IO Genix Probiotic Mix - 15-Strain Microbiota Complex

What is IO Genix Probiotic Mix?

It is a supplement of live cultures in vegetable capsules, with a daily serving of two capsules. It supplies a complex of 15 strains weighing 66.6 mg, to which are added 200 mg of inulin, a fibre extracted from chicory root. The box of 60 capsules covers 30 days.

The principle combines two things: live cultures on one side, a fibre taken to go with them on the other. The full composition runs to six lines: microcrystalline cellulose as a bulking agent, inulin powder, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose for the capsule, the culture blend, magnesium stearate and silicon dioxide as anti-caking agents.

As the capsule is vegetable rather than gelatine, the formula is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. The manufacturer declares it free from artificial preservatives and colourings. The product joins our probiotic and IO Genix ranges.

What does a two-capsule serving contain?

Pack size: 60 vegetable capsules, that is 30 servings.

We have to stop squarely at the two “not disclosed” lines, because they concern what matters most. On a product based on live cultures, the figure that counts is the number of colony-forming units — the CFU — per serving, and it does not appear in the labelling data available to us. The 66.6 mg quoted refers to a weight of powder, which tells you nothing: two products of the same weight can differ by a factor of a hundred in CFU. Nor is the precise list of the fifteen strains published.

We will not fill these two gaps with figures found elsewhere. In practical terms, that means you cannot compare this product with another on what determines its value, and it is a limitation worth knowing about before buying. Read the box you receive: if the CFU figure is on it, that is the value that counts.

What can be said with confidence concerns the inulin. 200 mg of a fibre derived from chicory is a modest dose — for scale, a portion of artichoke or onion supplies several grams. Its presence here follows a formulation logic, not a nutritional one: at this dose, it does not count towards your fibre intake.

One regulatory point, and it is a clear one: no health claim has been authorised in Europe for probiotics, nor for inulin at this dose. So you will read nothing here about digestion, immunity, gut comfort or nutrient absorption. This is not excessive caution on our part: it is the state of the law, and the reason why the word “probiotic” is itself regulated. What we are describing is a composition, a dose, a format and a protocol for use.

How do you take Probiotic Mix?

Serving: 2 capsules. Liquid: a large glass of water. Timing: in the morning on an empty stomach, 30 minutes before breakfast. Frequency: one serving a day. Duration: a course of 30 days minimum, ideally 3 months.

The instruction “on an empty stomach, 30 minutes before” is the manufacturer's and follows a simple logic: the stomach is then less acidic than in the middle of digestion. Thirty minutes before breakfast is an easy slot to keep to — put the box next to the coffee machine.

Three useful adjustments, given by the manufacturer. If you have a sensitive gut, start with a single capsule for a few days before moving to two: some digestive adjustment over the first few days is normal. During a course of antibiotic treatment, leave a minimum of two to three hours between doses. And if you are travelling or radically changing your diet, it advises starting a week beforehand.

On duration, do not judge in three days. The manufacturer settles on thirty days as a minimum and three months as the target. That is consistent with the fact that no acute effect is expected, or can be claimed, on this type of product.

One last point of common sense: a diet that genuinely supplies fibre — vegetables, pulses, wholegrains from the oat flour range — will weigh more than 200 mg of inulin in a capsule. The supplement goes alongside a diet, it does not replace it.

Who is this product for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at adults, and is of particular interest to those coming off a course of antibiotics, those changing their diet or their country, and athletes with high calorie intakes. The two-capsules-in-the-morning format is easy to keep up over three months.

Two precautions really do matter. Immunocompromised people must seek medical advice before taking it: that is not a formality on a product based on live micro-organisms. Pregnant or breastfeeding women and people with an intestinal condition should also seek advice. Traces of GLUTEN, EGG, MILK, FISH and SOYA are possible.

It suits you less well if you are looking to compare doses precisely: with no CFU count and no published strain list, an honest comparison with another product is impossible. That is the real limitation of this product, and we would rather put it in writing.

What you should not expect from it: it is not a treatment, and it is not a product for which any effect can be promised. No claim is authorised, which means no European authority has validated an effect for this category. If you have persistent digestive problems, the right course is a doctor, not a box of capsules. Nor is it a performance product or a digestive aid for over-generous meals.

Probiotic Mix or digestive enzymes?

The two sit on the same shelf and yet follow different logics. Let us say it straight away: neither probiotics nor digestive enzymes have an authorised health claim in Europe. Deciding on the basis of promises therefore makes no sense, and what remains is to compare what is comparable.

Our digestive enzymes products supply enzymes — amylase, protease, lipase, lactase — intended to accompany a specific meal. They are taken at the moment of eating, as a one-off, and their use is occasional. That is what most people choose when their discomfort is linked to an identified type of meal.

Probiotic Mix follows a background logic: a daily serving on an empty stomach, over one to three months. It is a course product, not a mealtime one. If your concern is transit rather than digestion, be aware that a form such as the citrate in the magnesium range acts on that point far more directly and far more cheaply. And if you digest dairy shakes badly, the solution is often to change protein rather than to add a supplement on top. A multivitamin, for its part, plays no role in this area.

Frequently asked questions

How many CFU per serving?

The manufacturer does not publish this figure in the labelling data available to us, and we will not invent it. It is nevertheless the only value that allows two products of this type to be compared: the 66.6 mg quoted refers to a weight of powder, not to a quantity of micro-organisms. Check the box you receive.

What exactly are the 15 strains?

The detailed list does not appear in our labelling data either. We will not repeat the strain names circulating about this product without being able to verify them: on a supplement based on micro-organisms, a strain is designated by its genus, its species and its identifier, not by a general family.

Does it really have to be taken on an empty stomach?

That is what the manufacturer settles on: in the morning, 30 minutes before breakfast, the stomach being less acidic then than in the middle of digestion. It is an easy instruction to follow and it costs nothing. If it inconveniences you, consistency over three months counts for more than the exact time of the dose.

Can it be taken during a course of antibiotics?

The manufacturer asks that doses be spaced by a minimum of two to three hours. That is the usual precaution on this type of product. For anything concerning your treatment itself, the question is one for your doctor or your pharmacist, not for a product page.

Are the capsules suitable for vegans?

Yes. The shell is made of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, of plant origin, and not of animal gelatine. The manufacturer also states a formula free from artificial preservatives and colourings. Do note, however, the possible traces of milk, egg and fish flagged on the label.

How long does a box last?

Thirty days, at two capsules a day for 60 capsules. The manufacturer settles on thirty days as a minimum and three months as a full course: so count on three boxes to see through what it recommends.

Why do you say nothing about the effects?

Because no health claim has been authorised in Europe for probiotics. Writing that this product improves digestion, immunity or gut comfort would be an offence, whatever the literature you may read elsewhere. We would rather tell you what the capsule contains and what we do not know.

Where to buy IO Genix Probiotic Mix?

The box of 60 capsules can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. If you are aiming for the three-month course the manufacturer advises, take three at once: interruption is the first enemy of this type of product.

At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is a range where we talk more about what the label does not say than about what it displays. Looking for the “CFU” line on a box of live cultures is the most useful reflex we can pass on to a customer, and it holds for every brand on the market. The rest of the range can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.