A Tough Act To Swallow (Seven Seas Advanced Formula Multibionta)

Member Name: lwperkins

Product:	Seven Seas Advanced Formula Multibionta
Date:	11/03/03 (2182 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Health benefits, Reasonably priced

Disadvantages: Difficult to swallow, Smell

Last summer I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, which without getting too technical or gross is an inflamation in the intestine simular in symptoms to the more widely known Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Since then I have been obsessed with my tummy! Before it had just been there, something that helped my jeans stay up and gave me a convenient place to put my belly button ring, slightly plumper perhaps than I would have liked, but still just my tummy.
After my diagnosis though, it became the enemy. It had been the cause of 9 years pain and discomfort and I wasn?t taking it lightly?

My weapon in the battle to regain control of my tummy was ?good bacteria.?
?Good bacteria? or probiotics to give them their proper name have become the health fad of recent years, with everyone suddenly keen to ?top up their good bacteria.? Some 'health' products have better levels of probiotic content than others.
Most people have gained the sum total of their knowledge on the subject from a Yakult advertisement, but nonetheless business is booming for makers of products with probiotic benefits.

Our bodies naturally contain billions of good bacteria, but the idea of products such as Actimel and Yakult yoghurt drinks is that they top up these bacteria, which then form a defence against ?bad bacteria? which in turn is beneficial for our immune and digestive systems - if the balance is right then we stay healthy. (Sort of like a good cop bad cop scenario with germs!)
However keeping the balance right is the difficult bit which is why we are now encouraged to suppliment our probiotic intake.

When I came across Multibionta, the first multivitamins with probiotics (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum and Bifidobacterium longum, bacteria fans!) I was keen to give them a try. I was hoping that they would prove beneficial to my condition.
They claim to contain a balanced formula of vitamins, minerals and probiotics to keep
you fit, healthy and full of energy and help you cope with today?s hectic lifestyle. Much is made in their advertising about the general well being aspects of taking these.
There is also a version aimed at the over 50?s

Multibionta are made by Seven Seas. They are in containers of 30 tablets that cost around £5.49. They are widely available in chemists and supermarkets.
The container is plastic for ease of travel, but does not have a child proof cap. The box that the container comes in has extensive nutritional information and an ingredients list.
They are gluten and wheat free, which comes as no surprise since they are being marketed at those of us with mutinous tummies!

The tablets give off quite a strong odour and it is really unpleasant, sort of yeasty smell. They are 3 shades of brown in layers and actually resemble a miniature tablet hotdog (!)
But the main problem with this product is the size of the tablets. They are huge!! Its is very difficult to swallow them because of the size, even though they are torpedo shaped and have a smooth coating to aid swallowing. They are not scored either so you can?t even split them in half to take them.
This isn?t a problem if you have no difficulty taking tablets, but as so many people do, it seems a bit of a design flaw. You only need to take one a day but even one is difficult enough.

But the question remains do they work?

I?ve now taken a full course of 30 to fully assess the benefits. Certainly my stomach is less bloated, but I do take other supplements so it is impossible to be conclusive about this.
I don?t feel full of energy or any less tired, but generally I do feel healthier and my skin is certainly looking better and I seem to be fighting the effects of the cold weather better than usual.

There is a web site for this product www.multibionta.co.uk, which has some useful information about probiotics and their benefits to health.

I foun
d it a real chore taking these tablets; I wouldn?t buy them again, purely because they were so difficult to take. The idea behind the product is sound and would apprear to be beneficial.
Something along the same lines, but small round, sugar coated and not smelling like a brewery would be much appreciated please, Seven Seas.

Summary: