Frequently Asked Questions

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Payment and Shipping

How quickly will Elixa arrive in the mail?

We ship worldwide…. for free!

Shipping Times

U.K. – 1-2 Business days

USA – 2-5 Business days (Tracking included for all orders!)

Europe (except Italy) – 3-5 Business days

Italy & Australia – 5 – 18 business days

The rest of the world – 5-10 business days

Please note that these times are only approximate and vary based on the efficiency of your country’s customs and postal service once it reaches your mainland. All post outside the UK is sent by air to reach you as soon as possible. Elixa is completely stable at room temperature for many months, therefore, there will be no loss of quality for any location or transit time.

Exclusions

Unfortunately – due to customs clearance delays –  we do NOT ship to the following countries:

United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, South Africa, Uruguay

This list is subject to change as our distribution network expands. If you accidentally make a purchase from these countries; don’t worry! We will refund the entire amount immediately.

Do you have a tracking number for my order?

For USA orders we dispatch from within the US itself and all orders will receive an email with tracking link on the evening that they are dispatched.

For all other destinations – in order to offer free worldwide shipping – we do not use a tracked service. Instead we use a very reliable air mail service: Parcelforce Worldwide – the international arm of The Royal Mail Group.

Within the UK we use the Royal Mail.

How much is the postage to my country?

We charge zero for postage, for every country!

Will Elixa lose viability during the delivery time?

No. Each dose of Elixa is hermetically sealed. This maintains the viability throughout the delivery and for many months after that! Our demand is so high that we are usually fulfilling orders direct from our production line anyway!

See this video for more details. CLICK HERE

Where can I buy Elixa?

You can buy Elixa online right here on this website.

Do I need a Paypal account to buy Elixa?

No. You can use your card without any Paypal account needed. Paypal handles the card transactions without requiring an account. Simply enter your card details as usual. Paypal offers buyer protection and we use it to offer peace of mind to all our customers.

What currencies do you accept?

We accept US Dollar, British Pound, Canadian Dollar, Australian Dollar, and Euro. 
However, you do not need to possess any of these currencies to make a purchase. PayPal will do a conversion from the currency you have in your account or on your card for a small conversion fee.

What is your refund policy?

We will refund or replace any order which has been damaged during transit to any extent that compromises the quality of the product – e.g. a tear in the sachets. This is extremely unlikely however and has never happened to date. We aim to please our customers with great service and will remedy any problems wherever we can! Just get in touch and we’ll help you out.

I did not receive a dispatch confirmation email. Has my order been dispatched?

If you have just placed an order, you should receive a confirmation email. This will confirm your order has been received and is being processed. We do not send a second email to confirm dispatch, because all orders are processed live and dispatched same-day thus there is no point to clog your inbox with emails!

If you did not receive any email, then please check your spam folder. Sometimes your webmail provider may bounce or block the email, mistakenly thinking they are spam.

As always, please get in touch if you have any concerns whatsoever.

Will customs open my package?

Rarely. Sometimes customs’ officers will take packages at random to screen them. If this occurs they will simply affix a sticker to say it has been passed and you will receive it as normal (possibly with a 1-2 day delay due to their routine, random inspection). This very rarely occurs for our Elixa dispatches to most countries. A small number of countries will inspect very frequently and/or cause significant delays or misplacements. This is the only reason for the small list of excluded countries for which we do not post to.

Will I pay import duty?

For the UK: No. We manufacture and dispatch Elixa from within the UK.

For the USA: No you will not pay any import tax/duty because we ship Elixa from our US warehouse.

For EU countries: Now that the UK is not in the EU, several EU countries will charge an import fee of a few Euros in value.
Not all EU countries do this, and the ones that do, do not do it every time.
Please note that this fee goes to your government tax revenue and to the Customs’ department administration. We do not receive it, therefore, we can not refund it.

For countries outside of the EU (not including USA and UK) : Most of the time these countries do not charge an import duty (for example Hong Kong, Australia, etc.). However, on very rare occasion they may do so. This is the recipient’s responsibility to pay.

Do you ship to members of the Armed Forces on deployment?

Yes; we do and we have. Send us your usual military postal receiving address and our courier will enter it into your logistics supply chain as per usual.

Can I take Elixa if….

Can children and babies take Elixa?

We do not advise this. We like to play it safe with young’uns. Our official recommendation is that you do not give Elixa to any child under 5 years of age and start with a half dose size for any children under 12. Newborns have not even stabilised their gut flora for several months after birth (and several more than that if born by C-section), so please do not use Elixa with infants. Unadulterated mother’s breast milk is the optimal substance for a baby to build a healthy gut flora. It contains prebiotics (and even some probiotics!) perfectly suited for an infant.

Any child over 12 must be supervised during the swallowing of each daily dose, to avoid any risk of choking on the capsules.

Can pregnant or breastfeeding women take Elixa?

We advise you to consult your GP/Family Doctor first. We have had several people in this category consume Elixa with no issues reported.

Are there any medical conditions that prevent me from taking Elixa?

Yes – but not commonly occurring ones. Do not take Elixa if you have any of the following: Short bowel syndrome, other anatomical intestinal defects, surgery on the intestine or stomach, intestinal blind-loops, colostomy, colectomy, immunodeficiency syndromes such as HIV/AIDS, a severely compromised immune system, inability to swallow capsules or high risk of choking when swallowing.

For the vast majority of people, there are absolutely no problems with taking Elixa!

Can I take Elixa if I have SIBO?

SIBO is an acronym for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth and refers to a concentration of bacteria within the small intestine that is significantly higher than the norm.

Many people who have concluded they had SIBO have reported that they benefited from taking Elixa.

N.B.
I use the word ‘concluded’ because many people believe they have SIBO based on a list of symptoms and the speed at which they may feel bloating after eating meals. Both the list of symptoms and bloating shortly after eating can be explained by a case of large intestinal dysbiosis- as opposed to SIBO.

The Hydrogen/Methane breath test is not foolproof and the best way to diagnose SIBO is via a culture count of an aspiration of small intestinal fluid.

The only circumstance that we recommend against taking Elixa is if both of the following conditions are met (1) you have been diagnosed with SIBO by a medical doctor and (2) the SIBO is due to an anatomical/physical defect in your small intestine or a severe dysfunction in the motility of your small intestine.

Unless those two conditions are met, we advise that you are fine to take Elixa 🙂

What medicines, supplements, or food can/can’t be taken during the course?

Can I swallow my Elixa using my morning coffee, fruit juice, milk, soda/carbonated drink, etc?

Let’s face it – many of us drink coffee in the morning. And the morning is the time of day we recommend to take Elixa. So drinking coffee with Elixa is fine. I am not going to give you impractical advice that is a pain in the neck to comply with! But please don’t use the hot liquid to actually swallow the capsules. Drinking the coffee before/afterwards is fine.

Many carbonated drinks are acidic. Avoid drinking these at the same time as Elixa. Drinking them throughout the Elixa course is perfectly fine; just not around the consumption time of Elixa.

Is there anything I should avoid taking with Elixa?

Asides from avoiding hot or acidic beverages around the 5 minute window that you consume Elixa, you can continue your usual diet and supplement regime. But try to separate consumption of any anti-microbial supplements you are taking from the time you take Elixa, by a few hours.

For general gut health though – Avoid drinking large amounts of sugar-filled drinks, protein shakes, or milk. 

Can I take potato starch and/or inulin with Elixa?

YES – If you are already taking them and they are benefiting you, then continue taking them.

or

NO – If you are not yet taking them then do not begin them at the same time as taking Elixa. This would obfuscate the results. Knowing precisely what changes are brought about by Elixa (versus some other change in diet/supplements) is essential to establish whether Elixa is right for you and how you would like to approach your treatment going forward.

Can I take other prebiotics with Elixa?

If you are currently taking them, then continue to do so.

If you are not yet taking them then do not begin them at the same time as taking Elixa. This would obfuscate the results. Knowing precisely what changes are brought about by Elixa (versus some other change in diet/supplements) is essential to establish whether Elixa is right for you and how you would like to approach your treatment going forward.

Can I take protein shakes with Elixa?

If possible, avoid taking protein shakes with Elixa. Separate by several hours wherever possible. I do not think that protein shakes are good for gut health at all

My view on protein shakes is such because liquid is handled in a different manner than solid food by the gastrointestinal tract. Large amounts of protein are supposed to be retained in the stomach for a long period of time to be subjected to protease action in the presence of a low pH. It will then be slowly titrated into the small intestine in the form of digested proteins and amino acids, further broken down, and then absorbed accordingly.
 
When it is in liquid form it is more likely to rush on through the stomach and enter the small intestine in an undigested state. This means you have a higher volume of protein entering the small intestine. This could result in undigested protein making its way to the large intestine and feeding bacteria that it ought not to (since it ought not be there in that quantity, all things being natural!).
 
A piece of meat can stay in your stomach for up to 4 hours, slowly breaking down and being absorbed. It’s solid, mushy texture allows it to be carefully manipulated by our smooth muscle within the stomach and small intestine.
Contrast that with a protein shake surging down your esophagus, splashing into your stomach, through the pyloric sphincter, and onwards through your small intestine – where the peristaltic muscle action has little control over it due to its liquid form.
 
Bodybuilders represent a huge group of long-term users of protein shakes and are an excellent way to research anecdotal reports of the effect of protein shakes on digestive function. Many reference bad smelling flatulence and poor bowel movements. Another symptom often reported is the worsening or development of blemished skin or acne (regardless of whether the protein shake is lactose free). These are all signs of dysbiosis.

General Elixa questions

What's inside my Elixa box?

Inside your Elixa box you will find 6 sachets and an instruction leaflet. Each sachet contains one daily dose. They are hermetically sealed within an aluminium laminate total-barrier to humidity and oxygen. This provides excellent viability for every dose! Simply tear the sachet using the pre-cut notch and pour out your capsules.

What's the best diet to eat during the course?

Dietary modifications are not advised to be made at the same time as you begin your first course of Elixa. When you begin Elixa you will want to keep as many other variables as constant as possible. This means keeping your diet and supplement regimen the same as usual while you begin your first course. The reason for this is to allow you to clearly assess what benefit Elixa is to you without any conflicting or overlapping results caused by a simultaneous dietary change. 

For gut health in general, my advice would be to replace all carbohydrates from the following categories:

– wheat-based (bread, pasta, etc.)

– maize/corn-based

With the carbohydrates from the following sources:

– Yams

– Cassava

– Potato

– Rice

In moderation:

– Plantain

– Green Banana

– Sweet Potato

The reason for these recommendations are due to the difference in the type of FODMAP/prebiotic/fibre contained within.

This will be explained in depth in an upcoming article.

These changes should not to be implemented at the same time as beginning Elixa for the first time.

When can I repeat the course?

You can repeat the course whenever you wish to boost numbers of probiotic bacteria to your gut. Most first time users will take a second course directly after their first course, and then take a course once every few weeks/months for a topup. We would especially recommend repeating the course after any periods of stress, illness, antibiotic usage, or prolonged consumption of junk food and alcohol. More serious cases of dysbiosis may warrant a higher number of courses to begin with.

Are there any temporary side effects to expect during the course?

A very small number of users may experience mild side effects during the first 1 to 3 days. These are temporary and not detrimental to the effect of Elixa. They are simply transistion phases. They may include – an increase in intestinal motility resulting in softer stools than usual, very mild nausea, mild contraction sensations in the stomach. These have only been reported a handful of times out of thousands of users, and they are all fully understood and pose no detrimental effect to the user. Get in touch if you are unsure about anything! 

What is the shelf life of Elixa?

2 years, if kept in a cool place. You can find the expiration date on the bottom of every pack. You may store in the fridge if you plan to wait a long time before beginning your course.

See this video for more details. CLICK HERE

How should I store Elixa?

In a cool, dry place. Away from direct sunlight. You may store in the fridge if you plan to wait several weeks before beginning your course. Short term exposure to moderate-high ambient temperatures is acceptable (e.g. a few hours in a hot mailbox or a few hours in your car on a hot day, is fine). This advice all pertains to sealed Elixa. Unsealed Elixa should not be kept longer than 1 day before consumption. Each dose is individually sealed so that the seal is breached for a mere few seconds before the dose is consumed. Quality of the product is our highest priority.

See this video for more details. CLICK HERE

What is Elixa designed to treat?

Elixa is not a medical supplement – it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

It is a high strength probiotic utilising Fortress-5 technology. We encourage you to perform your own research to establish whether a probiotic will benefit you.

What is the best time of day to take Elixa?

In the morning on an empty stomach.

What is Elixa?

Elixa is a revolutionary new high-strength probiotic, utilising Fortress-5 technology developed in the UK by founder and director, Karl Seddon. Elixa has received tremendously positive feedback and the product’s reputation has been spread by word-of-mouth by our generous customers! Most importantly, Elixa is a constant work-in-progress. Updates will occur at regular intervals as research and development advances.

Why is the program 6 days long?

We believe that short courses of high strength probiotics is a superior approach to low dose, long-term intake of probiotics.

How quickly will I see the results?

As we can not stipulate the precise results you can expect (due to a variance in every user) we can not give specifics. However, we can say that if Elixa is of benefit to you, then you will know about it within the first 1-2 courses. No waiting around for months on end!

Is there a long term maintenance version of Elixa?

No. We do not believe this is the optimal approach to probiotics and so we do not make this offering.

Why is Elixa so much more effective than other probiotics I've tried in the past?

The CFU count and the Fortress-5 technology. We also offer a large range of species (11 in total) in our blend, selected from two genera (Lactobacilli and Bifidobacterium). The most important thing is: We are a company of research and development. Elixa is continually improving and we will be at the forefront of probiotic technology. Choose Elixa if you wish to fulfill the true potential of a healthy microbiome that all the emerging scientific findings are alluding to! Here at Elixa we believe that a dysbiosis of the microbiome is the cause of numerous maladies of the modern age.

How do you avoid many of the commonly-used artificial fillers in your blend?

We have worked hard to ensure that the transition to mass production has not sacrificed product quality. We take extra expense and manufacturing complexities on our end, to provide a superior outcome for users of Elixa.

Can I take a larger or smaller dose than recommended?

We advise against deviating from the recommended dosage. If you are very cautious from past experience with other probiotics, it is acceptable to separate the first dose over three days to test things out. You would then proceed at the full daily dosage for the remain 5 doses.

Do I need to wait before eating after I've taken my dose?

No need to wait to eat solid food after taking Elixa. We advise against taking liquid nutrition, prebiotic/fibre shakes, protein shakes, and sugary drinks (including large amounts of fruit juice) directly after Elixa. This is to avoid any fermentation of these substrates within the small intestine before Elixa has reached its final destination – the large intestine.

Can I drink alcohol during the Elixa course?

Yes.

Can I take Elixa during a course of antibiotics?

Yes – except for Rifaximin. We advise against taking Elixa at the same time as Rifaximin.

I can see undigested capsule sections in my stool

With the updates to Fortress-5 in August 2015 (to Mk2) we stepped up the gastric resistance of the capsules even further. This delays the time it takes for them to open up and release their contents in the digestive tract. This aims to move the point of release further away from the stomach and closer to the large intestine. This would increase both the viability of the dose and make the dose arrive at the large intestine in a more closely bunched group. Both of which are the holy grail of probiotic delivery.

The update worked extremely well! Better than expected; to the extent that a few users are noticing visible portions of the capsule shell in their stool.

Of course, the capsule contents have long since been released within the large intestine – Only the empty shell remains and is excreted. This is a good thing. The capsule is a delivery vehicle and not the active ingredient. There is no need for it to be broken down and absorbed. The more intact it is by the end of the journey through your digestive tract, logically the longer it took to split open and release its contents (the aim of the technology).

What species are in the blend?

Lactobacillus Plantarum, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus, Lactobacillus Reuteri, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Helveticus, Lactobacillus Salivarius, Bifidobacterium Bifidum, Bifidobacterium Lactis, Bifidobacterium Longum, and Bifidobacterium Breve.

How do I contact you?

You can contact Karl (the founder) directly here and he will be happy to help you out with any questions you have! There are no template responses and generic replies from us! Karl takes his time to cover all customer correspondence himself and reply with a detailed response to any queries you may have.

Have a question not answered here? Get in touch and we’ll help you out! Click here.