Interactions on record — worth a quick check against your medications. Based on 2 of 6 ingredients. Check your meds →
Dietary supplement

ActivBiotics Ingredients & Drug Interactions

by Natural Cell Supplements

Capsule Category: Other Combinations
Most serious interaction: Moderate
The interaction bottom line Most serious interaction: Moderate

ActivBiotics is a dietary supplement by Natural Cell Supplements with 6 active ingredients. Its ingredients are commonly taken for digestive and gut health, prebiotic to support good bacteria, constipation relief.Based on those ingredients, 182 medications have a known interaction with it, the most serious rated moderate. The ingredients most likely to interact are Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-14. Use the checker below to test your specific medication, or read the full HelloPharmacist Interaction Report.

HelloPharmacist Scorecard of ActivBiotics by Natural Cell Supplements

Our pharmacy team’s full take, with four database checks built into the cards below — a summary of what is known, not a grade of the product itself.

From our pharmacy team — supplement deep dive

What’s inside

Low disclosure
Ingredient Transparency · database check
Low

Most active ingredients don't disclose an individual amount — you can't tell how much of each you're getting.

Why this rating?
  • The label discloses an exact amount for 0 of its 6 active ingredients.
  • “Proprietary Blend of Probiotic Bacteria” is a proprietary blend — the label doesn't break down how much of each component you get.

ActivBiotics contains six active ingredients — four species of live beneficial bacteria (probiotics) plus fructooligosaccharides and a marine polysaccharide complex. The probiotic bacteria are meant to support your gut health, while the fructooligosaccharides act as a food source (called a prebiotic) to help those bacteria thrive.

The product also contains three inactive ingredients: cellulose, rice maltodextrin, and L-leucine, which are used to make and stabilize the capsule.

Does it work?

Moderate evidence
Evidence for Intended Use · database check
By FDA rules, dietary supplements can’t claim to treat, cure, or prevent disease — so labels speak in careful marketing language. We discern each product’s intended use from its name, label claims, and label statements, then grade the clinical evidence for that use. How these ratings are computed
Moderate

Some clinical evidence supports this product's ingredients for its stated purpose, but it isn't conclusive.

Why this rating?
  • The label markets this product for: healthy digestion and intestinal health.
  • We looked for evidence on: Antibiotic-associated diarrhea, Bacterial vaginosis, Clostridioides difficile infection, Colic, Constipation, Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — and 4 related terms.
  • The strongest evidence on file: Lactobacillus Acidophilus is rated "Possibly Effective" for Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (Natural Medicines).
  • Also on file: Lactobacillus Acidophilus is rated "Possibly Effective" for Bacterial vaginosis, Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
  • Also on file: Fructo-oligosaccharides (fos) is rated "Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate" for Constipation.

For the probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus in this product, the evidence suggests it may be effective for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), possibly effective for certain cases of Helicobacter pylori infection, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and bacterial vaginosis. For the other bacterial strains — Bifidobacterium animalis lactis, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Lactobacillus paracasei — we don't hold effectiveness data in our records.

Fructooligosaccharides have insufficient evidence to support claims about osteoporosis, constipation, diabetes, travelers' diarrhea, or high cholesterol. Overall, the evidence base for this combination as a whole is limited.

The evidence, ingredient by ingredient Fructo-oligosaccharides (fos) Lactobacillus Acidophilus

How safe is it?

Well-documented data
Safety Information · database check
Well characterized

Adverse-effect, pregnancy, and general safety data are on file for most of these ingredients.

Why this rating?
  • We hold adverse-effect (side-effect) data for 2 of the 2 matched ingredients.
  • Pregnancy & breastfeeding safety ratings cover 2 of 2.
  • General safety write-ups exist for 2 of 2.
  • Remember: this measures how much safety information exists. Thin data is not the same as being safe.

Lactobacillus acidophilus is generally well tolerated in healthy adults and children. Gastrointestinal side effects from probiotics can include abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, and burping, though these are uncommon.

Fructooligosaccharides may cause gas, bloating, flatulence, and abdominal pain — these can be more noticeable at higher doses, though a clinical review found they don't consistently increase symptoms at doses under 10 grams daily. Because supplement-level doses of fructooligosaccharides aren't well studied, check with your doctor before taking this product.

Very rarely, Lactobacillus acidophilus has been linked to serious infections in certain patients; this risk is thought to be low in healthy people but worth discussing with your healthcare provider beforehand.

Side effects, ingredient by ingredient Fructo-oligosaccharides (fos) Lactobacillus Acidophilus

Meds to double-check

Moderate interaction found
Known Interaction Concern · database check
Moderate identified

The most serious documented interaction for these ingredients is Moderate. Check your medications for a personalized result.

Why this rating?
  • 1 of the 2 matched ingredients can interact with medications — Lactobacillus Acidophilus.
  • The most serious interaction on file is rated Moderate.
  • For scale: 182 individual medications appear in the full list. A big number alone doesn't make a product dangerous — what matters is whether YOUR medication is on it, so run yours through the interaction checker on this page.

If you take antibiotic drugs, space out your doses from this product — the antibiotics can kill the live bacteria in ActivBiotics and make it less effective. We couldn't check the other ingredients for drug interactions, so use the medication checker below if you take any other prescriptions or supplements.

Check your own medication Run your meds through the checker above

The bottom line

Scorecard at a glanceFormula with limited ingredient disclosure with some supporting evidence for its stated purpose. Moderate medication interactions have been identified, and safety information is well characterized.

This probiotic blend may help with IBS or antibiotic-associated diarrhea, though the evidence is limited and the other strains aren't well established. If you're on antibiotics, talk to your pharmacist about timing to get the most benefit.

Start with your doctor or pharmacist if you have any health concerns, and watch for gas or bloating as you begin.

Educational only — not medical advice; always confirm with your pharmacist. Our editorial policy · How we use AI

Assessment coverage: 2 of 6 active ingredients matched to our full ingredient reviews (monographs). Based on the product label dated Oct 24, 2024.

This Scorecard evaluates available label information, ingredient evidence, and known medication-safety considerations. It does not independently verify product identity, purity, potency, contamination, or manufacturing quality. How these ratings are computed

At a glance

General information

Key facts about ActivBiotics, straight from the product label.

Brand Natural Cell Supplements
Barcode (UPC) 862925000417
Net contents 60 Capsule(s)
Market status On market
Date entered into DSLD Oct 24, 2024
DSLD ID 317931
Product type Other Combinations
Supplement form Capsule
Dietary claims / uses All Other, Structure/Function
Intended target group(s) Adult (18 - 50 Years), Gluten Free, Sugar Free
From the label
Everything in this section is reproduced from the manufacturer’s own product label — it’s the label speaking, not HelloPharmacist. We show it so you can see exactly what the maker states; we don’t verify or endorse those statements.

Supplement Facts

The label details for ActivBiotics by Natural Cell Supplements, sourced from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database.

Supplement Facts

Daily Value (DV) Target Group(s):
Adults and children 4 or more years of age
Minimum serving Sizes:
2 Capsule(s)
Maximum serving Sizes:
2 Capsule(s)
Servings per container
30
UPC/BARCODE
862925000417
IngredientAmount% DV
Bifidobacterium animalis lactis BL-040 NP--
Lactobacillus plantarum LP-1150 NP--
Fructooligosaccharides0 NP--
Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-140 NP--
Lactobacillus paracasei LPC-370 NP--
Marine Polysaccharide Complex0 NP--
Proprietary Blend of Probiotic Bacteria0 NP--

Other ingredients: Cellulose, Rice Maltodextrin, L-Leucine

Tap any ingredient to jump to its full detail below.

Label statements
These statements are the manufacturer’s wording, reproduced from the product label — the label is saying it, not HelloPharmacist. We don’t verify or endorse them.
Suggested/Recommended/Usage/Directions

Suggested use: As a dietary supplement, take 2 capsules once daily. For best results, take one (1) capsule during the day and one (1) capsule in the evening. Repeat the process daily. Do not exceed two capsules per day.

Precautions

Do not exceed two capsules per day.

Caution: Keep out of reach of children.

Do not use if safety seal is damaged or missing.

Formula

ActivBiotics offers a balanced spectrum of live organisms. Probiotic bacteria are critical for healthy digestion, help maintain the integrity of the intestinal lining, support proper intestinal motility and participate in the detoxification process.

ActivBiotics 40 billion CFU w/ MAKTrek Bi-Pass Technology

Storage

This product is formulated with 40 billion CFU per 2 caps and to deliver a minimum potency of 20 billion CFU per 2 caps through the best by date.

Store in a cool, dry place.

FDA Disclaimer Statement

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.

Seals/Symbols

Made in USA

Formulation

Bottled in FDA registered facility

Gluten free Sugar free Lactose free

All natural

Replenishes healthy bacteria Supports digestive health Maintain strong immunity

Free of top 8 allergens

FDA Statement of Identity

Dietary Supplement

See for yourself

ActivBiotics by Natural Cell Supplements label

The label scan from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Tap to enlarge.

What’s inside

The Ingredients in ActivBiotics by Natural Cell Supplements

These are the 6 active ingredients this product is made of. Select any to open its full monograph.

Serving size2 Capsule(s) Dosage formCapsule Servings per container30 Amounts shown are per serving.

Most supplement products combine several ingredients, and a medication can interact with the product through any one of them. Each ingredient below shows whether it has known drug interactions.

Proprietary Blend of Probiotic Bacteria

0 NP per serving

Other (inactive) ingredients: Cellulose, Rice Maltodextrin, L-Leucine. These complete the product’s ingredient list but are not active constituents.

Interaction report

ActivBiotics by Natural Cell Supplements Drug Interactions

Want to check YOUR meds against ActivBiotics?

Ask about interactions with your drugs in plain English — “Can I take it with lisinopril?” — and we find you the answer in seconds, ingredient by ingredient.

Go to the checker
182Drugs
182 Moderate

Ingredients driving the most interactions

Each ingredient & the kinds of drugs it affects

For each ingredient in ActivBiotics with known interactions, here are the types of medications it can affect. Open any type for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-141 drug type · 182 drugs

Antibiotic Drugs

Theoretically, taking Lactobacillus acidophilus with antibiotic drugs might decrease the effectiveness of L. acidophilus.
L. acidophilus preparations usually contain live and active organisms. Therefore, simultaneously taking antibiotics might kill a significant number of the organisms. Tell patients to separate administration of antibiotics and L. acidophilus preparations by at least two hours.

Likelihood Probable Evidence D
The maker

Brand information

Manufacturer and brand details for ActivBiotics, from the product label.

Natural Cell Supplements

See all Natural Cell Supplements products
Name
Natural Cell, LLC
Street Address
PO Box 896
City
Pine Brook
State
NJ
ZipCode
07058
Web Address
www.naturalcell.com
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

ActivBiotics by Natural Cell Supplements: Common Questions

Does ActivBiotics by Natural Cell Supplements interact with any medications?
Yes. Based on its ingredients, ActivBiotics has a known interaction with 182 medications. Use the checker to see how it interacts with a specific drug.
How can one product interact with so many drugs?
ActivBiotics contains 6 active ingredients, and an interaction can come from any of them. We check every ingredient, combine the results into one list per medication, and show which ingredient and mechanism is responsible.
Where does this information come from?
The product label data comes from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD); the interaction data is built on the Natural Medicines database and reviewed by HelloPharmacist pharmacists.
Can I take this while I'm on antibiotics?
Not at the same time. Antibiotics can kill the live bacteria in this probiotic, making it less effective. Ask your pharmacist about spacing them out — generally, taking them several hours apart helps. Once you finish your antibiotics, you can resume a normal schedule.
Will this cause bloating or gas?
It might, especially when you first start. Both the probiotic bacteria and the fructooligosaccharides can cause gas, bloating, and abdominal discomfort. These side effects tend to be mild and often settle down, but they're more likely at higher doses. Start with a low dose and build up if you can tolerate it.
Is this safe for healthy adults?
Lactobacillus acidophilus is generally well tolerated in healthy people, and the same applies to the other ingredients in this blend. That said, very rare serious infections have been reported with L. acidophilus in certain patients. Check with your doctor before starting, especially if you have a weakened immune system or any serious health condition.
Does this actually work for IBS or diarrhea?
Lactobacillus acidophilus has some evidence supporting its use for IBS and antibiotic-associated diarrhea — it's listed as possibly effective for both. The other bacterial strains in this product don't have established effectiveness data in our records, and the blend as a whole hasn't been studied together.
What are the inactive ingredients?
The capsule contains cellulose, rice maltodextrin, and L-leucine — these are fillers and binders used to hold the supplement together and keep it stable.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Not sure if ActivBiotics is safe with your meds?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

Label information is sourced from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database and reflects the product version on file; always read your actual product label. This page is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Confirm with your pharmacist or doctor before combining supplements and medications.

ActivBiotics label
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

ActivBiotics's label data comes from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database; the ingredient interaction data is from the Natural Medicines database, reviewed by our pharmacists.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

The 21 references behind this product’s interaction data

Every citation that drives the interaction findings for this product’s ingredients, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Open an ingredient to browse its citations — links open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

Fructo-oligosaccharides (fos) 6 references
  1. Briet F, et al. Symptomatic response to varying levels of fructo-oligosaccharides consumed occasionally or regularly. Eur J Clin Nutr 1995;49:501-7.
  2. Bouhnik Y, Vahedi K, Achour L, et al. Short-chain fructo-oligosaccharide administration dose-dependently increases fecal bifidobacteria in healthy humans. J Nutr 1999;129:113-6. PubMed
  3. Cummings JH, Macfarlane GT, Englyst HN. Prebiotic digestion and fermentation. Am J Clin Nutr 2001;73:415S-420S. PubMed
  4. Souza DDS, Tahan S, Weber TK, Araujo-Filho HB, de Morais MB. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel clinical trial assessing the effect of fructooligosaccharides in infants with constipation. Nutrients. 2018;10(11). pii: E1602. PubMed
  5. Andermann TM, Fouladi F, Tamburini FB, et al. A Fructo-Oligosaccharide Prebiotic Is Well Tolerated in Adults Undergoing Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Phase I Dose-Escalation Trial. Transplant Cell Ther 2021;27(11):932. PubMed
  6. Dou Y, Yu X, Luo Y, Chen B, Ma D, Zhu J. Effect of Fructooligosaccharides Supplementation on the Gut Microbiota in Human: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients 2022;14(16):3298. PubMed

See these in context on the Fructo-oligosaccharides (fos) monograph →

Lactobacillus Acidophilus 15 references
  1. Pierce A. The American Pharmaceutical Association Practical Guide to Natural Medicines. New York: The Stonesong Press, 1999:19.
  2. Begtrup LM, de Muckadell OB, Kjeldsen J, Christensen RD, Jarbøl DE. Long-term treatment with probiotics in primary care patients with irritable bowel syndrome--a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled trial. Scand J Gastroenterol 2013;48(10):1127-35 PubMed
  3. Chatterjee S, Kar P, Das T, Ray S, Gangulyt S, Rajendiran C, Mitra M. Randomised placebo-controlled double blind multicentric trial on efficacy and safety of Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 and Bifidobacterium BB-12 for prevention of antibiotic-associated
  4. Shavakhi A, Tabesh E, Yaghoutkar A, Hashemi H, Tabesh F, Khodadoostan M,Minakari M, Shavakhi S, Gholamrezaei A. The effects of multistrain probiotic compound on bismuth-containing quadruple therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection: a randomized placebo-c
  5. Karamali M, Dadkhah F, Sadrkhanlou M, et al. Effects of probiotic supplementation on glycaemic control and lipid profiles in gestational diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Diabetes Metab 2016;42(4):234-41. PubMed
  6. Badehnoosh B, Karamali M, Zarrati M, et al. The effects of probiotic supplementation on biomarkers of inflammation, oxidative stress and pregnancy outcomes in gestational diabetes. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2018 May;31(9):1128-1136.
  7. Kumar S, Kumar R, Rohilla L, Jacob N, Yadav J, Sachdeva N. A high potency multi-strain probiotic improves glycemic control in children with new-onset type 1 diabetes mellitus: A randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled pilot study. Pediatr Diabete
  8. Shahriari A, Karimi E, Shahriari M, Aslani N, Khooshideh M, Arab A. The effect of probiotic supplementation on the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus among high-risk pregnant women: A parallel double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial PubMed
  9. Xiao SD, Zhang DZ, Lu H, et al. Multicenter, randomized, controlled trial of heat-killed Lactobacillus acidophilus LB in patients with chronic diarrhea. Adv Ther. 2003;20(5):253-60.
  10. Rossi F, Amadoro C, Gasperi M, Colavita G. Lactobacilli infection case reports in the last three years and safety implications. Nutrients. 2022;14(6):1178. PubMed
  11. Ozer M, Goksu SY, Shahverdiani A, Mustafa M. Lactobacillus acidophilus-induced endocarditis and associated splenic abscess. Case Rep Infect Dis 2020;2020:1382709.
  12. Sadrin S, Sennoune S, Gout B, et al. A 2-strain mixture of Lactobacillus acidophilus in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: A placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial. Dig Liver Dis 2020;52(5):534-540. PubMed
  13. Stoffer JN, Slingsby TJ, Giuliari GP. Lactobacillus acidophilus endophthalmitis after intravitreal bevacizumab injection requiring intraocular lens explantation. Can J Ophthalmol 2022;57(1):e21-e22. PubMed
  14. Cukovic-Cavka S, Likic R, Francetic I, Rustemovic N, Opacic M, Vucelic B. Lactobacillus acidophilus as a cause of liver abscess in a NOD2/CARD15-positive patient with Crohn's disease. Digestion 2006;73(2-3):107-10.
  15. Hui J, Ren Y, Wang Y, Han Q. Lactobacillus acidophilus endophthalmitis postcataract operation: A case report with a literature review. Ocul Immunol Inflamm 2023.

See these in context on the Lactobacillus Acidophilus monograph →

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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