What This Multi Strain Probiotic Is For
Quest Mega 8 Biotix is the multi strain probiotic people take for everyday digestive comfort, for bloating and for the unsettled gut that follows a course of antibiotics or a bad week of eating. Eight different strains of lactobacilli in one capsule, thirty capsules to a pack.
The composition here is unusual and worth understanding before you buy, because it decides whether this is the right pack for you. All eight strains belong to one family. Most multi-strain products mix lactobacilli with bifidobacteria, and this one is lactobacilli from end to end, which makes it a narrower and more deliberate blend rather than a broader one, and that is a reason to choose it or a reason to choose something else.
Why Eight Lactobacilli Rather Than a Mixture
The two families behave differently and settle in different places. Lactobacilli are at home in the small intestine, the upper stretch where food is still being broken down. Bifidobacteria dominate the large bowel further down, where fermentation happens and where stool is formed.
So a pack built entirely of lactobacilli is aimed higher up the gut, and a mixed pack spreads itself across both. Neither is better in the abstract. It depends on what sent you looking, and that is a two-minute conversation with our pharmacist rather than a guess at a shelf.
Thirty Billion, and the Eight Strains Behind It
Each capsule carries 100 mg of lactobacilli culture providing thirty billion live organisms, which makes this the highest count of any Quest probiotic on our shelf. The eight are Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus paraplantarum, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus gasseri and Lactobacillus bulgaricus.
Two of those are worth pointing out, because they are the reason this blend is not simply a bigger version of the others. Lactobacillus gasseri and Lactobacillus fermentum are among the species most studied in women’s intimate and urinary health, which gives this pack a second use its own label never mentions. Ask our pharmacist if that is why you are here, because there is a product on the same shelf built specifically for it.
How It Sits Against the Rest of the Shelf
We stock several daily probiotics and they differ in count, in family mix and in whether they need a fridge. The Nature’s Aid five-strain capsules state ten billion organisms per capsule, name every strain and sit happily at room temperature. The NOW Gr8-Dophilus capsules add a prebiotic fibre in the same capsule and carry an enteric coating.
Bring two or three of them to the counter together. The useful comparison is the cost for each day of use rather than the price on the shelf, because pack sizes and daily amounts differ so widely that the shelf price tells you very little. Our pharmacist will work it out with you in a minute.
Taking It Around Antibiotics
These are bacteria, so an antibiotic swallowed at the same time destroys a good share of the dose on the way down. Leave two hours between the antibiotic and the capsule, and carry on for a few days after the course finishes.
If your course is still running and you would rather not think about timing at all, a probiotic yeast is untouched by antibiotics, which is what NOW Saccharomyces boulardii offers. Ask us and we will set you up with whichever fits the week you are in.
How to Take It and What to Expect
One to two capsules a day, with or after a meal, swallowed with water. Begin on one for the first week and work up to two if you want to, and refrigeration is optional rather than required.
Wind, fullness and a change in rhythm in the first few days are common and usually settle within a week. Easing in gently is the single thing that decides whether people finish a pack or abandon it. Keep the bottle closed, cool and out of direct sunlight, and swallow the capsules with a full glass of water.
What We Are Permitted to Tell You
No health claim for any probiotic is authorised anywhere. Every claim ever submitted has been rejected or left on hold, so nobody may promise you that a probiotic reinforces your gut lining, produces substances that fight off other bacteria or keeps harmful organisms from settling in your gut, and we hold back from saying it.
What we give you instead is the family the eight strains belong to, where in the gut that family works, the questions to ask about the live count, how to take it around an antibiotic and who ought to ask a pharmacist first. On this shelf everyone is promising a result, and the plain version is the more useful one at a counter.
Is This Multi Strain Probiotic Right for You?
Please talk to our pharmacist or our doctor before you start if any of these apply to you.
- A weakened immune system, or treatment that weakens it. Live organisms deserve a proper conversation first if you are having chemotherapy, taking immune-suppressing medicines, or living with an illness that affects your immunity.
- A central line or any indwelling catheter. Please speak to us, and to the team looking after the line, before taking live organisms of any kind.
- Bloating that has lasted weeks, or any change in your bowel habit that has stayed changed. Come and see our doctor first. Persistent bloating, weight loss, blood, or new symptoms after fifty deserve a proper look rather than a supplement.
- Diarrhoea with fever, blood, severe pain, or lasting more than two days. Come and see us the same day. Fluids and salts come first.
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding, or a child. Ask us for the right product and the right amount rather than sharing an adult pack.
Where to Buy Quest Mega 8 Biotix in Kenya
Order online and we deliver countrywide, or collect from our pharmacy at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. We send orders to Nairobi and every neighbourhood around it — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Rosslyn, Kitisuru, Lower Kabete, Lavington, Kileleshwa, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Buruburu, Donholm, Embakasi, Ngong Road, Kasarani, Roysambu, Zimmerman, Githurai, Ruaka, Banana Hill, Two Rivers, Village Market and Pride Lands — and across Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru and Ngong.
Beyond the capital we deliver to Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Athi River, Kitengela, Kajiado, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Bomet, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Siaya, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Vihiga, Webuye, Kitale, Nandi Hills, Iten, Kapenguria, Embu, Meru, Chuka, Kerugoya, Murang’a, Othaya, Nyahururu, Nanyuki, Maralal, Isiolo, Marsabit, Moyale, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Mwingi, Makueni, Emali, Kibwezi, Voi, Taveta, Wundanyi, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi, Lamu and Hola. At the amount our pharmacist settles with you a pack runs for a known length of time, so tell us the pack size you want and we will work out how many months that covers before you order.
Across Africa, ask us before you order. We have sent orders to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and as far as Malawi, and we will quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of the continent. Tell us the destination and we will confirm any import paperwork before the parcel leaves us.
Living abroad? Order from wherever you are and we deliver to your family here in Kenya. Kenyans in the UK, the United States, Canada, South Africa and the Gulf order from us regularly for parents and relatives at home. A daily probiotic like this one taken steadily month after month does far more than a single pack, so tell us who it is for and how many months you want covered and we will set up the repeat.
Why Buy Your Quest Mega 8 Biotix from HealthAlone Kenya?
HealthAlone is a pharmacist-led health ecosystem licensed by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, and our stock is original, sealed and correctly stored. Kahawa Sukari is a real counter with real pharmacists behind it.
Our pharmacists will read the live count off the carton with you and set the daily amount, then work out the cost for each day of use against the other packs on the same shelf. Our doctor is here too if you would rather have the whole question looked at properly.
It is one more step in our vision: building Africa’s most trusted health ecosystem, accessible to everyone, everywhere.
Quest Mega 8 Biotix: Your Questions Answered
What is in Quest Mega 8 Biotix?
Eight strains of lactobacilli in a single capsule, thirty capsules to a pack. No health claim for any probiotic is authorised, so we hold back from promising you a result.
How many live organisms does each capsule contain?
Thirty billion, from 100 mg of lactobacilli culture in each capsule. That is the highest count of any Quest probiotic we carry.
Why does it matter whether a multi strain probiotic names its count?
Because the number is what you are paying for, and it falls over the months a pack spends in storage. Ask for the figure and ask whether it is measured at manufacture or guaranteed to the end of shelf life. The second is the better promise.
What is the difference between lactobacilli and bifidobacteria?
They settle in different places. Lactobacilli are at home in the small intestine, higher up, where food is still being broken down. Bifidobacteria dominate the large bowel further down. This pack is lactobacilli from end to end.
Is a multi strain probiotic better than a single strain?
Not automatically. More strains means a wider net rather than a stronger product, and a probiotic does whatever its particular strains do. What matters is matching the pack to the reason you are taking it, which is a two-minute conversation at our counter.
How many capsules a day?
One to two capsules a day, with or after a meal, swallowed with water. Begin on one for the first week and work up to two if you want to.
Should I take it with food?
With or after a meal, swallowed with water, at the same time each day so you keep to it.
Can I take it with my antibiotic?
Leave two hours between them, because an antibiotic taken alongside bacteria destroys a good share of them, and carry on for a few days after the course ends. If your course is still running, ask us about a probiotic yeast instead.
Will it upset my stomach at first?
Wind, fullness and a change in rhythm are common in the first few days and usually settle within a week. Starting on the smallest amount makes it much less likely.
Does it need refrigerating?
Refrigeration is optional for this one, which in this climate is worth knowing. Keep it closed, cool and out of direct sunlight.
How long will a pack last?
Thirty capsules, so a month at one a day or a fortnight at two.
Who should ask before taking it?
Anyone with a weakened immune system, anyone with a central line or other indwelling catheter, and anyone pregnant or breastfeeding. Children need a product made for them rather than a share of an adult pack.
My bloating has gone on for weeks. Should I just try this?
Come and see our doctor first. Bloating that has lasted weeks, weight loss, blood, or any new change in bowel habit after fifty deserves a proper look before any supplement.
Where can I buy Quest Mega 8 Biotix 30’s in Kenya, and what does it cost?
From HealthAlone, online for delivery countrywide or over the counter at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. The current price is shown above. We deliver across Nairobi — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Kitisuru, Lavington, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Kasarani, Roysambu, Githurai, Ruaka and Banana Hill — and to Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru, Ngong, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Kitengela, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Kitale, Embu, Meru, Nanyuki, Nyahururu, Isiolo, Marsabit, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Makueni, Voi, Taveta, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi and Lamu. Outside Kenya we have delivered to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and Malawi, and we quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of Africa on request. At thirty billion a capsule this is the highest count of any Quest probiotic we carry, so ask us how it compares with the rest of the shelf.
