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Gut and Immune
Probiotic 40
Probiotic 40 Billion CFU60 capsules · 30 servings
- 40 billion CFU per serving on the label
- Four strains named on the label: La-14, Bl-04, Lp-115 and Lpc-37
- 24 mg fructooligosaccharide (FOS)
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This product is not on sale yet.
One container is 30 servings: about 30 days at the label amount.
- The manufacturer's lab report covers heavy metals and microbes, but not strength. What that means
The whole label
What’s in it
| Serving size 2 capsules | ||
| Servings per container 30 | ||
| Amount per serving | Amount | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Blend of Probiotic BacteriaMAKTREK® (Bi-Pass Technology) Lactobacillus Acidophilus (La-14), Bifidobacterium Lactis (Bl-04), Lactobacillus Plantarum (Lp-115), Lactobacillus Paracasei (Lpc-37) | 800 mg (40 Billion CFU) | ** |
| Complex Marine Polysaccharide | 60 mg | ** |
| Fructooligosaccharide | 24 mg | ** |
| **Daily Value (DV) not established. | ||
- Other Ingredients:
- Hypromellose (vegetable capsule), Rice maltodextrin, L-Leucine.
- Form
- Capsule
- Contents
- 60 capsules
- Servings
- 30 (2 capsules each)
- Lasts
- About 30 days at the label amount
- Manufactured in
- USA, according to the manufacturer. Where the ingredients come from is not stated.
- Manufacturer states
- gluten-free
About the ingredients: Probiotics
Directions
How to take it
Take two capsules a day: one during the day and one in the evening.
Directions on the label
Take two (2) capsules once a day as a dietary supplement. For best results, take one (1) capsule during the day and one (1) capsule in the evening. Repeat the process daily. Do not exceed two capsules per day.
Label warnings
Keep out of reach of children. Do not use if the safety seal is damaged or missing. Store in a cool, dry place.
Graded honestly
What the evidence says
Probiotic 40 is a capsule of four named strains of live bacteria, 40 billion CFU in total per two capsules, with a very small amount of prebiotic fiber. Each strain has been studied in people, but one at a time, at doses this label cannot be matched to, and mostly for illness outcomes that a supplement may not claim. The four strains have never been tested together, so the only benefit stated here is a general, early one for digestive health.
How it works
Probiotics are live microorganisms that can benefit health when taken in adequate amounts. The amount is counted in CFU (colony-forming units), a measure of live bacteria. These bacteria do not move in for good: NIH describes any colonization of the gut as temporary and different from person to person. While present, they may crowd out less helpful microbes, produce short-chain fatty acids and lower the pH of the colon. Effects on the immune system depend on the exact strain, which is why strain names and doses matter. The label also lists a marine polysaccharide and the name MAKTREK Bi-Pass Technology, which appear to describe a protective coating. We found no published study of it.
The dose in this product
The label gives one number, 40 billion CFU, for all four strains together. It does not give a count per strain or say whether the count is guaranteed to the expiry date, so the product cannot be matched to the dose in any single-strain study.
How that compares with the studiesHide the comparison
Here is what each strain was tested for. All four strains, one at a time: a pilot trial gave 83 healthy adults 20 billion CFU a day of one strain (9 people per strain) or placebo for 3 weeks around an oral vaccine. La-14 and Bl-04 produced a faster rise in one antibody type (IgG) than placebo.
Lp-115 and Lpc-37 did not reach significance, and the overall vaccine response was unchanged. An equal split of this product would give 10 billion CFU per strain, half that dose. Bl-04 alone: one trial in 465 healthy, physically active adults at 2 billion CFU a day reported fewer illness episodes than placebo, and a later trial in 334 volunteers found no difference.
Bl-04 and Lpc-37 with two other strains: the HOWARU Restore blend contains Bl-04 and Lpc-37 plus two strains that are not in this product (NCFM and Bi-07). It does not contain La-14 or Lp-115, and it was tested in hospital patients taking antibiotics, so its results do not carry over. Lpc-37 alone: 15.6 billion CFU a day for 10 weeks in 190 university students had no effect on stress or mood, although an earlier trial had reported lower perceived stress.
We found no placebo-controlled trial of La-14 alone or Lp-115 alone for a digestive outcome. The illness results above are context only. They are not claims for this product, and a supplement may not claim to prevent or treat illness.
The prebiotic: 24 mg of fructooligosaccharide is less than 1% of the roughly 3 g a day that an expert panel says most prebiotics need to have an effect, so no prebiotic benefit is claimed.
- Early evidence
Helps support digestive health by supplying live probiotic bacteria
This rests on a general expert judgment, not on a trial of this product. An international panel (ISAPP) concluded that well-studied Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species, including the four species here, can be expected to support a healthy gut flora and digestive tract when a serving supplies at least 1 billion CFU. The four strains have never been tested together, and the label does not say how much of each is present. [2][1]
Strong evidence: many human trials agree, at the amount in this product. Moderate evidence: human trials mostly agree, but they are small, short or mixed. Early evidence: a few small human studies or lab work. Promising, not proven.
Safety
Who it is for, and who should ask first
Good fit if
- Adults who want a probiotic that names its strains
- People looking for general digestive support, not help with a medical problem
- People comfortable with early, general evidence
Ask your doctor first if
- You have a weakened immune system, for example from chemotherapy, HIV, an organ transplant or long-term steroid treatment
- You are seriously ill or in hospital
- You have fever, vomiting, bloody diarrhea or severe abdominal pain
- You are pregnant or nursing
- You are thinking of giving it to a child. Probiotics must never be given to a premature infant except under medical care
Interactions
- Antibiotics can kill probiotic bacteria. Health Canada's guidance for probiotic products is to take them at least 2 to 3 hours before or after an antibiotic dose.
- Medicines that weaken the immune system, such as long-term corticosteroids, chemotherapy or transplant medicines. Live bacteria carry a small risk of infection in people with weakened immunity.
Possible side effects
- Gas or bloating, usually mild and short-lived
- Loose stools or other digestive upset. Stop and ask a health professional if it lasts more than 3 days
Upper limit
No tolerable upper intake level has been set for probiotics. The label says not to exceed two capsules a day. In the pilot trial of these strains, healthy adults took 20 billion CFU of a single strain daily for 3 weeks and all 83 volunteers completed the study (Paineau 2008).
NIH notes that products with higher CFU counts are not necessarily more effective.
Combining with our other products
Three other products in this line list live bacteria: Daily Probiotic (20 billion CFU at manufacture), Apple Cider Vinegar (1 billion CFU at manufacture) and Digestive Enzymes (three Lactobacillus species, no count stated). There is no evidence that combining them adds benefit, and NIH notes that more CFU is not necessarily better. Choose one probiotic product.
There is no vitamin or mineral overlap with other products.
Lab reports
What the lab report covers
We hold the manufacturer’s lab report for a production lot of this product. It reports on the manufacturer’s own lot, not on the container you receive. This is what it covers and what it leaves out.
No bacteria count is reported.
- Strength of the main ingredient
- Not measured
- Identity test
- Not reported
- Heavy metals
- Measured
- Microbes
- Tested
- Lab named on the report
- No
- Latest report
- February 2026
Answers
Questions people ask
Is 40 billion CFU better than a lower count?
Not necessarily. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements says products with higher CFU counts are not necessarily more effective than products with lower counts. What matters is whether a specific strain was tested at a specific dose. In the studies of these strains, single-strain doses ranged from 2 to 20 billion CFU a day.
How much of each strain is in a serving?
The label does not say. It lists 40 billion CFU for the four strains combined. Without a count for each strain, the product cannot be matched to the dose used in any single-strain study.
Will the bacteria still be alive when I take them?
Live bacteria die off during shelf life. The label gives 40 billion CFU but does not say whether that is the count at manufacture or the count guaranteed at expiry. NIH advises choosing products that state the count at the end of shelf life. Store the bottle in a cool, dry place, as the label directs.
Does it support the immune system?
We do not make that claim. One strain, Bl-04, has been studied for respiratory illness with mixed results: one positive trial and one negative. A small pilot study saw a faster antibody response to a vaccine with two of the strains, at doses this label cannot be matched to. Supplements may not claim to prevent or treat illness.
What does the fructooligosaccharide (FOS) add?
Each serving has 24 mg of fructooligosaccharide, a fiber that gut bacteria can use. Experts say most prebiotics need about 3 g a day or more to have an effect, which is over 100 times this amount. Treat it as a minor ingredient, not a source of prebiotic benefit.
When should I take it?
The label says two capsules a day, ideally one during the day and one in the evening, and no more than two. The studies of these strains did not test timing or whether to take them with food, so there is no evidence for one schedule over another.
Can I take it while on antibiotics?
Ask your doctor or pharmacist first. Health Canada's guidance is to take probiotics at least 2 to 3 hours apart from an antibiotic dose. A related four-strain blend was studied in hospital patients on antibiotics, but it was a different product and an illness outcome, so we make no claim.
Do I need to keep taking it to keep any effect?
Probably. NIH describes probiotic colonization of the gut as temporary and different from person to person. If the product suits you, any effect is likely to last only while you take it.
Read the studies
Sources
- 1.National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Probiotics: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated March 25, 2025. Open source (opens in a new tab)Probiotic effects can be specific to a strain, higher CFU counts are not necessarily more effective, and counts should be stated for the end of shelf life. Side effects in healthy people are usually minor, with rare serious harm reported in people who are severely ill or immunocompromised.
- 2.Hill C, Guarner F, Reid G, et al. Expert consensus document. The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics consensus statement on the scope and appropriate use of the term probiotic. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2014;11(8):506-14. Open source (opens in a new tab)An expert panel judged that well-studied Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species, at 1 billion CFU or more per serving, can be expected to support a healthy gut flora and digestive tract in a general way, and that any more specific claim needs its own evidence.
- 3.Gibson GR, Hutkins R, Sanders ME, et al. Expert consensus document: The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of prebiotics. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2017;14(8):491-502. Open source (opens in a new tab)Most prebiotics need an oral dose of about 3 g a day or more to have an effect, and products with less should not be called prebiotics unless the low dose has been shown to work.
- 4.Paineau D, Carcano D, Leyer G, et al. Effects of seven potential probiotic strains on specific immune responses in healthy adults: a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol. 2008;53(1):107-13. Open source (opens in a new tab)In 83 healthy adults, 20 billion CFU a day of single strains for 3 weeks: La-14 and Bl-04 raised vaccine-specific IgG faster than placebo, Lp-115 and Lpc-37 did not reach significance, and the overall vaccine response was unchanged. The strains came from the manufacturer, whose staff co-authored the paper.
- 5.West NP, Horn PL, Pyne DB, et al. Probiotic supplementation for respiratory and gastrointestinal illness symptoms in healthy physically active individuals. Clin Nutr. 2014;33(4):581-7. Open source (opens in a new tab)In 465 healthy active adults, 2 billion CFU a day of Bl-04 was associated with a lower risk of upper respiratory illness episodes than placebo (hazard ratio 0.73). This is an illness outcome and cannot be used as a supplement claim.
- 6.Turner RB, Lehtoranta L, Hibberd A, et al. Effect of Bifidobacterium animalis spp. lactis Bl-04 on Rhinovirus-Induced Colds: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Single-Center, Phase II Trial in Healthy Volunteers. EClinicalMedicine. 2022;43:101224. Open source (opens in a new tab)Taking Bl-04 for 28 days before a deliberate cold-virus exposure did not change the share of volunteers who became ill (56% with Bl-04, 50% with placebo).
- 7.Ouwehand AC, DongLian C, Weijian X, et al. Probiotics reduce symptoms of antibiotic use in a hospital setting: a randomized dose response study. Vaccine. 2014;32(4):458-63. Open source (opens in a new tab)In 503 adult hospital patients on antibiotics, the four-strain HOWARU Restore blend (which shares only Bl-04 and Lpc-37 with this product) lowered antibiotic-associated diarrhea in a dose-dependent way at 4.17 and 17 billion CFU a day. A different blend, a patient population and an illness outcome.
- 8.Mäkelä SM, Griffin SM, Reimari J, et al. Efficacy and safety of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei Lpc-37 in students facing examination stress: A randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial (the ChillEx study). Brain Behav Immun Health. 2023;32:100673. Open source (opens in a new tab)In 190 university students, 15.6 billion CFU a day of Lpc-37 for 10 weeks had no effect on stress or mood, despite an earlier trial that reported lower perceived stress.
Reviewed 2026-10-01. This page is information, not medical advice.
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*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.