FAQs

Natren Probiotics FAQ:

Q. What are the differences between Healthy Trinity and Trenev Trio?

A. Trenev Trio is the NZ name for Healthy Trinity.- The US name. They are the same.  Trenev Trio is our most potent probiotic. It combines the three most powerful super strains of probiotics in one convenient capsule. So Trenev Trio and healthy Trinity are identical.

Q. What are the differences between powdered probiotics and capsules?

A. The capsules contain the same freeze-dried probiotics as the powders. The powders allow you to use the amount you desire and are better suited for people who have trouble swallowing capsules. The capsules offer the convenience of a pre-measured serving. Individual preference is the determining factor in selecting which one is right for you. With powders you don't have to wait for the gelatin capsule to be opne by your digestive system. If you are taking frequent dosing of the Natren probiotic during a day because you are unwell, then powder will work a little fast. The results of taking either the capsules or powders is excellent.

Q. How long should a baby take Life Start?

A. Life Start is the preferred, specially formulated probiotic for infants and toddlers up to the age of four to five. It can be taken continuously. It can also be used successfully by people of all ages or were born by Cesarean Section or were not breast-fed. If you want dairy free, use Life Start Vegan. If you want s goat milk version, use Life Start 2.

Q. Why do the products need to be refrigerated?

A. Like all living creatures, probiotics need to be protected from harsh environments. Their life-spans are diminished by heat, light and moisture. Natren products are packaged in dark glass bottles with tin lids to protect them from harmful light and moisture. They are shipped in thermally controlled boxes to keep them cool and extend their lives so they have guaranteed potency through the printed expiration date. 

Q. How much is too much of a good thing?

A. Natren supplements are safe at any level. You can combine various probiotics and increase the amount and the frequency until you achieve the desired results.

Q. If a probiotic is cultured on goat's milk, is that dairy free because it doesn't come from cows?

A. Goat's milk is still considered a dairy product; however, some people with sensitive digestive systems find it easier to digest. If you are allergic to milk protein, please consult your healthcare practitioner before using a product containing goat's milk.

Q. Do your products contain gluten?

A. All Natren probiotic supplements are free from gluten and gluten derivatives.

Q. Why does Natren recommend the use of unchilled, filtered (chlorine-free) water with their products and not ordinary tap water?

A. Tap water often contains chlorine or fluoride with pesticide residues and other undesirable chemicals. Since chlorine and fluoride are used to destroy harmful bacteria, these chemicals will harm the beneficial bacteria as well, thereby diminishing the positive effects.

Q. What is the ideal number of cfu to look for in probiotics?

A. Before you look at cfu, or colony forming units, you need to be sure you know what strains you are getting so you know if they are going to be effective. You can have many strains of bacteria in a product, but if they are not the right kind, they won't help you.

If you've identified the strain and it is clearly labeled, then you can turn your attention to the cfu. The minimum serving you should take is 1 billion cfu – it's the least amount of organisms needed to get a measurable effect. A therapeutic amount is around 10 billion cfu. Natren® has always listed potency of specific strains in cfu, when no other companies were doing that and the practice continues even today.

Q. What is the best way to protect probiotic bacteria from stomach acid?

A. The powder products are protected with the intrinsic supernatant, part of the original nourishing and protective culture medium, which provides a natural buffer against gastric acid. Trenev Trio does not open in the stomach, so it is not affected by the stomach acid. it opens in the large intestine. 

Micro-enrobing with a unique oil matrix is the best way to protect probiotic bacteria from stomach acid. Natren Healthy Trinity® is the first to introduce a micro-enrobing, unique delivery system – a hard gel capsule in which three super strains of probiotic bacteria are suspended in sunflower oil and vitamin E to keep the bacteria separate, noncompetitive and protected from gastric digestive juices for optimum absorption.

The bacteria strains must be bile-resistant. All Natren probiotics have laboratory-tested bile-resistant strains which will survive bile salts.

Q. What are the differences between the three strains of probiotic bacteria in Trenev Trio?

A. The unique and powerful strains that make up Trenev Trio are Lactobacillus acidophilus, NAS super strain, to optimise beneficial activity in the small intestine; Bifidobacterium bifidum, Malyoth super strain to support the function of the large intestine; and Lactobacillus bulgaricus, LB-51 super strain to police the transient flora, which is part of the 40 percent of dry-weight fecal matter.

Q. What Natren Products Are Suitable for Vegans?

A. Natren's Dairy Free Powders and Natrens Dairy Free Capsules. 

 All of Natren's Dairy Free POWDERS are Vegan; i.e. Superdophilus Dairy Free and Bifidonate Dairy Free Powder. Take 1 tsp. a day of each, up to three times a day for rapid results. Note: Bulgaricum Dairy Free is only available in veggie caps, not in powder form.

If you're not into taking powders, Natren also has a veggie cap system; so, any dairy-free powder in veggie caps is suitable for Vegans. All the products referenced above are available in Veggie Caps. Note: Bulgaricum Dairy Free is only available in veggie caps, not in powder form.

Q. How often should I be taking Probiotics?

A. Note: This is Natasha Trenev's, Natren's  founder and CEO, personal opinion and should not be construed as medical advice. Please consult with a medical doctor if you need more information.

"The dynamics of the internal 100 trillion microorganisms changes continually according to the following factors: genetic predisposition, aging, daily stress, consumption of antimicrobial substances including antibiotics, a poor diet that favors the growth of undesirable microorganisms, travel, microbes found in food, air, and water and daily elimination of waste. Up to 40% of dried weight fecal matter is bacteria thus a tremendous shift happens whenever we have a bowel movement. There are no other more compelling reasons to consume probiotic beneficial bacteria than the ones listed. I often tell people you like to eat and drink every day why wouldn't you want to positively influence the most important ecological factor for your health? I believe it is more important than diet and exercise...but that is my opinion based on 40 years of research in this field."


Pomi-T FAQ:

Q. What is in Pomi-T ®?

A. A vegetarian capsule containing green tea, pomegranate extract, broccoli and turmeric.

Q. Why was Pomi-T® developed
?

A. It was designed by a panel of doctors, scientists and nutritionists lead by an oncologist from Cambridge University UK specifically for a national randomised control trial. As well as their own research the panel looked how the polyphenols within these ingredients could work together to have a synergistic benefits.

Q. Does Pomi-T® contain any additives?

A.  There are no preservatives, colours or flavours.

Pomi-T® does not contain sugar unlike pomegranate juice which can contain a lot of sugar.

Q. Are you sure the ingredients are genuine and free from contaminant?

A. Absolutely – the manufacturers have a long and strong history of quality assurance and compliance with international standards. They also do their own in-house analysis of each ingredient looking for purity and authenticity. As Pomi-T ® was designed to be part of a national scientific study this quality assurance even included an mass spectrometry analysis from an independent University.

Q. Are the ingredients organic?

A. These are completely natural products but we cannot claim they are registered with the relevant organic certification bodies within the source countries, as some countries do not have that standard.

Q. What are the health benefits of polyphenol rich diets?

A. Diets rich in polyphenols, the natural plant-based phytochemicals found in healthy foods, have been linked with lower risks of chronic illnesses such as dementia, high cholesterol, arthritis, heart disease, skin ageing and macular degeneration. Well-conducted population studies have also linked their regular intake with lower risks of many cancers including breast, pancreatic, oesophageal, ovarian, prostate, and skin cancer. The anti-cancer effects of polyphenols, however, do not stop after a diagnosis of cancer. Breast cancer survivors eating polyphenol-rich fruit, vegetables, and green tea were found to have lower relapse rates. Individuals with skin cancer, who had a high intake of leafy green vegetables and broccoli, had lower rates of new cancer formation. A healthy lifestyle including a polyphenol rich diet has been linked to a slower rate of PSA progression among men with indolent prostate cancer. 

Q. Is there any published scientific evidence of a benefit for Pomi-T®?

A. The Food and Drug Authority (FDA) and the UK’s Medicines and Health Regulatory Authority (MHRA) has classed Pomi-T® as a food supplement and not a medicinal product so it cannot be recommended for any medical condition or claim any health benefits. That said, Pomi-T® is in a unique position that it was evaluated in a national scientific study, a double blind placebo controlled randomised trial, the results of which were presented at the World’s largest and most prestigious cancer conference (ASCO).

Q. What is the recommended intake?

A. Pomi-T® is not a drug so there is no specific dosage and it is designed to be taken as part of a healthy balanced diet.  One capsule twice daily to three times daily is recommended. Daily dosage depends on the food intake for that day. For example, a day with a diet including refined carbohydrates like sugar, flour would be recommended twice daily;  or three times a day if each meal contains refined carbohydrate eg a breakfast of refined cereal and toast, a lunch of bread or pastry, and dinner of refined flour as in pizza or pasta and a dessert.  Men within the Pomi-T trial took 2 capsules a day.

Q. Can Pomi-T® be taken by diabetics?

A. Pomi-T® can be taken by diabetics.

Q. What is the age limit for Pomi-T®?

A. Pomi-T® can be taken at the age of 16 and above.

Q. Does Pomi-T® have to be taken with food?

A. It doesn’t really matter but in the <5% who previously reported some mild indigestion it disappeared if they then took it with food. Taking Pomi-T® with a fish oil capsule may increase the absorption of the turmeric also this was not required for the study.

Q. How can you increase the absorption and bioavailablity of the ingredients of Pomi-T®.

A. The absorption of curcumin is increased by taking it with oily foods such as a good quality fish oil. The bioavailability of all four ingredients but particularly curcumin is increased by pepper so be very generous with pepper during meal times and take Pomi-T® with or around meal times.

Although we do not heat the broccoli to very high temperatures during development, there are reported that one of the polyphenols, myrosinase, is sensitive to heat. This does not apply to the main polyphenol sulforaphane and this is one of the main healthy ingredients. Myrosinase is known to activate sulforaphane so it would be a good idea to eat some raw cruciferous veg with pomi-t and meals in general (e.g radishes).

Q. Can I take Pomi-T® have if I am pregnant or breastfeeding?

A. There is no evidence that turmeric, broccoli, pomegranate or green tea adversely affects pregnancy, although the safety of these supplements in pregnancy and lactation has not been established.

Q. What are the side effects of Pomi-T®?

A. Independent scientific analysis from the Pomi-T trial showed no statistically significant difference in side effects between Pomi-T® and placebo. if people were given placebo in the trial this means they received an "empty" capsule or a capsule  with no active ingredient in it.

Q. Does Pomi-T® interact with other drugs?

A. Like some other fruit juices, pomegranate has a potential interaction with some drugs. There is, therefore, a small potential risk of reducing the metabolism and thereby increasing serum levels of medicines such as warfarin, anti-hypertensives such as captopril and ramipril, or anti-convulsants such as carbamazepine. Individuals on warfarin or these blood pressure tablets are not excluded from taking Pomi-T® and no adverse changes in blood pressure or INR were reported in men taking ramipril or warfarin in the Pomi-T study, but it may be advisable to repeat a blood pressure and an INR test within two weeks of starting Pomi-T.

Q. Can I take Pomi-T® during chemotherapy?

A. A laboratory test using cells in petri dishes suggest that high doses of polyphenols can have anti-oxidant activity which may potentially reduce the action of chemotherapy. This has not actually been substantiated in humans and there are ongoing studies registered with the National Cancer Institute to try to find out if they can reduce side effects of chemotherapy without reducing the effect.
In view of this potential interaction, until this issue has been scientifically resolved, consumption of Pomi-T® is best avoided 1 day before and 3 days after the administration of chemotherapy medication.

Q. How could Pomi-T® have an anti-cancer effect?

A.  Polyphenol rich food extracts have demonstrated anti-cancer effects in laboratory studies, particularly the four within Pomi-T®  In the laboratory, extracts of each ingredient demonstrated benefits when added to cancer cells grown in a petri dish including suppressing growth and markers of invasion and metastasis. The ingredients have been specifically selected not to have any hormonal (phytoestrogenic) effects but they do have some reported antioxidant properties. Benefits in humans of polyphenol supplements have been limited to small non-randomised studies except the Pomi-T study which showed a significant benefit of this specific polyphenol blend.

Q. Why were these four ingredients combined by the trial design committee?

A.  The hypothesis of the specific food blend within Pomi-T® is that combining foods from different categories (fruit, vegetable, spice and leaf) provides a broad range of polyphenols, each with their unique properties, whilst at the same time avoiding over-consumption of one particular type which could lead to excess if taken in the long term.

Q. Could it be possible that Pomi-T only affects PSA and not the underlying disease?

A.  Despite the short falls of PSA as a screening tool many doctors regard it as an an extremely useful surrogate for disease status in response to treatment especially if the velocity or doubling time is considered not just a single measurement. A drop in PSA after hormones or chemotherapy, for example, is nearly always associated with improvements in well being in the metastatic setting. In the early setting, one drug which actually reduces testosterone via an effect on the enzyme alpha reductase (finasteride) does drop PSA and it is thought that some strongly phytoestrogenic natural chemical could do the same such as soy and linseeds.

The ingredients of Pomi-T®, however, were specifically chosen not to have phytoestrogen properties. Furthermore, testosterone levels in men on Pomi-T®, measured in those who had been taking it for over 6 months , were completely normal.

Most reassuringly, retrospective analysis (at the request of the journal peer reviewers) of MRI scans taken routinely in the men on AS taking Pomi-T® in the study and afterwards did not not have a single case of radiological progress in a man who’s PSA was stable or very slowly rising. On the other hand, whereas in the men who had radiological progression their PSA’a had risen significantly and were taken off the surveillance programme for appropriate radical treatments or hormone therapies.

Q. Is it OK to use Pomi-T® if you have other cancers?

A. The scientific committee designed the first experimental evaluation of Pomi-T® in men with prostate cancer because it is a common condition and easy to investigate as often, in the early stages men were not taking any other treatments – so it is easier to attribute the affect on the cancer to the actual Pomi-T. The background laboratory experiments, however, reported the same positive effects across a number of tumour types. The scientific committee are, therefore, planning a series of studies involving different stages of prostate cancer (including men on hormones and post radical treatments including surgery and radiotherapy) and other types including CLL, ovarian, breast and bowel cancer but in the mean time we cannot say anything for sure.

Q. What other studies are in the pipeline for Pomi-T®?

A. All 4 ingredients have anti-inflammatory properties, so the latest trial will evaluate the effect of Pomi-T® on arthritis.

Q. What other lifestyle factors can I consider to help me?

A. It must be remembered that, taking Pomi-T® regularly is only one part of a healthy lifestyle programme. These include exercising more than 3 hours a week, maintaining a normal weight, optimising your micronutrient levels,  stopping smoking, avoiding carcinogens in food and the environment and eating plenty of herbs, spices, green vegetables and colourful fruits and berries.

Q. Should I take Pomi-T® at a certain time of day?

A. Pomi-T® can be at a dosage of one capsule twice a day. You can take it with or without food, but those with sensitive stomachs are recommended to take it after food, for example after breakfast and after lunch which will give you protection throughout the day.

Q. Can food supplements be taken together with medicinal products?

A. Since Pomi-T® contains only 4 whole food ingredients, if your doctor has not advised you to take any particular types of foods apart from your medicines, it is unlikely that you will need to take any special precautions.

Q. Can I take Pomi-T® with my usual supplements such as glucosamine, multivitamins and omega etc. If I take Pomi-T®, can I still take these supplements? Can Pomi-T® replace all these supplements? If not, can I take all these supplements with Pomi-T® at the same time?

A. Yes, you can continue to take your usual supplements. Pomi-T® is meant to be taken as part of a healthy diet. The formulation of Pomi-T® is different from most other supplements, and it is not meant to replace other supplements. Avoid taking Pomi-T® at the same time as supplements that are meant to be taken apart from food.

Q. Storage. Do I have to keep Pomi-T® in the refrigerator?

A. Pomi-T® should be stored in a cool dry place away from light. Storage in the refrigerator is acceptable.

Q. Are there any concerns with taking Pomi-T® while I am on prescription medications?

A. The doses of ingredients in Pomi-T® are unlikely to cause any practical issues with taking Pomi-T® while on prescription medications. However as a precaution, if you are on warfarin, please let your doctor know before taking Pomi-T®. It is advised to monitor INR levels within the first 2 weeks of starting Pomi-T®. Study participants who were on warfarin in the Pomi-T study did not experience problems from drug interactions.

Q. How much caffeine is in Pomi-T®?

A. A Pomi-T® capsule contains the equivalent of 150mg of green tea with 2.4 mg of caffeine. For reference, a cup of decaffeinated coffee has 2-12 mg caffeine, and a can of coke has 32 mg caffeine.

Q. If I am sensitive to caffeine, can I still taking Pomi-T®?

A. You may still consider taking Pomi-T®, as the amount of caffeine due to its green tea content is very low. A Pomi-T® capsule contains the equivalent of 150mg of green tea with 2.4 mg of caffeine. For reference, a cup of decaffeinated coffee has 2-12 mg caffeine, and a can of coke has 32 mg caffeine.

If you have an allergy to caffeine, i.e. develop hives, rashes, difficulty breathing, then do not take Pomi-T.

Q. How long will it take for me to feel the effects of the supplements?

A. Just as the effects of a healthy diet are long term and are seen over a lifetime, it is difficult to say when you would feel an observable effect from supplements. However, we do know that it is always important to maintain a balanced diet for good health.

Q. Do I have to take Pomi-T® every day? Can I take every alternate day?

A. Polyphenols act as antioxidants and provide the anti-inflammatory power contained in fruits and vegetables. They protect cells and body chemicals against tissue damage caused by free radicals. Hence, one is strongly recommended to consumer Pomi-T® daily.

Q. If I cannot consume capsules, what are the other alternatives to take Pomi-T®?

A. You can open the capsule and pour the ingredients onto your food.

Q. A recent paper suggested isoflanones may be linked to an increased prostate cancer risk – how does this effect pomi-t?.

A. The paper suggested a possible association with high intake of phytoestrogenic isoflavones such as those in clover, soya extracts, saw palmetto with a higher risk of prostate cancer. The scientific committee were already aware of this potential link a long time ago so deliberated did not include isoflavone rich foods in the bioactive ingredients of Pomi-t