Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the answers to some of the most common questions we are asked about Symprove, we hope you find them useful:
- What is Symprove?
- How much Symprove do I need?
- What's the shelf life?
- How does it work?
- How long does it take to work?
- How long do I need to take it?
- Why is Symprove special?
- How many bacteria are in Symprove?
- What bacteria are in Symprove?
- What does Symprove taste like?
- Why Symprove?
- Who should take Symprove?
- Is Symprove a natural product?
- Who makes Symprove?
- Can people with allergies drink Symprove?
- Does Symprove have any down sides?
- How much Symprove should I take?
- How should I look after Symprove?
- Are there clinical studies on Symprove?
- What are the health claims for Symprove?
- What quality controls do you have in place?
- How much is it?
- Do I take it with food?
- Can I take it with other things?
- Can I mix it into food?
- Where can I buy it?
- How long has it been around?
- Is it available in different flavours?
- Can I take it if I am pregnant or breast feeding?
- Can I take it with alcohol?
- How is Symprove made?
- 1.What is Symprove?
- Symprove is a new probiotic food supplement. It is a barley based drink which is consumed once a day to deliver billions of four varieties of live, activated probiotic bacteria to the digestive system. We call it a next generation probiotic because of the unique way it delivers live activated bacteria as opposed to dormant freeze-dried bacteria which most existing products contain.
- 2. How much Symprove do I need?
- This really depends on why you are drinking Symprove, everyone is different. Some people report a change with Symprove in a matter of days, so one bottle might be enough, others after a few weeks which is why we offer discounts for multi-packs. A good place to start is to read the real-life stories in the `who takes symprove' section and consider who you most closely resemble. We have customers who have only ever needed one bottle, some who have drunk Symprove for three months, and others who drink Symprove for a few days now and then when they feel they need it. There is no one size fits all answer, so we've tried to offer as much flexibility on pack sizes as we can.
- 3. What's the shelf life?
- Symprove will keep for up to 5 months in your refridgerator (usually 5-7 degrees centigrade) there is a use-by sticker on the bottom of the bottle. At room temperature the shelf life is shorter, but Symprove will be fine out of the fridge for a few days, for example whilst it is being shipped to you. We measured the 5 month shelf life including two days shipping to your home, so you don't need to worry about that.
- 4. How does it work?
- A healthy human digestive tract contains over 350 different kinds of bacteria, most of these are good for us and live ‘symbiotically’ within or on the body. Many doctors and scientists believe that problems with these bacteria, for example too few ‘good’ symbiotic bacteria or the presence of ‘bad’ pathogenic bacteria can result in digestive and other problems. Symprove contains four kinds of live activated bacteria. When you swallow Symprove these naturally occurring bacteria reach your digestive system where they colonise it and help to restore a healthy balance of ‘good’ bacteria. The difference with Symprove is that the bacteria you ingest are ready to get to work straight away.
- 5. How long does it take to work?
- People who have reported an improvement in the symptoms of a digestive condition whilst drinking Symprove have said this happened anywhere between a week and a month after starting to include the product in their diet.
- 6. How long do I need to take it?
- We recommend you add Symprove to your diet daily for 12 weeks before deciding if you wish to continue. People who have reported an improvement in their health after including Symprove in their diet have seen this between a week and a month after starting.
- 7. Why is Symprove special?
- Symprove is the only product available which contains four kinds of live activated bacteria, this is important because many probiotic products contain only freeze-dried bacteria which are not always active when you swallow them. When bacteria are freeze-dried, many do not survive the process, but with Symprove the bacteria are active right up to the point we screw the cap on, so they’re ready the moment you take them and can start getting to work straight away. Many of the yoghurt type products on the market contain only one type of bacteria and with small numbers of bacteria compared to Symprove.
- 8. How many bacteria are in Symprove?
- We believe that the number of bacteria is not as important as the condition and availability of the bacteria, in Symprove the majority of the bacteria are live and activated from the moment you swallow the product, but with freeze-dried probiotics the bacteria have to re-activate and many do not ever do so. Whilst we believe quality is more important than quantity, Symprove has both. A 50ml serving of Symprove contains at least 10 billion live activated bacteria.
- 9. What bacteria are in Symprove?
- There are 4 species of naturally occurring lactic acid bacteria in Symprove, L. casei, L. acidophilus, L. plantarum, and E. faecium. A healthy gut contains all four of these bacteria, although some people have an imbalance which is where probiotics come in. Every millilitre of Symprove contains about 200 million live activated bacteria.
- 10. What does Symprove taste like ?
- Symprove contains an extract of barley and has a slightly yeasty / cereal-like flavour. The ingredients in Symprove are very carefully balanced to create the best possible environment for the probiotic bacteria, this is what makes Symprove different from other probiotics. So both to protect the bacteria, and to maintain a healthy product we have avoided adding flavourings or sweeteners to Symprove.
- 11. Why Symprove?
- Here at Symprove we believe the best way to take advantage of the benefits of probiotics is by consuming a product containing live activated bacteria rather than tablets or capsules containing freeze-dried bacteria. This means that the good bacteria can get to work in your digestive system straight away. It’s also important to take a probiotic that has the right kinds of bacteria in the right amounts. Symprove contains billions of 4 different types of live, activated lactic acid bacteria. We believe there is no better way to introduce good bacteria to your digestive system, but try it for yourself and see what you think.
- 12. Who should take Symprove?
- If you consume probiotic drinks, tablets or any other form of probiotic to help with a digestive problem, we recommend that you try Symprove. Symprove is very different to anything else currently available, and people who have taken the product have reported significant improvements in the symptoms of IBS, IBD, and other gastrointestinal conditions. It is important to understand however that Symprove is a food supplement and not a medicine.
- 13. Is Symprove a natural product?
- All the ingredients in Symprove occur in nature, from the barley we use to the bacteria that make it their home. The only other things we add are vitamin C, sorbate, and citrate which are found in everyday foods and are there to help stabilise the product so that it has a longer shelf-life. We do not use GM (genetically modified) products, or any flavourings, sweeteners, or colours. Symprove is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
- 14. Who makes Symprove?
- Symprove is made by Symprove Ltd., which is a family business based in Surrey. We have over 25 years experience of making probiotic products.
- 15. Can people with allergies drink Symprove?
- It depends, if you are allergic to any of the ingredients then no, Symprove is not suitable for coeliacs or people who are allergic to gluten. Because of the barley content we cannot 100% guarantee that Symprove doesn’t contain any nuts. If in doubt please speak to your doctor before starting Symprove.
- 16. Does Symprove have any down sides?
- Occasionally (about one in five people) customers have reported a loosening of the stools during the first few days of drinking Symprove. Sometimes this has actually been an advantage if they have been very constipated beforehand, and in each case it has resolved after a few days. By far the majority of people get along fine with the product.
- 17. How much Symprove should I take?
- We recommend drinking 1 millilitre of Symprove for each kilogramme of your body weight, so if you weigh 70kg drink 70ml each day. A measuring cup is included in the box to make this easy, please wash the cup after every use to keep it clean. A 500ml bottle should usually last about a week.
- 18. How should I look after Symprove?
- Symprove contains live activated bacteria; tiny living things and they need you to look after them. Symprove should be stored in your refrigerator which is normally around 4-7°C. Like lots of foods, Symprove doesn’t like large temperature fluctuations but will be quite happy in the fridge until the date printed on the bottle. Please do not freeze Symprove or leave in direct sunlight. You should always gently shake the bottle before and replace the cap immediately after pouring Symprove. If you are in doubt just give us a call on 01252 413600.
- 19. Are there clinical studies on Symprove?
- There are two independent investigator led studies taking place at King’s College London which are looking at Symprove’s effect on quality of life for people with IBS and IBD.
- 20. What are the health claims for Symprove?
- The law in the UK means that probiotics are categorised as food products, and it’s against the law to make health claims for foods. Many people believe that taking products which contain probiotic bacteria found naturally in the digestive system can help their health, and you can read these stories on the internet.
- 21. What quality controls do you have in place?
- At Symprove we pride ourselves on offering a top quality product. All of our product is made in clean room conditions (have a look here) and we send every single batch to an independent lab to be analysed. Quite simply, if it doesn’t meet our stringent standards we don’t sell it. We know exactly what is in every batch, which is four kinds of lactic acid bacteria, barley extract in water, Vitamin C, sorbate and citrate.
- 22. How much is it?
- Our prices for Symprove are available here.
- 23. Do I take it with food?
- We recommend that Symprove is consumed first thing in the morning just before breakfast, you should leave a few minutes before eating, but drinking is fine. We recommend this because liquids pass through an empty stomach very quickly, which means that the probiotic bacteria in Symprove have the best chance of reaching your whole digestive tract. If you do eat immediately afterwards or take Symprove with food it won’t do you any harm, it just might make it more difficult for Symprove to reach your digestive system properly.
- 24. Can I take it with other things?
- It’s best to swallow your daily Symprove on its own first thing in the morning. It’s fine to drink afterwards, but we recommend leaving a few minutes before you have breakfast. This is because liquids pass through an empty stomach very quickly, which means that the probiotic bacteria in Symprove have the best chance of reaching your whole digestive tract. If you do eat immediately afterwards or take Symprove with food it won’t do you any harm, it just might make it more difficult for Symprove to reach your digestive tract properly.
- 25. Can I mix it into food?
- We recommend drinking Symprove on its own for the reasons above. Mixing it into food might upset the bacteria in Symprove and would also mean Symprove is held in the stomach for much longer than necessary.
- 26. Where can I buy it?
- At the moment Symprove is available direct from us and through doctors who are working with the product.
- 27. How long has it been around?
- The bacteria in Symprove have been around for millions of years, humans and bacteria have been dependant on each other all along, it’s just recently however that doctors and scientists are working out just how important that relationship is. The technology behind Symprove has been being refined for 25 years. A related product has been used by farmers very successfully and safely in farm animals, particularly young stock around the world for 25 years as an all-natural feed additive to help animals with digestive problems.
- 28. Is it available in different flavours?
- Not at the moment, Symprove is a serious probiotic which is specially designed to deliver live, activated bacteria to your digestive tract as effectively as possible. We also want to keep Symprove as natural as possible, and the bacteria in it as happy as we can so have avoided flavourings, colours or sweeteners. Check the labels on any probiotic products you have at home, you might be surprised what’s in them!
- 29. Can I take it if I am pregnant or breast feeding?
- Unless your doctor or midwife specifically agrees to it, you should not take any food supplements or drugs during pregnancy or when you are breast feeding.
- 30. Can I take it with alcohol?
- The bacteria in Symprove don’t like alcohol, it has the same effect on their usefulness as it does on humans, so we don’t recommend drinking alcohol for a few hours after consuming Symprove, unless you are partial to a glass of wine with your cornflakes this shouldn’t be an issue!
- 31. How is Symprove made?
- Symprove is made in a clean room environment through a series of carefully controlled stages. First we boil specially selected grain to create a wort, a little like the first stage of brewing beer. The wort is purified and sterilised, then using precisely temperature controlled and sterilised vats we carefully introduce each of our four healthy probiotic bacteria. The bacteria we use are extremely high purity laboratory cultures of healthy probiotic strains unique to Symprove. The probiotics begin to divide and once the required levels are reached we halt the process and the Symprove is ready for bottling. We pride ourselves on the cleanliness of our process and the purity of our finished product.