Available from the 8th March to the 19th March on our three most popular women’s probiotics. 
Discount added automatically at checkout for you. Our Research Story
ProVen Probiotics is a research-led brand, supported by more than 30 years of research and development into the gut microbiome and the use of probiotics to support it’s composition and function.
Our parent company (Cultech Ltd) is a key manufacturer of probiotics for companies based all over the world and we run a full-service facility, fermenting our own strains, manufacturing and packing our own supplements and distributing and marketing them in more than 20 countries globally.
The company’s aim has always been to produce efficacious products based upon comprehensive primary research and development – this is where we started and continues to be the focus of our large R&D team today.
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN?
First probiotic developed
Microbiologists, Dr Nigel Plummer and Dr Sue Plummer developed our first probiotic for the prevention of diarrhoea in piglets and calves and to support the improvement of animal gut health and wellbeing. Nigel and Sue had started their careers in Pfizer and Public Health Laboratory Service in Porton Down, respectively, and were particularly interested in supporting the animals health in a more natural way.
Cultech established
Cultech Limited (ProVen Probiotics parent company) was set up as a result of Nigel and Sue’s scientific expertise with a strong ethos of integrating probiotic research into the business and developing innovative new products that are founded on robust clinical evidence.
Lab4 consortia developed
The concept of our Lab4 probiotic consortium for human health was developed and introduced commercially. Lab4 is a combination of four probiotic strains and are the probiotics used in ProVen Probiotics products.
First clinical trial
Our first randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled clinical trial using the proprietary Lab4 probiotic consortium in humans was conducted. The study investigated the effect of Lab4 probiotics on the prevention of antibiotic associated Clostridium difficile diarrhoea in adults and it was carried out in collaboration with Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK. The outcomes were published in the 2004 International Microbiology journal.
Numerous clinical trials follow
Two clinical trials were conducted, focusing on the prevention of disruption of the gut microbiota during and following antibiotic use, in collaboration with Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK. The results from both studies were published in 2005 in the International Immunopharmacology journal and the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents.
Lab4B developed
We introduced our second probiotic consortium named as Lab4B and undertook our first clinical trial with this group of four bacteria strains in pregnant women and their babies. The study was carried out in collaboration with Swansea University, Wales, UK. The safety of probiotic use in pregnant women and newborn babies was evaluated and published in the 2010 Journal of Nutrition. The clinical outcomes, such as incidence of atopic eczema and atopic sensitisation were published in the 2014 Archives of Diseases in Childhood.
Numerous clinical trials follow
Numerous clinical studies investigating different areas of health in both children and adults were carried out. These included studies relating to gut health, immune health, metabolic health, cognitive health and sports performance.
20 Years of Continuous Research
Gut Health
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) sufferers (Sheffield IBS Study)
- Irritable bowel syndrome sufferers receiving antibiotics (The Cambridge IBS Study)
- Tracking probiotics through the gut passage in healthy adults (The Cardiff Tracking Study)
- Gut symptoms and intestinal permeability in endurance triathletes (The Hertfordshire Study)
- Gut symptoms in marathon runners (The Marathon Endurance Study)
- Graves’ orbitopathy (INDIGO EU FP7 Project)
Immune Health
- Immune response in healthy adults (The Adult Immune Response Study)
- Common cold and coughs in children (The Prochild Study, The Prochild-2 Study)
- Antibiotic usage in children (The Prochild Study, The Prochild-2 Study)
- Common cold and coughs in adults (The PROMAGEN Study, The PROMAGEN STUDY)
Metabolic Health
- Weight reduction in adults (The PROMAGEN Study, The PROBE Study)
- LDL Cholesterol in adults (The PROMAGEN Study)
- Metabolic perturbations in marathon runners (The Marathon Endurance Study)
Cognitive Health
- Anxiety, Attention in adults (The Keele Study)
- Quality of Life in adults (The PROMAGEN Study)
Sports Health
- Performance in endurance athletes (The Hertfordshire Study), The Ultra-marathon Endurance Study, The Marathon Endurance Study)
- Runners performance in the heat (Running to Exhaustion Study)
- Carbohydrate and fat oxidation in cyclists (The Cycling Endurance Study)
Our highly-skilled team of more than 20 research scientists continues to collaborate closely with leading universities and research institutions in the UK and worldwide to explore new and innovative areas of probiotic research and evidence-based product development. In addition to clinical trials, our research team also undertakes a huge amount of lab work (in vitro, in vivo and ex vivo) on an ongoing basis to support the clinical findings and to study the potential mechanisms of action of probiotics. We are actively participating in the research projects and PhD degree programmes supported by Welsh Assembly Government or the European Regional Development Fund, such as Clinical Innovation Accelerator, Innovation for All Programme, Knowledge Exchange Skills Scholarship, SMARTCymru, SCoRE Cymru.
