Women Raw Probiotics 100 Billion CFUs Prebiotics Digestive Enzymes 30Ct

What it is

Women's Raw Probiotic is a wholefood dietary supplement from Wholesome Wellness, sold as a bottle of 30 vegetable capsules at one capsule per serving. The Supplement Facts panel declares 100 billion CFU (colony forming units) of a wholefood raw probiotic blend in every capsule, drawn from 34 separately named bacterial and yeast cultures, and adds three further blends on top of it: organic prebiotic fiber at 150 mg, a digestive enzyme complex at 200 mg, and a raw fruit and vegetable powder at 50 mg. A fourth blend, printed on the panel under the heading "Urinary Tract Health", accounts for a further 160 mg.

It sits in our Supplements for Women range. The bottle is shelf stable and the label states plainly that no refrigeration is required, which matters if you are used to refrigerated probiotics.

What's inside

The 34 cultures are listed individually on the panel rather than grouped under a single blend name, so the whole list can be read and is reproduced in full below. They span four broad groups.

The Lactobacillus group is the largest, running to fourteen species. Several of those names point straight at fermented dairy — L. bulgaricus is one of the two organisms traditionally used to set yogurt, and the kefir-named species are associated with kefir grains, the cauliflower-like clusters used to ferment milk in the Caucasus.

The Bifidobacterium group is represented by bifidum, lactis, longum and breve. Lactococcus and Leuconostoc supply six more, all organisms familiar from cheese and cultured-butter making, alongside Streptococcus thermophilus, the other classic yogurt culture.

The remainder are yeasts and related fungi rather than bacteria — eight in all, four of them Saccharomyces species. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is brewer's and baker's yeast; Brettanomyces and Torulaspora, also on the list, are names a winemaker would recognize.

The Organic Prebiotic Fiber Blend (150 mg) is made up of Jerusalem artichoke root, gum arabic — the dried exudate tapped from the stems and branches of acacia trees — Fibergum Bio, and organic chicory root powder (Cichorium intybus). Prebiotic fibers are plant carbohydrates that pass through the small intestine undigested; chicory root and Jerusalem artichoke are both ordinary agricultural crops and both are conventional sources of inulin-type fiber.

The Digestive Enzyme Complex (200 mg) names nine enzymes: glucoamylase, amylase, lipase, protease, maltase, cellulase, bromelain, papain and lactase. Bromelain comes from pineapple and papain from papaya; the rest are the standard carbohydrate-, fat- and protein-splitting enzymes, with lactase the one that acts on milk sugar.

The Raw Whole Fruit & Veggie Blend (50 mg) is exactly what the name says — strawberry, carrot, raspberry, green pea, cherry, red bell pepper and plum, seven items, in powder form.

The panel's fourth blend (160 mg) contains D-mannose powder, cranberry juice powder, hibiscus flower extract and dandelion root extract. D-mannose is a simple sugar chemically related to glucose and found naturally in fruits such as cranberries and apples; hibiscus is the dried calyx used to brew the tart red tea drunk across West Africa and the Caribbean, and dandelion root is a long-established ingredient in bitter tonics and roasted coffee substitutes.

Every blend on this panel carries a dagger against the %DV column, which the footnote defines as "Daily Value not established (DV)". The other ingredients are just two: the vegetable capsule shell itself and organic rice hull. For general background on how dietary supplements are regulated and labeled in the United States, the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements consumer fact sheet and the FDA's questions and answers on dietary supplements are useful starting points. Neither refers to this product.

How to use it

The directions printed on the bottle read: "Take one capsule per day before or during meals." That is the whole of the dosing instruction on the label — one capsule, once a day, timed around a meal rather than away from one. The label describes the capsule as a delayed-release vegetable capsule with a double coating.

For storage, the label says to store in a cool, dry place and to keep the bottle out of reach of children. It also instructs you not to use the product if the safety seal is broken or missing, which is worth checking before you open it. No refrigeration is needed at any point.

Who it's for

This is a general dietary supplement for adults 18 and over, formulated and named for women, and it is one of the wholefood-style formulas in our women's range. It suits someone who would rather take a single capsule a day than a powder or a multi-capsule serving, and who wants the strain list spelled out rather than summarized. Because the enzyme complex includes lactase and the culture list leans heavily on organisms associated with fermented dairy, it may also appeal to people who already eat yogurt and kefir and are curious about the same families in capsule form.

It is not suitable for children. If you are pregnant or nursing, the label directs you to speak to a health practitioner first — see the section below.

Good to know

The caution printed on the bottle reads: "If you are pregnant, nursing, have a medical condition or taking any medication, consult a health practitioner before use." Follow that as written. General, non-product-specific guidance on supplement safety is published by NCCIH, and labels for thousands of marketed products can be searched in the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database; neither is an assessment of this item.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many capsules are in the bottle, and how many do I take a day?

The bottle holds 30 vegetable capsules and the label's directions are one capsule per day, taken before or during a meal. The Supplement Facts panel lists the serving size as 1 capsule and 30 servings, so one bottle covers 30 days at the labeled serving.

Does this probiotic need to be refrigerated?

No — the label states the product is shelf stable and that no refrigeration is required. Store it in a cool, dry place, as the bottle directs, and keep it out of reach of children.

Is it suitable for vegans, and does it contain gluten, soy or dairy?

The packaging carries printed icons reading 100% Vegan, Gluten Free, Soy Free, Lactose Free, GMO Free and Hormone Free, and the only other ingredients listed are a vegetable capsule shell and organic rice hull — there is no gelatin in the capsule. If you have a specific allergy, read the panel on your own bottle, since the printed label is the controlling document.

Who makes this supplement?

The bottle is labeled "Carefully crafted for: Wholesome Wellness, 6804 NE 79th Court #527708, Portland, Oregon, USA 97218", with the company's website printed directly beneath that line. Wholesome Wellness is the brand named on both the front of the package and the back panel.

How will my order be packaged?

Your order ships in a plain, unbranded outer carton with no product images or wording on the outside. It will not show the Gear Isle name.

Product information compiled and reviewed by the Gear Isle product team. We transcribe supplement facts directly from manufacturer packaging. Found an error? Tell us.

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. Dietary supplement for adults 18 and over. Consult a licensed healthcare professional before use, especially if you have a medical condition, heart concerns, or take prescription medication (including nitrates). Keep out of reach of children.