Last reviewed October 28, 2026 by the Cellovi team.
The short answer
Probiotics are live bacteria that, taken in adequate amounts, support your health. Two things on the label tell you most of what matters. First, the strains, named down to the strain code. Second, the CFU (colony-forming units) count: how many live bacteria you get per serving. Effects depend on the strain, so naming strains is the starting point for any well-made probiotic. A bigger CFU number is not automatically better. Cellovi Probiotic gives you 40 billion CFU a day from four named, well-characterized strains. Give it at least 4 weeks of daily use.*
Our grade: Growing for well-studied probiotic species like these and everyday digestive health. Frontier for immune support and for strain-specific benefits: promising human research, growing fast.
What makes something a probiotic
The scientific definition is "live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host" (International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics consensus, Hill et al., 2014). Three words carry the weight: live, adequate and benefit.
The same experts made a useful distinction. Supporting a healthy digestive tract counts as a general benefit of well-studied Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species. Other benefits, including immune effects, are more likely to depend on the exact strain. That is how we grade our own product above.
How to read a probiotic label
| On the label | What it means |
|---|---|
| Genus and species | The broad group and the type of bacteria, for example Bifidobacterium lactis |
| Strain code | The specific strain, for example Bl-04. This is what research is linked to. |
| CFU | Colony-forming units: the number of live bacteria per serving |
| Proprietary blend | The total amount of the blend, with strains listed by amount. Each strain's own count is not required. |
| Storage | Refrigerated or shelf-stable. Either works if the product is made and stored for it. |
Sources: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements; 21 CFR 101.36; FDA draft guidance on CFU labeling, 2018.
What CFU means
- Typical range. Many probiotic supplements contain 1 to 10 billion CFU per dose, and some contain 50 billion or more (NIH ODS). Studies in healthy adults have used from about 2 billion to over 40 billion a day, so 40 billion is at the generous end of the studied range.
- Why 40 billion. Higher doses help more bacteria make it through the gut. When healthy adults took a four-strain blend with the same four species as ours, two of them the identical strains La-14 and Bl-04, more of the strains were recovered in stool at the higher dose, and sooner (Taverniti et al., 2019).
- Live bacteria are sensitive. Heat and humidity reduce counts over time, so keep the lid tight and the bottle in a cool, dry place.
The four strains in Cellovi Probiotic
All four are established, well-characterized strains used in probiotic products around the world.
| Strain | What human research shows |
|---|---|
| L. acidophilus La-14 | In a placebo-controlled study of healthy adults, it was linked to a stronger antibody response to an oral vaccine (Paineau et al., 2008). |
| B. lactis Bl-04 | In the same study, it was also linked to a stronger antibody response to an oral vaccine (Paineau et al., 2008). |
| L. plantarum Lp-115 | Part of a six-strain formula, with Bl-04 and Lpc-37 too, at the same 40 billion CFU as ours. In a 4-week placebo-controlled trial in adults with irregular bowel habits, it eased digestive symptoms and left people more satisfied with their regularity (Zheng et al., 2023). |
| L. paracasei Lpc-37 | Studied in healthy university students for up to 10 weeks during exam season: well tolerated, with digestion that stayed steady through a stressful season (Mäkelä et al., 2023). |
The strains are well characterized and generally safe, and supporting digestive health is the best-established benefit of probiotic species like these.*
What else is in the capsule
- MAKTREK® Bi-Pass Technology: a marine polysaccharide complex its manufacturer designed to help protect probiotics through stomach acid.
- FOS, fructooligosaccharides (24 mg): a prebiotic fiber that gut bacteria can feed on. Prebiotic studies use grams a day (Bouhnik et al., 2004), so this is a small supporting amount, alongside fiber from food. For more, eat fiber-rich foods such as onions, garlic, bananas, oats and beans.
How to take it
- 2 capsules a day: 1 with a daytime meal and 1 with your evening meal. In a lab model of digestion, bacteria survived best when taken with a meal or just before it, rather than after (Tompkins et al., 2011).
- Take it every day. Probiotic bacteria tend to stay only while you keep taking them (NIH ODS).
- Give it at least 4 weeks. Some people notice mild changes, such as gas, in the first week as the gut adjusts.
- Taking an antibiotic? Ask your pharmacist how to time your probiotic around it.
Who should check with a doctor first
Probiotics have a long history of apparently safe use in healthy people, and side effects are usually minor (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health; NIH ODS). Talk to your doctor first if you:
- have a weakened immune system, a serious illness or a central line, or are recovering from surgery;
- are pregnant or breastfeeding;
- are buying for a child. Cellovi Probiotic is made for adults, and the FDA has warned against giving probiotics to premature infants in hospital care (summarized by NIH ODS).
Where it fits in your day
Cellovi Probiotic 40 Billion is shelf-stable, $1.30 a day, with a 3-month supply option. It is part of the Gut & Immunity Protocol, with Colostrum Powder.*
Common questions
Is a higher CFU count better?
Not automatically. Effects depend on the strain, so named strains come first. Higher doses do help more bacteria make it through the gut, and 40 billion is at the generous end of the range studied in healthy adults.
When is the best time to take a probiotic?
With a meal or just before it: in a lab model of digestion, bacteria survived best that way. Cellovi Probiotic is 1 capsule with a daytime meal and 1 with your evening meal.
Do probiotics need to be refrigerated?
Not always. Refrigerated or shelf-stable both work if the product is made and stored for it, and Cellovi Probiotic is shelf-stable. Keep the lid tight and the bottle in a cool, dry place.
How long does a probiotic take to work?
Give it at least 4 weeks of daily use. Some people notice mild gas in the first week as the gut adjusts, and the bacteria tend to stay only while you keep taking them.*
Sources
- Hill C et al. The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics consensus statement on the scope and appropriate use of the term probiotic. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 2014.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Probiotics: fact sheets for health professionals and consumers.
- US Food and Drug Administration. Draft guidance: policy regarding quantitative labeling of dietary supplements containing live microbials, 2018.
- Code of Federal Regulations, 21 CFR 101.36: nutrition labeling of dietary supplements.
- Taverniti V et al. Effect of cell concentration on the persistence in the human intestine of four probiotic strains administered through a multispecies formulation. Nutrients, 2019.
- Paineau D et al. Effects of seven potential probiotic strains on specific immune responses in healthy adults: a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial. FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology, 2008.
- Mäkelä SM et al. Efficacy and safety of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei Lpc-37 in students facing examination stress. Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health, 2023.
- Bouhnik Y et al. The capacity of nondigestible carbohydrates to stimulate fecal bifidobacteria in healthy humans: a dose-response relation study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2004.
- Tompkins TA, Mainville I, Arcand Y. The impact of meals on a probiotic during transit through a model of the human upper gastrointestinal tract. Beneficial Microbes, 2011.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Probiotics: usefulness and safety.
- Zheng Y et al. Effect of a probiotic formula on gastrointestinal health, immune responses and metabolic health in adults with functional constipation or functional diarrhea. Frontiers in Nutrition, 2023.
*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.