A physician with a history of gastric sleeve surgery and multiple hospitalizations for suspected SIBO, Steven turned to mBIOTA Elemental after limited success with antibiotics. After 11 days on mBIOTA, his symptoms resolved and have not returned.
The Elemental diet is the best SIBO treatment I have tried. I have previously tried herbal antibiotics and also a round of Xifaxin antibiotics RX. The Elemental diet with the follow up of prokinetics has given me the most relief from years of SIBO symptoms. The product is palatable and also very filling. I was only able to make the 6 packets on 1 of the 14 days. I am a small woman who strength trains and workouts daily and I still could not swallow that many calories in a day. I found it helpful to read online reviews to help with the progression of the days and the symptoms ie; severe diarrhea days 2-5 and continuing throughout and beyond the use of the product. Days 2-4 I couldn’t leave the house due to the frequency of diarrhea and it was not until day 9 that I started feeling more energy, less lethargic. Overall I would highly recommend using this product first if you have been tested positive for SIBO.
Suggestions to Elemental DIet: Offer a 5 packet per day option for smaller people. Offer an “average” daily experience guide for days 1-14. It really helped to know that the lack of energy and intestinal upset were “normal” and would also get better after day 8. I only found this out through searching online not on the Elemental website. It is difficult to keep going as the days progress and symptoms are getting worse not better. I really helped to know that all that I was experiencing was to be expected.
Hello Jane, thank you for sharing your experience with mBIOTA! We are so glad to hear you have achieved relief from SIBO. Thank you for your feedback on additional resources we might provide. We agree and are working on building these to better support our community!
While most people need anywhere from 4-6 packets a day, we include 6 per day to meet the RDI of 1800 calories a day. We've heard from other customers that any leftover packets can be helpful to have on hand for flares and travel!
We recognize that any dietary modification, and especially an elemental diet, presents a challenge. We're glad that you were able to find community and support online to assure you that your difficulties with diarrhea and energy fluctuations were normal. We are working on providing additional resources on our website to cover this as you've suggested, including our newly launched webinar 'Beginning the Elemental Diet: Your Questions Answered.'
Thank you again for taking the time to share your story with us. As a patient-founded company, stories like yours are what drive us.
-The mBIOTA Labs Team
Not at all palatable.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience - we’re sorry to hear that this wasn’t a good fit for you.
Taste is an inherently subjective sensory experience, and we understand that individual preferences can widly vary. Because palatability is such a critical barrier with elemental diets, we intentionally evaluated patient opinion on taste in a prospective, single-blind comparative clinical trial. In that study, participants blindly compared our formula to a leading commercially available elemental diet, and 100% preferred ours overall, with statistically significant improvements reported for taste, aftertaste, smell, and overall impression. While this reflects how mBIOTA performs across a broader patient population, we understand that individual experiences can differ.
We wish the best for you and hope you find a therapeutic more suited to your preferences.
Hi. I am using mBiota as a nutrition supplement. I have very severe IBS and was/am struggling to get the required amount of protein and nutrition in my system. I recently started having mBiota to help with the malnutrition. I have about 2 packets of mBiota everyday to get at least some protein. I am grateful for this great tasting whole nutrition formula. I enjoy eating it as a powder and wash it down with water. It is working well so far. Thank you for helping me heal. In gratitude.
After four years of struggling, I had a negative test for SIBO after completing the two week diet! Very thankful for this product!
I would say for such strong advertising around the taste, I did not find it palatable at all. Even the orange flavor tasted more like the standard original from integrative therapeutics. I also got heartburn unfortunately from them, so I had to stop.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience - we’re sorry to hear that this wasn’t a good fit for you.
Taste is an inherently subjective sensory experience, and we understand that individual preferences can widly vary. Because palatability is such a critical barrier with elemental diets, we intentionally evaluated patient opinion on taste in a prospective, single-blind comparative clinical trial. In that study, participants blindly compared our formula to a leading commercially available elemental diet, and 100% preferred ours overall, with statistically significant improvements reported for taste, aftertaste, smell, and overall impression. While this reflects how mBIOTA performs across a broader patient population, we understand that individual experiences can differ.
Regarding heartburn, gastrointestinal symptoms - including reflux - can occur in some individuals using an elemental diet. In certain cases, healthcare providers may allow the use of an over-the-counter acid-reducing medication, under their guidance and agreement, depending on the individual’s situation.
We appreciate your honest feedback and wish you the best moving forward in finding an approach that works for you.
It was a daunting task, two weeks without eating. I usually had 5 packets/day and got a little hungry at 7pm but didn’t want to drink anymore, so I didn’t. Otherwise I was not hungry. The drinks really do not taste good unless chilled. I would prep the next drink upon taking one. And put it in the freezer (an hour is best, maybe longer. 30 min minimum). And it was nice I could make one before bed at 9pm say and have at 8am the next morning all ready to go (refrigerated overnight). I am so glad I had two flavors to alternate. I liked orange better but was thrilled to have ANYTHING different. I was highly motivated by the stats in the booklet (100% got rid of SIBO only patients).
Unfortunately, I do not feel any better since I started eating normally. I have not re-tested for SIBO though, so I don’t know if I still have it, or if I have another GI issue causing my bloating, constipation, and discomfort.
The nurse at mBIOTA responded timely and was as helpful as she could be.
Hello Cahn,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us and our community! We agree, chilled is best. Some find that blending the shakes with ice for a slushie texture helps change up the consistency of the shakes for variety.
We're sorry to hear your symptoms have returned while eating your normal diet. If you have not already done so, we highly recommend following up with your healthcare provider. SIBO is a secondary condition, meaning there is an underlying condition that creates the right environment for overgrowth. When symptoms linger, it's best to check in with your provider to see if this could be due to an underlying condition. We've heard from some customers that by eliminating SIBO, they've had a better picture of what the underlying condition could be, as many GI conditions have overlapping symptoms.
We're glad to hear you found our Clinical Support Specialists helpful. If there is anything else we can do to support you as you continue to work towards resolving your symptoms fully, please let us know! We're rooting for you.
-The mBIOTA Labs Team
Completing 14 days of biota elemental diet was far easier than I ever expected. I enjoyed the taste of both flavors, it was quick and easy to mix up and I enjoyed having two weeks of not wondering what I should eat. By the end of the two weeks I was practically IMO symptom-free, which is something I haven’t experienced in a long time. Needless to say I was so grateful. Unfortunately, within three weeks all of my symptoms returned as bad as if not worse as they were before.. i’m considering trying another 14 day round but honestly, I’m skeptical about anything working long term at this point
Hello Lucy! Thank you for sharing your experience with mBIOTA. We're glad to hear you enjoyed both flavors and that 2 weeks of mBIOTA helped clear your IMO symptoms. Unfortunately, recurrence of overgrowth can be high, but we have heard from our community that the best chance at extending your remission is to determine the underlying cause of overgrowth, as SIBO and IMO are secondary conditions. If you have not already done so, we highly recommend following up with your healthcare provider for assistance in determining and mitigating your underlying cause of IMO. We wish you the best of luck as you continue to work towards being IMO symptom-free, please let us know if there is anything we can do to be of assistance.
-The mBIOTA Labs Team
Drinks were extremely sweet. Added extra water and ice but still difficult to continue drinking. Had extreme headache after third drink and felt very hungry, drank extra water and drank drinks slowly through the day as directed. Could not tolerate, went back to normal food. I’m glad this works for some, unfortunately did not agree with me.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience - we’re sorry to hear that this did not agree with you.
Elemental diets are designed to be nutritionally complete and are therefore largely carbohydrate-based to help ensure patients are able to meet their energy and caloric needs during sole source use, but we understand that tolerance can vary based on individual physiology, hydration, and pacing, particularly during the initial adjustment period.
Some people may also experience symptoms such as headache or increased hunger - pariticularly in the first several days when transitioning to exclusive liquid nutrition. These responses can vary, but are generally temporary during the intial transition phase - but we always recommend consulting with the health care provider overseeing your use of the diet about any side effects experienced. We do also have an amazing clinical support staff who are available via phone, email, or chat, to help troubleshoot during the adjustment period in partnership with your health care provider.
Rest assured - we are continually working on new flavors and formulation improvements to better support a wide range of individual preferences and needs. We appreciate your feedback and wish you the very best as you continue your journey toward finding an approach that works well for you.
I really wish the taste could be improved. The orange does not taste like orange and I’m not sure what “original” is supposed to resemble. I think these would be easier to tolerate if the flavor was better. It often took me two hours to drink one packet. I wasn’t hungry— I’ll say that for them. But there was nothing easy about downing them.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience - we understand how challenging it can be to work through an exclusive elemental diet.
Taste perception is an inherently subjective sensory experience, and so we understand individual responses and preferences can vary widely. Because palatability is a well-recognized barrier with elemental diets, we specifically evaluated the taste of mBIOTA in a prospective, single-blind comparative clinical trial. In that study, participants blindly compared our formula to a leading commercially available elemental diet, and the majority rated our formula favorably across taste and overall impression, reflecting how it performs across a broader patient population. That said, we recognize that individual experiences can differ, and we appreciate you sharing yours.
Elemental diets are not always easy to consume, even when hunger is well controlled, and the time and effort required can be a real challenge - we completely understand that and our team is always here to offer additional support and tips along the way. We are happy to share that we are actively working on new flavors and formulation refinements to help broaden our offerings to better support a wider range of individual taste preferences - while still keeping the formula clincically effective.
This was not a great fit for me. I have SIBO and was looking for a reset but the high sugar content had me feeling sick every day so I stopped after 8 days.
Thank you for sharing your experience - we’re sorry to hear that this was not a good fit for you.
By nature, elemental diets must be largely carbohydrate-based - typically providing 40–75% of calories as monosaccharides - in order to meet energy and caloric needs and support cellular energy production when the formula is serving as the sole source of nutrition. The sugars used in mBIOTA are natural and unprocessed (derived from organic maltodextrin and dextrose) and are designed to be absorbed within the first 2–4 feet of the small intestine. Because of this rapid absorption, the sugar does not travel far enough to feed the bacteria associated with SIBO. Even so, we understand individual responses and preferences can vary - and some individuals may find that this approach does not align with their body’s needs. For this reason, elemental diets are not recommended for individuals with blood sugar conditions, including diabetes, and should always be used under the guidance of a health care provider.
We appreciate you taking the time to leave a review and wish you the very best as you continue working with your health care provider to find an approach that works well for you.
MBiota is hands down the best elemental diet on the market . Not only does this incredible product help rid SIBO, calm/ rid IBS flares and support GI dysfunction. This completely delivers the nutrients your body needs to function and thrive .After my SIBO went away , I continue using this product DAILY because of my chronic GI dysfunction , due to many abdominal surgeries. My body has difficulty absorbing nutrients , but now that I have thinly - I don’t feel depleted what so ever ! Mbiota has truly changed my life . I’m obsessed! The flavor is next level amazing . I recommend this to anyone who is wanting to feel better. I love you Mbiota
It's been 10 days and still having intestinal pains so hoping after 14 days they are gone. It's very difficult to do only this shake for 14 days. Would it work for less days? You also need other flavors. Taking the same flavor for all this time is depressing and hard to do. Make a variety pack so we have choices each week within the same pack. That would make this process much easier.
Hello Russell! Thank you for your feedback. I'm sorry that you are still experiencing intestinal pains. While we always hope that relief is seen sooner, the participants of our 2023 Clinical Trial did not see the full effect of the elemental diet until transitioning back to their normal diet. We always advise checking in with your healthcare provider overseeing your use if your discomfort increases, or becomes overwhelming.
As for the mix of flavors, we do offer 2 flavors and have a variety option for our plans. The 2 week kit can be ordered as 50/50 Original (tropical vanilla) and Orange. That said if you have just one flavor we have some tips for mitigating 'flavor fatigue.' A salt water rinse between shakes can help cleanse the palate and give you a break from the flavor between 'meals.' Another tip is to try blending the powder with slightly less or more water, either 8 ounces of water for a stronger flavor, or 12 ounces for something more mild. We don't recommend diluting beyond +/- 2 ounces however, as this can change the osmolality of the shakes.
I hope this information is helpful to you as you finish out the last 4 days of the elemental diet. If you need any support, please do not hesitate to reach out to our Clinical Support Specialists via our email, phone, chat, or SMS features.
We're rooting for you!
-The mBIOTA Labs Team
I recently completed the mBIOTA diet after being diagnosed with gut dysbiosis, and the results were genuinely restorative for my system. The process was cleansing, giving my body space to reset and return to its original functioning.
By the end, I noticed significant shifts: my brain fog lifted, the daily bloating was gone, and overall inflammation reduced in a way I hadn’t felt in a long time.
I’m grateful for this protocol and the clarity it brought to my health. I may choose to do it again in the future as a reset. For now, I’m moving into the food re-integration phase and am looking forward to seeing how my system continues to respond.
Hello Anna,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us! We are so glad to hear that the mBIOTA Elemental Diet was able to bring you much-deserved relief. If you need any support moving forward as you transition off the diet, please don't hesitate to contact us. Thank you again for sharing your story, it provides a real boost to our whole team to hear about your success!
-The mBIOTA Labs Team
The Elemental Diet is not easy to complete but after a few days, it becomes routine. I was surprised that you do not feel hungry when on the diet.
I am really struggling with this diet. I dot. Think either tastes like the flavor indicates and both leave a chemical taste in my mouth. Supposed to be eating at least 1800 calories a day and I’m only able to drink 900 calories. I’m on day 10 and have already lost 7 lbs and feel miserable. When intention drink more I just gag and throw it up.
I am a week in and my pain has stopped completely. I still have bloating and constipation, but the awful pain has ended. I have 2 more weeks left. The diet is very easy to follow. It does cause a lot of thirst.
Hello Jamie, we are so glad to hear that you are already experiencing symptom relief. As a small, patient-founded company, we greatly appreciate hearing feedback from our community. Thank you for sharing your experience so far with us. Improving patient outcomes is our whole reason for existing, and stories like yours provide a real boost to our team! Please keep us updated on your progress as you continue with the diet. We're here to support you!
I am on day 3 and have felt very tired, weak, and lacking in concentration. I've had some GI discomfort but not as much when I didn't take the mBiota elemental diet. I've had to cancel several appointments because I don't have enough energy to go to them. I'm also hungry, of course. I have IMO, and I have only a 58% of the diet eradicating it. This is discouraging.
Hello Anne, thank you for sharing your experience with the mBIOTA Elemental Diet so far. We are sorry to hear that you are feeling very tired, weak, and lacking in concentration. The first few days of the elemental diet are typically the most challenging, but we'd like to offer some support to help alleviate your symptoms. First, it is essential to ensure that you are consuming enough shakes per day to meet your caloric needs. If you are consuming too few calories, this could lead to feeling lethargic and difficulty concentrating. We package our product as 6 sachets per day to meet the RDI of 1800 calories, but individual needs vary, so it is best to check with your healthcare provider on what your caloric goals should be.
That said, hunger in the first few days is not uncommon. It's a challenge to switch to an all-liquid diet. Without chewing, some people have difficulty feeling satiated from the shakes at the start. The good news is this typically resolves after the first 4 days or so, as your body adjusts to taking nutrition in liquid form. Blending your fully dissolved shakes with ice for a slushy texture can help with this, as it gives a different texture.
As for the eradication rate for IMO, we understand your concern. While the rate of patients whose breath tests dropped below the threshold for IMO was indeed 58% (for IMO only), methane production overall did drop significantly. We also looked at the presence of M. smithii, the main bug behind IMO, and found that 92% of subjects had decreased or undetectable levels of M.smithii by the end of the trial. These other parameters help paint a fuller picture of how an elemental diet may benefit IMO patients such as yourself.
I hope that this information and the tips provided are able to help you continue on with your diet, but we also recommend checking in with your healthcare provider overseeing your use of the elemental diet. We certainly do not want you to be in discomfort as you continue on the elemental diet. While some people find they may get worse before they begin to feel better, your HCP may have specific recommendations for you on an individual basis.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to us at our support desk or via email (contact@mbiotalabs.com). We are happy to help offer support and answer any questions you may have. We are rooting for you!
I'm 10 days in and still having symptoms (burping).
Thank you for sharing your experience so far with us. We are sorry to hear you are still experiencing some symptoms at day 10, specifically burping. We would like to share some input from our team to help you finish strong. It can be frustrating not to achieve your desired result in advance of finishing the 2-week course, but we encourage you to finish out your course of the elemental diet and assess again for symptomatic changes as you transition back to a normal diet.
Unfortunately, burping is not unheard of while on an all-liquid diet, elemental or otherwise. Patients in our 2023 Clinical Trial did not see the full effect of the 14 days of the elemental diet until after transitioning back to a normal diet. We hope that as you finish the diet and transition back to a regular diet, you experience less burping. Burping (or belching, as it is noted in our published paper) can be a more difficult symptom to tackle, as it is partly a learned behavior from dealing with the gas caused by SIBO. Our small intestines are not well equipped to process gas, like the colon is, so many SIBO patients burp to achieve relief from the pressure. As you finish the elemental diet, we hope the production of gas is brought down, as it was in our clinical trial, and your body adjusts to not needing to burp for relief.
We hope that you finish out the program and begin to see results as you transition back to a normal diet. If you have any questions or need additional support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Clinical Support Specialists. Thank you again for sharing your experience with us.
-The mBIOTA Labs Team
I have three more days left on this 14-day protocol, but since I’m near the end, I decided to share my experience now. Unfortunately, I haven’t noticed a significant difference in my SIBO symptoms, which is disappointing given that I spent over $700 on these shakes. I followed the program exactly as instructed—no deviations—and still experienced gas and indigestion throughout.
To be fair, I did have a few calmer days compared to when I eat a regular diet, but by around day 8, my SIBO symptoms started creeping back in. I didn’t take anything else during this time except water and non-caffeinated herbal teas. For someone who’s disciplined and used to strict fasting or following protocols, it’s discouraging not to see stronger results. This was kind of my “last resort” after trying antibiotics, antimicrobials, and the low FODMAP diet. Maybe my case is just more severe—but it’s disheartening nonetheless.
On a positive note, the shakes themselves taste much better than I expected! I’d read a lot of negative reviews about the flavor, but I actually found them pretty pleasant. That said, I do wish there were more savory options, because drinking sweet shakes all day gets tiresome.
One last note—my bowel movements have had a distinctly “medicated” smell throughout this protocol, which seems worth mentioning for anyone else considering it.
Overall, I can’t say this protocol worked for me so far, but I’m finishing it out and will update if anything changes by the final day
Thank you for sharing your honest experience and for your commitment to completing the 14-day protocol so diligently. We understand how discouraging it can feel when progress isn’t as immediate or dramatic as you hoped, especially after putting so much care and discipline into the process.
Our medical advisors do note that the full effects of the any elemental diet protocol are often not realized until about two weeks after resuming normal eating, as the gut continues to adjust and rebalance during that transition period. Some of what you described - like gas, mild indigestion, or changes in bowel odor or color - are also common during the process and often reflect the underlying GI condition rather than the elemental formula itself.
We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the taste of the shakes and appreciate your feedback about wanting more savory options - our team is exploring ways to make that possible.
We truly value your feedback and encourage you to finish out the program and give your body a little more time before assessing results. If you have any questions or need additional support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Clinical Support Specialists.
Thank you again for sharing your journey and for trusting mBIOTA Labs to be part of your journey. We will hope for continued improvements as you begin the transition back to normal foods.
- The mBIOTA Labs Team
The taste took some getting used to, but blending with ice helped. Overall, a positive experience.
I was worried about feeling hungry, but the shakes kept me satisfied. My energy levels even improved and I was able to continue my regular gym routine which I wasn't expecting!
After years of battling IBS, mBIOTA was a revelation. The orange flavor is surprisingly pleasant, and my bloating has significantly reduced. Highly recommend!
The diet is effective, but I wish there were more flavor options to prevent monotony over two weeks.
I really apprecaite that this diet is vegan. First few days were rough, but once I adjusted the rest was a breeze and I feel so much better.
