Frequently asked questions

Alflorex® is the only product in the UK that contains the unique 35624® live bacterial culture.

This culture has been clinically tested by leading scientists and gastroenterologists. The results of these trials have been published in a wide range of respected scientific journals.

The live 35624® culture in Alflorex® is a type of bacteria that occurs naturally in the human gut. It's part the Bifidobacterium group, one of the first kinds of bacteria passed by mothers to their babies at birth.

A single Alflorex® capsule contains around 1 billion bacteria, or 1 x 10^9 colony forming units (CFUs). The number of bacteria in each capsule has been scientifically studied and chosen for optimal effectiveness. The dose in the capsule remains effective throughout its shelf life.

Alflorex®, has been specifically developed to support digestive health*. The unique 35624® strain in Alflorex® was discovered and developed by PrecisionBiotics and has been scientifically studied in partnership with experts from a worldleading centre of research into the microbiome. This naturally occurring strain belongs to Bifidobacterium longum, a bacterial species that may be passed from mother to baby at birth. Combined with calcium, Alflorex® has been specially formulated to support the normal function of digestive enzymes.

Food supplements should not be used as substitutes for a varied diet and a
healthy lifestyle.

There are no known interactions with any medications or food supplements.

There are no known side effects of taking Alflorex®. It is a food supplement containing bacteria belonging to a species that may be passed naturally from mother to baby at birth, and which may live naturally in the gut. The safety of the bacteria contained in Alflorex® has been confirmed by research studies in humans. During the first few weeks of taking Alflorex®, as the bacteria begin to gently prime the gut, some people may experience mild and temporary changes in their gut.

The 35624® live bacterial culture in Alflorex® stays in your gut for as long as you continue to take the product.

It performs its action in the gut and then will naturally be swept out by regular bowel movements.

By taking a single capsule of Alflorex® every day you can ensure your gut remains primed.

Alflorex® costs less than £1 per day and enables you to support your digestive and hut health.

Taking Alflorex® may also mean you can also avoid the costs of other products you had to purchase before.

Look out for our special offers on our website and from our pharmacy partners.

Bifidobacterium 35624®, the active culture in Alflorex®, can be inactivated by alcohol.

We recommend not drinking alcohol for a few hours after taking Alflorex®.

Alflorex® costs less than £1 per day and enables you to regain control of your gut health.

Taking Alflorex® may also mean you can also avoid the costs of other products you may have had to purchase before.

Look out for our special offers on our website and from our pharmacy partners.

Yes. There are no known allergens in Alflorex®. All raw materials used for Alflorex® do not contain any allergen listed in the Regulation (EU) 1169/2001. The facilities we use to manufacture also ensure that during the production process, raw materials are not exposed to allergens cross contamination.

All products in our Alflorex® range contain the bacterial strain Bifidobacterium longum35624®, however Alflorex® Plus Calcium, unlike Alflorex® Original, also contains a beneficial dose of calcium, specifically chosen for its ability to support the normal function of digestive enzymes.

Yes, Alflorex® is suitable for those following a vegaterian or vegan diet.

Whilst the raw ingredients in Alflorex® may be suitable for those following a Halal/Kosher diet, the production of Alflorex® has not received Halal/Kosher certification.

Dietary FODMAP restriction may affect the balance of the gut microbiome. FODMAPS act as prebiotics by providing a nutrient source for our gut bacteria, so if we deprive these bacteria of these sources of nutrients, we potentially reduce the amount of bacteria in our gut. In particular, research shows a reduction in Bifidobacterium strains with dietary FODMAP restriction (Halmos EP et al. Gut 2015, 64. 93-100).

A clinical study of the Bifidobacterium longum 35624® strain in Alflorex® Chewables has been carried out by University College London in people following the low FODMAP diet. Healthcare professionals may recommend this in real world clinical practice.

It is important to note that Alflorex® Chewables contain a small amount of isomalt, which is a polyol. Alflorex® is also available in capsules, which contains the same Bifidobacterium longum 35624® strain, and does not contain isomalt.

We recommend that you speak to a healthcare professional who can best advise you about taking Alflorex® Chewables with a low FODMAP diet, in the context of your full medical history.

The specially selected 35624® and 1714® cultures in Alflorex® Dual Action should reach your gut in peak condition within a few hours of taking Alflorex® Dual Action. During the first two weeks, Alflorex® Dual Action will begin to gently prime the gut where it is needed. During this time, you may experience mild and temporary changes to your gut habits. When taken every day, you can expect to feel the full effects of Alflorex® Dual Action within four to eight weeks. We do not recommend making changes to your diet before the gut is primed and has adjusted to taking Alflorex® Dual Action. We recommend that you speak to a healthcare professional who can best advise you about reintroducing trigger foods whilst taking Alflorex® Dual Action, in the context of your full medical history.

No. It just needs to be stored at under 25˚C.

Alflorex® has been carefully formulated to be stable at room temperature, and does not need to be refrigerated.

The special packaging for Alflorex® capsules means that they can travel with you and still keep their qualities.

Fruit juices are generally acidic and acid can damage the 35624® culture, making it less effective. So we recommend taking Alflorex® with water or milk or less acidic drinks like soya, almond or rice milks.

However, Alflorex® can be taken as part of a meal that has fruit juice, as the food will help protect the Alflorex® culture.

An Alflorex® capsule is a size 3 capsule, one of the smallest sizes available.

Alflorex® contains the Bifidobacterium longum 35624® culture, part of the family of bacteria that are passed naturally to babies from their mothers at birth. These bacteria may also be present in breast milk.

We recommend that you speak to your doctor if you have any questions about whether Alflorex® is suitable for you.

There is only a very small amount of sugar contained in each capsule of Alflorex®, which will not affect blood glucose levels. If you are unsure whether Alflorex® is suitable for you, please consult your doctor.

Alflorex® contains the natural 35624® strain. This naturally occurring strain belongs to Bifidobacterium longum, a bacterial species that may be passed from mother to baby at birth. The strain was first isolated from a healthy human gut.

Yes. The 35624® strain in Alflorex® remains active right through the digestive system and reaches the bowel with its properties intact. This has been confirmed in clinical trials.

Bacteria begin to colonize the gut at birth, with the bacterial profile of an individual being developed in early childhood. Once established, the bacterial profile is very resistant to change. When a supplement containing a bacterial culture is consumed, the colonisation in the gut is temporary. No supplement can cause the bacteria to permanently colonise the gut. They stay in your gut only for as long as you continue to take them. After that, they will be naturally swept out by bowel movements, which is why it is important to continue to take Alflorex® every day to keep your gut primed.

The only way bacterial profile is changed over time is to completely change the diet, e.g. to a more diversified diet containing different vegetables, fruits and grains, which provide food to the bacteria and increases bacterial diversity over a long time period.

PrecisionBiotics has a unique vision and history. For over 20 years, we have researched bacterial cultures and been at the forefront of human microbiome research

As part of our journey, we are now introducing a new brand identity to reflect our continued commitment to developing precision food supplements focused on your needs and supported by the highest scientific standards. Our brand is 50% beautiful biology, our source of constant inspiration, and 50% healthy lifestyle, our constant goal.

PrecisionBiotics can help you to take control of your own health by unlocking the power of the human microbiome. We put the ME in your MicrobioME.

Yes, the raw ingredients in Alflorex® are suitable for vegans. Alflorex® does not contain any animal products in the formulation.

The raw materials used for Alflorex® do not contain any of the allergens listed in the Regulation (EU) 1169/2011, and the manufacturing facilities ensure there is no cross contamination from allergens.

Alflorex® contains bifidobacteria which are not associated with the production of histamine. The 35624® strain in Alflorex® does not have the enzyme histadine decarboxylase so it is unable to produce histamine. We have measured histamine production by the strain in in vitro studies and it did not produce this metabolite.

Take one capsule every day, with or without food. For best results, we recommend taking Alflorex® with water, milk or plant-based milk alternatives, rather than hot drinks and acidic drinks such as fruit juices.

If you find it difficult to swallow the capsule, the capsule can be opened and the contents dispensed and mixed into water, milk or food, and consumed straight away.

Fruit juices are generally acidic, and acid can damage the 35624® culture in Alflorex® making it less effective. For best results, we recommend taking Alflorex® with water, milk or plant-based milk alternatives, such as soya, almond or rice milks as these are less acidic than fruit juices.

The Bifidobacterium longum 35624® strain in Alflorex® can be inactivated by heat.

We recommend taking Alflorex® with cold drinks instead of hot drinks.

Alflorex® is not available in the USA. However, the 35624® bacterial culture is available in the supplement Align®, which is widely available in the USA.

We are unable to offer shipping outside of our distribution areas. We apologise for any inconvenience.

The recommended daily dosage is 1 capsule per day. We do not recommend that you exceed the stated dosage. A single Alflorex® capsule contains around 1 billion bacteria (or 1x10^9 colony forming units). The number of bacteria in each capsule has been scientifically studied and chosen for optimal effectiveness.

Alflorex® begins working immediately. The specially selected 35624® culture in Alflorex® should reach your gut in peak condition within a few hours of taking Alflorex®. During the first two weeks, Alflorex® will begin to gently prime the gut where it is needed. When taken every day, you can expect to feel the full effects of Alflorex® within four to eight weeks.

Alflorex®, with the unique Bifidobacterium longum 35624® strain and calcium, has been developed to support digestive health. The unique 35624® strain in Alflorex® has been clinically studied in well-designed, placebo-controlled randomised controlled trials of people with IBS. Among other outcomes, the 35624® strain was shown to be safe and well tolerated across all studies, and is taken on a long-term basis by many people across the world.

Alflorex® begins working immediately. The specially selected 35624® culture in Alflorex® should reach your gut in peak condition within a few hours of taking Alflorex®. During the first two weeks, Alflorex® will begin to gently prime the gut where it is needed. When taken every day, you can expect to feel the full effects of Alflorex® within four to eight weeks.

If you have further questions about taking Alflorex® for IBS, we recommend that you speak to a healthcare professional, as they will be best placed to support you in the context of your full medical history.

The unique 35624® strain in Alflorex® was discovered and developed by PrecisionBiotics and has been scientifically studied in partnership with experts from a world-leading centre of research into the microbiome.

Whilst data from long term clinical studies are not available, the bacteria in Alflorex® stay in your gut only for as long as you continue to take it. After that, they will be naturally swept out by bowel movements, which is why it is important to continue to take Alflorex® every day on an ongoing basis to keep your gut primed. Alflorex® is taken on a long-term basis by many people across the world. Ongoing observational data is collected from our real world data programs, which show findings consistent with the clinical studies.

There are no known adverse interactions of Alflorex® with other food supplements, including vitamin and mineral supplements. Alflorex® contains calcium, therefore if you are taking a supplement containing calcium, or if you have a medical condition or any other questions about whether Alflorex® is suitable for you, please consult your doctor.

There are no known adverse interactions of Alflorex®with medicines. If you are prescribed antibiotics, it is best to take Alflorex® at a different time of day from the antibiotics because the bacteria in Alflorex® can be inactivated by antibiotics.

If you have a medical condition or have questions about whether Alflorex® is suitable for you, please consult your doctor.

Based on the available information, the use of Alflorex® would not impact on the result of the H pylori test, however specific studies in this area have not been carried out. It is best to discuss this query with a healthcare professional.

If you are prescribed antibiotics, it is best to take Alflorex® at a different time of day from the antibiotics because the bacteria in Alflorex® can be inactivated by antibiotics.

Clinical trials have not been specifically carried out in people with Crohn's disease. Please speak to your doctor who will be best placed to answer any questions you may have and to advise whether or not Alflorex® is suitable for you, in the context of your full medical history.

A clinical trial which was carried out in people with ulcerative colitis found that the 36524® strain in Alflorex® was safe and did not raise any safety concerns.

However, it is important that you speak to your doctor who will be best placed to answer any questions you may have and to advise whether or not Alflorex® is suitable for you, in the context of your full medical history.

The raw ingredients contained in Alflorex® are suitable for children over 3 years of age. The size of the capsule is small and therefore we recommend this product is used by children over the age of 12 years. If given to younger children, they should be supervised to prevent choking.

The contents of the Alflorex® capsule can also be dispersed in water or milk, or mixed with food, and consumed immediately.

As a food supplement, there are no specific contraindications for Alflorex®. However, we recommend that people with a compromised immune system take extra care when considering taking products containing bacterial cultures. Whilst the Bifidobacterium longum 35624® bacterial culture in Alflorex® has been shown to be safe in a number of clinical research studies, specific studies have not been carried out in people who are immunocompromised. We would recommend that you speak to a healthcare professional if you have any medical conditions prior to starting Alflorex®, who will be best placed to advise in the context of you full medical history.

Alflorex® and Immune are different products, with different functions in the body.

The unique 35624® strain in Alflorex® was discovered and developed by PrecisionBiotics and has been scientifically studied in partnership with experts from a worldleading centre of research into the microbiome. This naturally occurring strain belongs to Bifidobacterium longum, a bacterial species that may be passed from mother to baby at birth. Combined with calcium, Alflorex® has been specially formulated to support the normal functioning of digestive enzymes, for digestive health.

Alflorex® Immune contains the unique PB-VIR™strain in PrecisionBiotics® Immune, which was discovered and developed by PrecisionBiotics and has been scientifically studied in partnership with experts from a worldleading centre of research into the microbiome. This naturally occurring strain also belongs to Bifidobacterium longum, and has been combined with extra strength vitamin D to support the normal function of the immune system.

The unique 35624® strain in Alflorex® was discovered and developed by PrecisionBiotics and has been scientifically studied in partnership with experts from a world-leading centre of research into the microbiome. It belongs to the family of bacteria (Bifidobacterium longum) that may be passed naturally from mother to baby at birth. The safety and tolerability of this strain has been confirmed in a number of clinical studies. Alflorex® is taken on a long-term basis by many people across the world. Ongoing observational data is collected from our real world evidence programs, which show findings consistent with the clinical studies.

The safety and tolerability of the bacteria contained in Alflorex® has been confirmed by research studies in humans. During the first few weeks of taking Alflorex®, as the bacteria begin to gently prime the gut, some people may experience mild and temporary changes in their gut. It is normal to experience and temporary changes such as bowel changes, diarrhea, stomach pain, flatulence, gas, constipation. These shouldn't last long, and may be an indication that the bacteria are beginning to take effect. When taken every day, you can expect to feel the full effects ofAlflorex® within four to eight weeks. Gastrointestinal changes can also be influenced by a number of factors, including changes to our diet, lifestyle, physical activity, routine and stress, so it may be worth exploring any other factors that could have contributed to these recent changes. If you have any further concerns, we would encourage you to speak to a healthcare professional.

Yes. The special packaging for Alflorex® capsules means that they can travel with you and still keep their qualities. For best results, store Alflorex® in the original container with the lid securely closed, at less then 25˚C.

Our stability testing shows that Alflorex® is stable at temperatures up to 30⁰C for 36 months, and in extreme conditions for up to 6 months. This assures us that, if the products are exposed to hot temperatures for a short period of time, such as during transit, their quality is not affected.

There is only a very small amount of sugar contained in each capsule of Alflorex®. If you are unsure whether Alflorex® is suitable for you, please consult your doctor.

Alflorex®has been formulated to combine the unique 35624®strain and calcium, to support digestive health, as calcium plays an important role in supporting the normal functioning of digestive enzymes. Only 120mg of calcium is contained in each capsule of Alflorex®, which equates to 15% of the NRV (the safe upper limit for calcium intake is 2500mg).

The calcium carbonate used in Alflorex® is one of the most commonly used forms of calcium additives in food, and has been approved for its safety by the European Food Safety Authority, and international food safety organisations. The safety of calcium carbonate has been well established.