Frequently asked questions
Is there a specific diet to eat during the course?
If you are feeling stable with your current diet then stick with it.
However for my general advice on diet, see below:
While dealing with gut dysbiosis:
If you can completely avoid alcohol during the Elixa Probiotic course, that is ideal.
A substantial portion of people will benefit from eliminating dairy.
Once you have corrected your gut dysbiosis:
Perfection is not necessary but try to eat as we have evolved to eat; a Paleolithic/Hunter-gatherer style of diet.
Avoid processed foods.
Remember that we are primates that mastered the use of fire, and subsequently consumed starch and meat more than a typical primate.
It's understandable to be cautious and avoid anything that might cause a relapse in gut health. Therefore, try to minimise alcohol, sugary food/drink, and dairy - and any trigger foods for at least a few weeks after achieving your new gut health.
But remember: If you are feeling happy and stable with your current diet, don't be too hasty to modify it.
If you wish to experiment then make singular changes and observe the results over a minimum period of 4 days.
Is the 6-day course enough for me?
I recommend all new users start with the 6-day course. It is the most cost-efficient and time-efficient method to see the results of Elixa for yourself. From there you can either cement your results using Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the protocol – or – you can first take another 6 day (or 12 day) course of Elixa Probiotic if you are tackling a stubborn and substantial gut dysbiosis.
Should I take the daily prebiotic on an ongoing basis?
Yes. 1 sachet per day.
Here's some elaboration:
If the Elixa Probiotic course has been effective for you then it would be helpful to continue with 1 prebiotic sachet per day on an ongoing basis. However, missing the occasional day or week is not a problem. A healthy gut should be able to maintain itself; even in the face of brief stints of less-than-ideal diet and lifestyle. The aim with Elixa is to achieve robust, long-term improvements that begin in the gut and propagate throughout the body. We are not here to achieve fragile improvements that would regress at the slightest hurdle- no thank you!
So the reason for needing a prebiotic on an ongoing basis is to simply stack the cards in your favour when it comes to the ongoing and unavoidable problematic factors of modern lifestyle and diet which act against gut health. Put another way: we don't all live in situations where we can replicate the hunter-gatherer diet and lifestyle!
The daily prebiotic acts to provide a safety buffer to help avoid your gut going off the rails again – an important consideration for those who have suffered with gut problems for years on end and just want to be done with it and get on with a healthy life and other pursuits.
This is getting a bit beyond the scope of an FAQ answer but something that is important to consider is that the health benefits of resolving gut dysbiosis begin quite rapidly in the gut and some other systems of the body. However, for them to propagate fully through all the systems which the gut dysbiosis had been negatively affecting, it takes time. And you want that 'timer' to start ticking as soon as you resolve your gut dysbiosis. Ergo, you want to avoid disrupting this process with blips in gut health. Put another way: It is important to aim to maintain as perfect gut health as possible - for at least 2 or 3 months - after the course is finished - so as to allow all the affected systems in the body a chance to recover completely. After that is done you can be a bit more lax with things.
How was the prebiotic formulated?
Elixa Prebiotic was formulated based on primarily two principles:
- The demonstrated effect of these prebiotics on the human microbiota in studies.
- The chemistry of the prebiotic must match the enzyme genes expressed by the Elixa strains. Gene expression → enzyme production → linkage specificity. In other words, they have to be readily 'eaten' by the strains of bacteria in Elixa Probiotic.
Can you take Elixa if you have an ileostomy bag, or have had a total or partial colectomy?
Yes. Elixa can be (and has been) taken by those with abdominal surgeries, including removal of portions of the intestine and terminations at stoma bags. The exception is if you have anything causing blockage or constrictions in your intestine or if the surgical incisions have not healed yet. If in doubt, check with your medical doctor.
Are there any excipients ('fillers') in the ingredients?
In the probiotic there is some starch to help keep everything dry and a tiny pinch of magnesium stearate to ensure the powder flows well through the machinery that fills the capsules.
In the prebiotic there are no excipients added. The 'galactose' (very small amount) is something that is always present when you produce GOS (galacto-oligosaccharides). We produce and package the prebiotic under very low humidity to avoid needing to add excipients, such as flow agents, for example.
How should I decide whether to continue with the prebiotic Maintenance Phase or do another round of Elixa Probiotic (Phase 1 and Phase 2)?
If you detect any regression in gut health or encounter factors that are likely to impact your gut health (antibiotics, for example) then you can pause The Maintenance Phase and repeat Phase 1 (Elixa Probiotic) and Phase 2 again, and then resume The Maintenance Phase (Phase 3) after that.
When do I repeat the Elixa protocol in the future?
After you've gained as much improvement as possible from your first round of the full protocol, you only need to repeat the course on an 'as needed' basis.
In other words, repeat the protocol (or your favourite phase of the protocol) only when you experience a regression in gut health - for whatever reason (e.g. holiday eating, overdoing alcohol, taking antibiotics, excessive stress, diet mishaps).
If you have not experienced any regression, but you anticipate an impending assault on your gut health (e.g. you're about to travel to a country where food/water contamination is common - or - take antibiotics - or - experience significant stress) then you can preventively take Elixa, if you wish to.
Asides from that, repeat Elixa on an 'as-needs' basis rather than a predefined schedule, if cost-efficiency is a priority.
Can children take Elixa?
With previous versions of Elixa I didn't recommended it for children, despite being asked by many parents who had themselves had success with Elixa and despite the fact that children had taken it with no problems at all. I just felt that it did not match the infant/child gut microbiota enough - and this was based on certain probiotic strains I used to incorporate into Elixa Probiotic. They were very potent and effective - but not typical of infant gut flora, for example.
However, all that has changed now: with the release of the Phase 2 probiotic blend (which is coupled with the prebiotic) I can confidently say that specific blend is OK for children to take. This is because the strains I've selected are highly compatible with the gut flora of children.
However, please note the following:
(1) I do not actively or officially recommend Elixa for children under the age of 4 (even the Phase 2 probiotic). You can get in touch with me for specific guidelines if the need is great for your under-4-years-old child.
(2) For those under 16, start with Phase 2 - AND - reduce the probiotic dose by half and reduce the prebiotic dose by half, for the first 4 days of using the prebiotic. If they handle it well, continue at that dose or go up to the normal dose if you think their gut dysbiosis warrants it. Always supervise them while swallowing the capsules, please. Only if they have no problems whatsoever - but still need further improvement to their gut health - should you get in touch with me to ask about whether our flagship product (Elixa Probiotic [Phase 1]) is suitable for them.
Why is Elixa so effective compared to normal probiotics?
Do people actually ask this question or is it here just to highlight the advantages of Elixa?
Both!
The answer would require an extensive explanation but, in a nutshell, it is due to the targeted anti-microbial approach, made possible by: the ultra-high CFU count, the species selection and the strain selection, the precise formulation of the prebiotic blend, and – last but definitely not least – the capsule shell manufacturing technology.
Those are 4 very solid differences that set it apart from conventional probiotics.
Based on feedback, what is it about Elixa that generally catches people's interest?
- It is a short course. Doesn't need to be taken forever. Just 6 days. This convenience plus the rationale behind why it would make sense to not need to take it forever. (namely; a healthy gut microbiota can generally maintain itself.)
- The reviews they read around the web and on social media sites.
- The unique utilisation of probiotic bacteria: namely the targeted anti-microbial approach, as opposed to 'replacing missing species'.
- All made possible with unique technology. (this is an understatement because it involves industrial know-how.)
Which conditions does Elixa treat?
None. As per regulations/law, probiotics/prebiotics are not allowed claims for curing or treating any medical conditions. Use this information as you see fit. Read scientific studies (use Google Scholar) and read impartial reviews from independent users of Elixa.
What is your returns/refund policy?
Our policy is generous, no-quibble, and created in good faith. If you change your mind about taking the course, you can return it to us for a full refund. The full policy is available in our 'Terms and Policies' link (bottom right of this page).