastfed or who consume less than 500 ml of milk formula per day, as well as for infants aged 6 months and above.

Bio-Kult Everyday, Bio-Kult Candéa and Bio-Kult S. Boulardii are suitable for children aged 3 years+

Bio-Kult Pro-Cyan is suitable for children aged 5 years+

Ideally, once hydrated by adding to milk, water or food, Bio-Kult Infantis should be consumed immediately.

Tests suggest that if diluted in water, the viability of bacteria is up to 12 hours. Viability tests are only with water, not with other liquids such as milk or juice. Our recommendation is that as soon as it is added to a drink or food, the product should be consumed.

Small tummies can get full fairly quickly, so using a small amount of liquid/cup may be of benefit, to ensure that it can all be drunk and the full dose consumed.

The fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) used in Bio-Kult Infantis come from chicory root and are included to complement the developing intestinal flora.

FOS are classified as a type of soluble dietary fiber.

FOS cannot be broken down by our gut enzymes, so they travel undigested to the large intestine, where they are metabolized by our friendly gut bacteria, helping them to thrive and produce various beneficial compounds.

The live bacteria are naturally ‘speckled’ in colour, and this may be seen in a Bio-Kult capsule.

If darker specks cannot be seen, it does not mean there is no live bacteria in your capsule – it just means there is not a gathering of bacteria in one area of the capsule.

Bio-Kult products are manufactured to an extremely high standard (cGMP accredited) in our purpose built facility in Somerset (Probiotics International Ltd.), enabling us to stay in complete control of our quality standards.

Bio-Kult is manufactured using the latest techniques. The live bacteria themselves are encapsulated (with a protective coating) during a freeze drying process (lyophilisation). This process helps protect the bacteria while on the shelf and in the acidic environment of the stomach (they have been shown to survive in vitro at pH2 for 2 hours).

The Bio-Kult blister packs offer 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 we are able to give a viable stability count until the end of the shelf life when kept as directed on packaging.

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.

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. While processing Bio-Kult products, ‘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.