Microbz Revive probiotic review
Here we will give a hands-on, tested review of Microbz Revive - a natural probiotic for gut health.
We’ll look into the ingredients, benefits, dosage and cost of this unique probiotic.
About Microbz
Microbz is a UK company which prides itself on being natural. It harvests its probiotics directly from soil, rather than engineering them in a lab. As their website states, this is so they can ‘replicate the way nature has supported human health for centuries’.
Their probiotics are:
gluten free
GM free
wheat free
dairy free
sugar free
They are also vegan and vegetarian approved.
Ingredients of Microbz Revive
Microbz Revive contains a mixture of live cultures, herbs, minerals and other natural ingredients.
Probiotics
Probiotics are live, beneficial microorganisms that have been proven to support health. They are a specific type of live culture.
Because probiotics need to be proven by evidence, sometimes live cultures fall into a grey area where there is limited evidence they are beneficial but not enough to be generally regarded as probiotic. This is the case with some of the strains in this supplement.
Microbz Revive includes 15 strains of live cultures and, depending on how strict you want to be, 10 of the strains are generally regarded as probiotic:
Bacillus subtilis – supports gut microbiota balance and stool regularity.
Bifidobacterium bifidum – aids digestion, supports immune responses and may reduce duration of respiratory infections.
Bifidobacterium breve – helps break down fibre and oligosaccharides, supports gut comfort and skin health.
Bifidobacterium infantis (B. longum subsp. infantis) – may reduce IBS pain and bloating and promotes immune tolerance.
Bifidobacterium longum – supports bowel regularity, may reduce gastrointestinal discomfort and strengthens gut barrier protection.
Lactobacillus acidophilus – aids lactose digestion, supports balanced gut flora and helps maintain vaginal and intestinal health.
Lactobacillus casei – helps balance gut microbiota and supports immune function.
Lactobacillus plantarum – promotes gut barrier integrity, may reduce bloating and supports bowel regularity.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus – helps prevent antibiotic-associated and traveller’s diarrhoea and supports immune health.
Saccharomyces boulardii – probiotic yeast that prevents antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and supports gut lining repair.
And 5 of the strains have limited probiotic evidence, are more generally regarded as starter cultures (eg for yoghurt) or aren’t probiotic:
Lactobacillus bulgaricus (L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus) – yoghurt starter culture, aids lactose digestion but limited broader probiotic evidence.
Lactobacillus fermentum – may provide antioxidant and cholesterol-lowering effects, some immune support, but weaker gut evidence.
Lactococcus lactis – dairy starter culture producing beneficial metabolites (postbiotics); limited clinical evidence as a probiotic.
Streptococcus thermophilus – yoghurt starter culture that supports lactose digestion but has little standalone probiotic evidence.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae – baker’s and brewer’s yeast; not a probiotic
Microbz doesn’t list a specific number of colony forming units (CFU) of bacteria. This is because each batch is hand-fermented and the exact numbers of bacteria may vary between batches. They simply state their are ‘billions’ of microbes present. Personally, I’m not concerned about this.
Other natural ingredients
Revive also includes various herbs, minerals and other natural ingredients. These include agar agar, aloe vera, apple cider vinegar, chondroitin sulphate, citrus peel, glucosamine sulphate, Himalayan rock salt, peppermint oil, quercetin, rutin, sea water concentrate, slippery elm and turmeric.
In general terms, these ingredients aim to reduce inflammation, improve digestion and provide antioxidants.
Revive also includes the amino acid l-glutamine to help repair the gut and support brain function.
And since it’s a fermented product in contains healthy enzymes from the fermentation process.
Benefits of Microbz Revive
Their website states that Revive aims to help with:
IBS
bloating
digestive issues
constant fatigue
autoimmune conditions
hormonal imbalance
skin irritation
sleep issues
Surviving your gut
Revive is fermented to 3.2ph so that it will survive your stomach acid. This is great, but there’s not as much scientific evidence to support this survivability as other brands.
Dosage
You take a 15ml shot or tablespoon before breakfast. (Taking it before food will help the microbes survive your stomach acid.)
Appearance
The liquid has a bright yellow colour. It also has quite a few floaty bits which personally don’t bother me. I take this as a sign of the natural ingredients and that it is a live, fermented product.
Flavour
The aroma is herbaceous, with woody, citrus peel and peppermint characteristics coming through.
The taste is quite complex. It is primarily herbaceous, with some slightly funky apple cider vinegar notes and citrus peel present as well as some saltiness. Personally I don’t mind the taste as I like similarly herbaceous aperitifs. And since you are taking it as a quick 15ml dose it shouldn’t be a big issue for anyone.
Also, I think the ingredients do well to mask the acidity as it doesn’t taste like something which is 3.2ph.
Cost of Microbz Revive
One bottle for a month’s supply will cost £32.95, or on a subscription basis it will cost £28. However, you can use discount code hellogut15 for 15% off on the Microbz website.
Summary
4.5 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Microbz Revive is a very natural probiotic containing an impressive array of microbial strains, along with other natural ingredients, for a reasonable price.
Pros
a natural product with probiotics derived from soil
15 different strains of live cultures (with 10 of these generally considered probiotic)
a fermented product containing healthy enzymes
other natural ingredients to help with digestion, inflammation and more
Cons
some people may not like the herbaceous taste, at least initially
no information on the actual amount of live cultures (ie colony forming units)
Discount for you
Use discount code hellogut15 for 15% off on the Microbz website.
Factors we consider in our ratings
The factors we consider when doing a review (and the weightings of each of these) may vary depending on the product we are testing, but here are the key general factors we consider when we settle on a rating for a product.
Health benefits
We find out how the product will be good for your health and outline the benefits for you in simple language. This often involves doing research so you don’t have to. We often link to scientific studies or articles summarising scientific findings so you can dig deeper if you want to.
Things detrimental to health
We want to highlight where a product might include something bad for your health - even if it might be good for you in another way. This could include such things as pointing out certain additives it contains or high sugar levels.
How it’s made
This will vary depending on the product, but we want to see a quality process for making it and quality ingredients. For example, we want to see a kombucha traditionally fermented with lots of different microbial strains and we want to see a yoghurt made with fresh milk and not milk powders.
Price
While we expect quality products to be more expensive, they still have to be priced within reason. On the other side of things, a product which is priced very competitively will get a ratings boost based on the value it provides.
Flavour
For some products flavour won’t be a factor (eg probiotic tablets), but for others, like yoghurt or kimchi, flavour is a key aspect because these products are made to be enjoyed as well as being healthy! We will try to be as subjective as possible and describe the flavour in detail so you can get an idea of whether you would like it or not.
Your reviewer
This hands-on review was written by Travis, the founder of this website, long-time gut-health enthusiast, science nerd and passionate kombucha maker of over 10 years!
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