Peptiva Probiotics and Sleep Review

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the often-discussed antibiotics crisis and how we may fall prey sooner or later to some or other strain of antibiotic-resistant bacteria due to the general overuse of antibiotics.

Thus began an interest in probiotics and how they might be beneficial to my overall health. There has been a lot of interest recently in how gut health may affect whole-body health and probiotics are supposed to help to balance gut health (improved digestion being the key to this).

In my research, I came across Peptiva Probiotics and Sleep, a gut health product that claims to aid digestion primarily through its formulation including high-potency probiotic strains.

I have even noticed probiotics and prebiotics in super greens as popular ingredients to offer all-around health. With so many people willing to spend money on such products, what are some of the common claims for probiotics, and do they stand up to scrutiny?

Peptiva First Impressions

I’m taking a look at Peptiva + Sleep Support, a gut health product that claims to aid digestion primarily through its formulation including high-potency probiotic strains but also aids a good night’s rest.

Claiming to be a ‘doctor-formulated nighttime probiotic supplement combining clinically validated probiotic strains with key sleep-support ingredients to restore balance while you sleep’.

While there is plenty to look at on the website I’m immediately struck by the lack of information about what these strains are and what they do. I’m prepared to do a little research myself but I’d expect to see more being said about these ingredients if they are in fact clinically validated and potent.

There is some information buried in the FAQ’s but for the purpose of this Peptiva probiotics review, I would have hoped for a bit more information up-front on their product page.

Other probiotic formulas I have reviewed:

• Total Restore Review
• Bio X4 review
• Probioslim review

Background on Adaptive Health LLC.

Adaptive Health is an umbrella company, which claims to only carry products ‘backed by the latest science’. It carries a number of brands: Instaflex, Nugenix, Lumiday, Healthy Directions, Dr. Sinatra, Dr. Whitaker, Dr. David Williams, Trilane, Life Biome, and Peptiva.

There are a number of clinicians on the medical board (Dr. David Katz is the Chief Medical Advisor at Peptiva), however, I can’t help but wonder about this and the fact that so many medics (certainly in the US) lend their name to so many ‘health’ products so willingly.

For me, it doesn’t necessarily add legitimacy to the brand, I’d rather the claims were backed by science than by clinicians.

Peptiva Probiotics Ingredients

The ingredients in Peptiva + Sleep Support are:

• Lab4 Clinical Cultures – 26 billion CFU – (Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC SD6865, Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC SD6866, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp lactis ATCC SD6870, and Bifidobacterium bifidum ATCC SD6869)
• Active Microbiome Blend
• Lactobacillus rhamnosus IMC501
• Lactobacillus paracasei IMC502
• Valerian root extract – 50mg
• Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) -100mg
• Melatonin (immediate release) – 0.75mg
• Melatonin (delayed release) – 0.75mg

Now I’m going to slightly swerve a big debate about probiotics here as we could go on all day. Suffice to say the structure and function of the human gut are complex and fascinating. Without going into a human biology lesson here, there has been a huge amount of research on digestion and how the body receives and metabolizes the essential nutrients from food.

Whilst probiotics ‘may’ have a beneficial role in this, the subject is still being researched and therefore the mere presence of these gut bacteria cannot lead us to believe that boosting them could necessarily improve your health.

Similarly, the link between gut health and disease cannot be fully established in all circumstances (for example, does poor gut health lead to disease or is poor gut health a result of pathogenic diseases?) therefore it is difficult to state that improving gut health would lead to health improvements in the whole body.

The specific strains in this proprietary blend have been chosen to mimic those within both the small and large intestine.

Valerian root has been used as a traditional sleep aid and anti-anxiety remedy for centuries. It is thought to enhance GABA (see below) in the brain. Examine.com states that a standard dose is 450mg.

Research on GABA is similarly ongoing. It is a neurotransmitter (with a depressive – or ‘downer’ effect). Studies suggest that because it is so regulated in the body, supplementing with GABA does not have an effect, however, it can interact with other compounds to improve cognition and stress relief due to the depressive effects on the nervous system.

Melatonin is a hormone released by the brain to regulate sleep. Light suppresses melatonin. People who are jetlagged or work shifts often supplement with Melatonin to regulate their sleep patterns (or to get to sleep when they don’t feel physically tired). Recommended dosages begin at 0.5mg rising to 3-5mg.

How Do I Take Peptiva Probiotics?

One capsule a day (the box contains 30 servings). Capsules are about 600mg.

Side Effects

The evidence suggests that probiotics are supposed to assist the digestive health of your gut, however, as with many supplements (and especially new supplements), you may find you experience some digestive discomfort or some unwanted digestive results from taking probiotics.

Does Peptiva Probiotics Actually Work?

The general claim is for supporting health. That is a tough one to quantify or to establish any actual effects owing to taking the product. The FAQ section of the website states the following (for the product Peptiva + Sleep Support):

After ~30 minutes you can:

• Feel calm, relaxed, and de-stressed
• Enjoy deeper, more satisfying sleep

In just 8-12 weeks you can:

• Support the balance of good bacteria within your intestinal tract
• Promote intestinal comfort, function, and regularity
• Reduce occasional abdominal discomfort and bloating

Further on it states “Dosages are also based on published human clinical data on specific strains that show an effect.” Obviously, I want to know what these published data are! It’s a real shame they haven’t included more detail about this in their FAQs.

This is an omission as they have clearly chosen not to state the results of the trials. Instead, they state anecdotally that results of the clinical studies showed improvements in bowel regularity, digestive ‘satisfaction’, and ‘quality of life’. This is a bit disappointing to me.

However, there are a few bonus points awarded to this particular brand for the following:

transparency about their formulation process and the fact that their bacteria are guaranteed to remain potent and active up to the expiration date. This is apparently due to their patented drying process and the way they manage to keep the bacteria (which are vulnerable to heat, moisture, and light) alive and active.

Their CFU (Colony-forming units) is high but more importantly bioavailable. This is a big issue with probiotics and potentially one of the reasons that they are often not included in as many supplements as you might expect.

Peptiva Probiotics Customer Reviews

I found some reviews on Amazon, 273 customer reviews of which 58% were positive. A selection of reviews is below:

Great but costly – I love this product.. I just wish it wasn’t so expensive (for only a month supply).. I’ve had to switch to a cheaper product that has more melatonin and less probiotic just because of the cost5 stars

Not for me. I have insomnia issues and I have digestive issues, thought this might be the answer. Sadly it was just another waste of money– 1 star

I was pleasantly surprised how much I like the Peptiva Probiotics + Sleep Support. In the past, I have taken an otc sleep aid and a separate probiotic which was costly.– 5 stars

Didn’t do 1 thing for me. I’ve had better and more effective probiotics and melatonin products. HUGE waste of money– 1 star

Money Back Guarantee / Returns Policy

Peptiva covers you for 30 days from purchase, you must request a number from the Customer Support team.

Where to Buy Peptiva Probiotics

You can buy Peptiva + Sleep Support from the official website and on Amazon.

Is It Worth the Price?

One 30-day pack costs $59.99 (USD). The answer to this question, as always, lies in what you are trying to achieve and what you hope to see from taking the product. Whether the research really proves the claims of the formula is hard to establish.

The anti-anxiety and stress-busting claims seem a little far-fetched to me, having done a bit of searching around and reading. The research on probiotics (for a multitude of health benefits) seems to remain inconclusive.

I would suggest you save your money and try to support your gut health through diet, and if you have an existing issue speak to your doctor about the best way to support your health in general and address specific health problems. Ultimately one capsule a day may be too small a dose anyway to really see any marked results.

The Bottom Line

I genuinely want to believe in the power of probiotics. I have read enough to know that there is still a way to go in understanding how – if at all – they can support gut health and therefore have any improving effects on overall health.

Therefore products like Peptiva probiotics fall into the area I consider to be supplements-for-supplements-sake, backed by marketing (and promoted by a clinician).

If you feel you are not getting enough from your diet or use superfoods to support your gut health, do a little research and see if you may benefit from supplementing with probiotics, but perhaps read some scientific journals and think about whether or not you want to spend your money on these products.

Unlike supporting your dietary nutritional needs (if you feel your diet is incomplete) there is not enough conclusive evidence that probiotics may need to be supplemented.

Additionally, although the quantities may seem huge when they are counted in their billions (bacteria are microscopic in size after all) don’t be tricked by marketing.

Thinking “more is better”, or even choosing a “better quality” brand, you may still be wasting your money as the science is yet to establish how much – and of which strain – you might supplement with to see any improvements in your health.