As part of our ongoing commitment to product validation, we use real-world consumer trials to see how a formula behaves in daily life, amongst real people juggling work, meals, stress and everything else. We have just completed our Biome Restore consumer trial, and are excited to share the results with you.
HOW THE TRIAL WORKED
Participants took Biome Restore for eight weeks and self-reported their results through standardised, biweekly, online surveys. We recruited people who were experiencing ongoing digestive issues at the time, and we excluded people who were already taking a probiotic, using GLP-1 medication, or who were pregnant or breastfeeding.
This was a real-world consumer trial, not a controlled clinical study, and as such, there was no comparison group. These reports describe what participants experienced while taking the product and reflect everyday conditions.
HERE’S WHAT WE FOUND
We followed 94 participants for 8 weeks, and at the end of the trial, 90% reported an improvement in their overall gut health. Of which:
- 84% reported improved bowel movements.
- 82% reported improved digestion.
- 80% reported a more comfortable gut.
- 74% reported an improvement in bloatedness.
In addition, 69% reported improvements across all four areas.
Participants also reported changes beyond digestion: 66% reported improved energy and 49% reported fewer sugar cravings.
SIDE EFFECTS + TOLERABILITY
It's important to track side effects and tolerability rather than just positive outcomes. Here’s what we saw:
- 8 participants noted increased gas, bloating, gurgling or burping.
- 7 participants noted stomach discomfort, aches, cramps or twinges.
Whilst most described these symptoms settling within the first few weeks of the trial, one participant stopped the trial due to ongoing discomfort. Early bloating and discomfort when starting a new gut product is frustratingly common. Introducing new live cultures can change gas production in the gut, and it’s normal for people notice more bloating or ‘activity’ as the microbiome adapts. Biome Restore also contains ginger, which promotes the movement of food through the stomach and small intestine. For some people, especially those with a sensitive gut, this can contribute to mild, transient cramping or a feeling of things moving faster than usual. These changes should be short lived, and subside within the first few weeks of use, however, if pain and bloating are getting worse rather than better, you should contact our nutrition team who can further advise you. For some, this can indicate a form of dysbiosis called SIBO, which is often exacerbated by probiotic products. It isn’t diagnostic on its own, but it’s worth exploring with a practitioner.
HOW TO TAKE IT
Biome Restore is a potent, once per day capsule which delivers 50bn live bacteria to your gut, alongside herbs that complement microbial health and support the gut-brain axis.
DO YOU NEED A GUT HEALTH SUPPLEMENT?
For most people, the foundation of a healthy gut is fibre. The bacteria in your gut feed on it, so the more varied your fibre sources, the more you give them to work with and in general, the healthier your microbial environment. The UK recommendation is 30g a day, and very few of us get there. Adults aged 19 to 64 average around 16g a day, and 96% of adults don’t meet the guideline.
Your gut also responds to how you sleep, how stressed you are and how much you move. So it's important to look at these foundations alongside supplemental support.
There are times, though, when your gut may need more support than food alone can offer. This might be when your digestion and regularity feels out of balance, after a course of antibiotics, after illness or travel, or during a long stretch of stress. In those moments, Biome Restore can support digestive health so you can feel and function at your best.
