If you’re having multiple events of stomach discomfort, indigestion, and irritation in a short period, they may be the signs of an unhealthy digestive system. The condition possibly happens due to the imbalance of the gut microbiome. One way to overcome the problem is to include the best probiotic supplement in your diet.
A probiotic supplement is made to effectively supply enough bacteria strains into your gut and deliver many health benefits to your immunity and vaginal flora. Probiotics also help in the recovery of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. In particular, you can’t get the same result from taking fermented foods.
Food containing probiotics, such as yogurt and probiotic drinks, usually have strains that may not survive the stomach’s external environment and acidic condition. Probiotic food also needs extra care in handling, such as the need to keep the food at a cold temperature at all times. If there’s a slight temperature change, the strains may not stay alive and get destroyed even before entering your body.
Nowadays, many companies have developed advanced technologies to increase the efficacy of the way strains get to the gut. Plus, many brands also integrated prebiotics into their formulas. They also created products with no potential side effects like bloating. The reason is that some probiotics may induce gas production in the stomach resulting in discomfort.
As various probiotic supplements exist in the market, choosing the right one for you may be tricky. Thus, we will provide you with complete reviews of the five best probiotic supplements you can find in 2022.
The Top 5 Probiotic Supplements for Gut Health In 2022
- Probiology Gut+: Overall Best Probiotic Supplements for Gut Health
- Bauer Nutrition Biotics 8: Best Probiotic for Men to Promote Immune
- Oweli Probiotic: Most Effective Probiotics for Health and Wellness
- Seed Daily Synbiotic: Highly Recommended Probiotic Pills for Weight Management
- Probulin Probiotic: Most Popular Gut Health Supplements and Dietary Supplements
1. Probiology Gut+: Overall Best Probiotic Supplements for Gut Health
Probiology produced Gut+ with a mission to improve digestive health through probiotic actions. The company infused live strains from clinical research and conducted a few tests for optimum efficacy.
Probiology manufactured Gut+ in a US-based facility that has a GMP certificate. The facility has proper quality control and assurance procedure, where only products with live strains will be accepted to be delivered out of the factory. Otherwise, the probiotic supplements with altered strains will be removed and eliminated.
The product’s formulation combines probiotics and prebiotics to ensure sufficient nourishment of the bacteria. They include fructooligosaccharides as the prebiotic, which have other benefits to your body. Moreover, the product does not contain any harmful ingredients. It is natural, non-GMO, and suitable for people with gluten intolerance.
This product will not give any side effects such as bloating and stomach discomfort. The capsules in Gut+ will only be activated to release good gut bacteria once it reaches your small intestines. It means it doesn’t dissolve in the stomach, thus preventing gas formation.
Probiology claims that you can see a noticeable improvement in two weeks. In one month, you will feel a more significant change in a month and obtain the best result in three months. Thus, it’s better to try the probiotic supplement for at least two months before making a final decision. Probiology offers three packages with free shipping for all purchases if you want to buy the product. You can try the product for sixty days before returning and get a full refund. If you’re dissatisfied with it, you can return the bottle at no charge and get a hundred percent money back.
Highlights
Contains Four Live Bacteria Strains: Probiology infused four good bacteria strains, including Lactobacillus acidophilus, into Gut+ to deliver six main benefits of the product. They promise consumers to reduce stress levels and boost mood and energy by producing more serotonin. In addition, you will also notice a change in your body weight and skin health due to the anti-inflammatory effect of probiotics. Most importantly, Gut+ will improve your overall digestive system health and promote a healthy immune system.
The Proper Ratio for Optimum Efficacy: The brand did not include many strains in their product compared to other probiotic supplements. Instead, they only picked probiotics with the highest potential to minimize the risk of stomach problems such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. They have carefully measured each ingredient’s correct ratio to optimize the product’s efficacy.
High Resistance Probiotics: This probiotic supplement contains brown seaweed extract for protection against stomach acid. It promises a 250 times better survival rate for 40 billion CFUs of live microorganisms included in the product through its MAKtrek® marine polysaccharide complex technology. As a result, the probiotics reach the gut in good condition.
Free Two E-guides With Every Purchase: For every purchase of Probiology Gut+, you can redeem two free e-guides containing tips for better gut health and detox tea recipes. Thus, these e-guides are helpful to boost your gut health faster. You can follow the tips and recipes while taking Gut+ daily.
Pros
- MAKtrek® marine polysaccharide complex
- It contains four live probiotics
- Free e-guides with purchase
- Free shipping
Cons
- Not available for in-store purchase
2. Bauer Nutrition Biotics 8: Best Probiotic for Men to Promote Immune
Bauer is a one-stop online shop that gathers only science-backed products with high-quality ingredients. The company has an expert to carefully examine each product so they will only sell the best one to consumers. On top of that, Bauer also formulated its product through Bauer Nutrition, and Biotics 8 is one of the best probiotic supplements produced by the company.
This probiotic supplement targets to support men’s wellness through its formulation. It focuses on helping in digestive health, immune health, healthy digestion, and mood booster. Biotics 8 formulations will not give stomach discomfort like irritable bowel syndrome but will calm your gut and improve the food breakdown. Furthermore, Bauer Nutrition does not add any sugar to the product. Instead, they use fructooligosaccharides, a prebiotic that gives a subtle sweet taste.
A bottle of Biotics 8 contains sixty capsules that can last for almost a month. They offer three bundles with more savings when purchasing more than one bottle. The brand suggests initially taking one to two capsules per day and increasing to three capsules per day after you feel comfortable with it.
Therefore, it is best to take the second package, which comprises two bottles and one free bottle. You can try using the product, and if you’re not satisfied with the result, you can return and get a full refund within sixty days. You can purchase through the Bauer Nutrition website and enjoy worldwide free shipping for all orders.
Highlights
Added with Digestive Enzymes: Bauer Nutrition added amylase, lipase, and protease enzymes to improve your digestive system. These three enzymes are the key enzymes to all digestion in the body. Your body uses amylase to break down carbohydrates, lipase for fat metabolism, and protease to digest protein. Thus, by adding these enzymes into the product, Biotics 8 is helpful for your gut microbiome and highly beneficial for a healthy digestive system.
Formulated with Vitamin D3: Vitamin D3 has the potential benefit of boosting mood and energy, promoting sturdier bones, and supporting a healthy immune system. Studies suggest that vitamin D3 may help to reduce symptoms of depression by lifting the mood and positive emotions. It also has the properties to facilitate calcium absorption and fight against infections.
Contains Chicory Root: Biotics 8 contains prebiotic inulin from chicory root, a plant with high fiber content. This prebiotic helps nourish the probiotics to improve their energy in the survival to reach your gut. It also ensures that good bacteria are well-fed and can effectively perform their function upon reaching the gut.
Ten Probiotic Strains for Multiple Health Benefits: Bauer includes 20 billion CFUs of ten good bacteria strains into Biotics 8 to help men achieve holistic wellness. The strains comprise six Lactobacillus bacteria, three Bifidobacteria, and one saccharomyces strain. Lactobacillus helps reduce inflammation, strengthen the immune systems, promote better skin health, and improve digestive health. The second strain, Bifidobacterium species, can support food digestion and facilitate nutrient absorption in the gut. Lastly, saccharomyces are probiotics from the yeast group and act to prevent diarrhea.
Pros
- It contains three digestive enzymes
- Formulated with vitamin D3
- Contains chicory root
- Free worldwide shipping
- No added sugar
Cons
- Need to keep in the refrigerator
3. Oweli Probiotic: Most Effective Probiotics for Health and Wellness
Oweli is a company with a great mindset to deliver only the best quality product with simple yet powerful ingredients. The brand is committed to preserving an ancient “back to nature” philosophy to bring out essential nutrients to the body. Furthermore, they uphold fundamental scientific theories and methodologies and do not comply with pseudoscience.
Oweli has produced Oweli Probiotic along with many other dietary supplements. The brand formulated this probiotic supplement with ingredients containing potential science-based benefits. The company used a manufacturing facility registered with the FDA and has a cGMP certificate. They produced this probiotic supplement with a safe formula tested in the lab to check for harmful bacteria and other contaminants. Thus, the product is safe to use and will not give unpleasant experiences like irritable bowel syndrome.
In addition, Oweli also ships internationally to many countries. There is no free shipping offer available. However, you can enroll in their insider program for more savings. The benefits you can get from the program include a 35% discount for all purchases. Plus, you get free shipping within the U.S and VIP access to sales and new product launches.
Highlights
The Daily Probiotic for Holistic Wellness: Oweli blends four potent probiotic strains to promote overall health. The brand formulated Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Lactobacillus paracasei in the product. These bacterial strains are the best in supporting healthy digestion through a balanced gut microbiome with plenty of beneficial bacteria. It can also support immune health by stimulating more antibodies and immune cell production.
Besides, this probiotic supplement can promote radiant skin by supporting the skin microbiome as an effective barrier against harmful bacteria. In addition, research suggests that the Lactobacillus family may inhibit fat absorption resulting in less fat storage under the skin, aiding in weight loss.
Forty Billion Colony Forming Units (CFU) of Strains Per Serving: This brand provides a sufficient quantity of probiotic strains in one serving to ensure you will get the most of the bacteria’s benefits. When there are more strains, the chance the bacteria will survive in your gut also increases; thus, more probiotic bacteria will take action in your gut.
Use MAKtrek® Bi-Pass Technology: The product’s high number of good strains are developed with a technology that can increase the strains’ survival rates. The technology helps the strains resist the stomach juice’s high acidity and travel to the gut.
100-day Money-Back Guarantee: The brand doesn’t promise a magical solution but believes every progress takes time. Therefore, upon purchasing the product, you will get a chance to try it for one hundred days and propose a refund if it doesn’t benefit you. This guarantee is advantageous to help consumers make a wise decision after trying the product.
Pros
- A full-spectrum formulated probiotics
- 40 billion CFUs of good strains
- MAKtrek® Bi-Pass Technology
- Safe lab-tested formula
- Insider Program
Cons
- It does not offer free shipping
4. Seed Daily Synbiotic: Highly Recommended Probiotic Pills for Weight Management
Seed is serious about doing more research on probiotics for humans and biodiversity. The company has many certified scientists, researchers, and doctors from multiple fields on its scientific board. These professionals have done many kinds of research through the SeedLabs, an initiative from Seed to expand probiotics research for ecosystem revival.
Thus, the company is reliable in producing only science-proven products for all, including children. The brand produced PSD-08 Pediatric Daily Synbiotic for kids and teenagers. The formulation is made into powder form and packed in sachets. Powder-form probiotics are friendly to kids as you can mix them into the kids’ meals and beverages.
Furthermore, the strains are highly tolerable to children and adolescents with food allergies. Seed excludes fourteen allergens defined by the European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA) from the product to promise safety for children and adolescents.
They also commit to sustainability and preserving a balanced ecosystem. Thus, the company put meticulous care into its product packaging. They made the packaging using biodegradable materials and refillable glass jars and containers. Upon subscribing to the product, you will get a welcome kit containing capsules in a glass jar or sachets in a container. Next month, the company will send refills instead of a new container to minimize waste.
Highlights
Capsule-In-capsule Design: The company uses an advanced way of producing capsules in DS-01 Daily Synbiotic (adults). They developed two layers of capsules containing both prebiotics and probiotics to maximize the efficacy of the probiotic strains. As the strains travel through the stomach, a ViaCap Delivery Technology protects the strains from acid destruction. It results in the higher viability of the good bacteria to enter the gut and serve their benefits.
The Specialized Formulation for All Ages: Seed produced two types of probiotic supplements to cater to the needs of all generations, starting from as little as three years old. They include twenty-four probiotic strains in DS-01 and nine strains in PSD-08. The brand ensures each formulation suits every age category so consumers can obtain the maximum benefits of the product. Seed company also incorporated fiber-based prebiotics for kids instead of polyphenol-based like the one for adults to promote daily fiber intake among kids as proposed by USDA.
Science-Based Formulated Probiotics: Both product formulations are obtained after clinical research and tested in the Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME®). SHIME® is a simulation model that mimics the human digestive system. The strains are tested through five media stages similar to the human gastrointestinal tract, such as the stomach, small intestines, and three colons. Therefore, the bacteria strains in Seed products have a high survival rate across the digestive system before reaching the gut.
Practical Packaging: The brand has made packaging that offers practicality for its customers. From the first purchase, you will get a free travel vial, which will add the convenience of taking the capsule. Besides, the container has a unique design where you can twist the bottle to mark the day your kids take the product and keep track of their probiotic intake.
Pros
- Tested in SHIME®
- Powder probiotic for kids
- Capsule-in-capsule design
- Environmental-friendly
- Free from allergens
Cons
- Compulsory subscription for product purchases
5. Probulin Probiotic: Most Popular Gut Health Supplements and Dietary Supplements
Probulin believes that a healthy gut is a key to overall wellness. Thus, the brand has consistently produced various products focusing on gut health. They also ensure all products are gluten-free and dairy-free, making them friendly to vegans and people with food allergies.
Moreover, the company has manufactured the product in a facility with NSF and cGMP certificates equipped with high-quality technology. The facility has strict monitoring and quality control, resulting in safe and effective products.
Probulin has various probiotic supplements with a specific probiotic strain and super ingredients to cater to different purposes. The Total Care Line highlights the best probiotic formulation to promote overall health. Meanwhile, the Original Formula Line focuses on giving sufficient daily probiotic doses.
There are five products in Total Care Line having different purposes. They aim to provide a soothing feeling and a healthy immune system. Also, they treat urinary tract infections and general wellness. While for the Original Formula Line, the brand has six products covering women’s health, colon health support, weight management, and daily probiotics.
For a better purchasing experience, Probulin offers free shipping for a total order of $45 and above. You will also get a 45-day money-back guarantee with every product purchase. If you want more savings, you can subscribe to their Auto-ship Program, which offers scheduled shipping and more discounts.
Highlights
MAKTrek® 3-D Delivery System: Probulin uses technology with three mechanisms to support the probiotics’ journey across the stomach. The mechanism protects, feeds, and hydrates the probiotics within the digestive system. The brand uses brown seaweed to protect the probiotics as a secondary barrier against the stomach’s acidic environment.
Then, the system equips the probiotics for survival by feeding them prebiotics. The technology also ensures that the probiotics are well hydrated with vital electrolytes. Hydration is essential to keep the probiotics alive and healthy along the journey.
Bug-Shaped Tablets for Kids: Probulin has produced cute and fun bug-shaped tablets to share the benefits with kids. The brand has formulated My Little Bugs™ Total Care Probiotic for Kids with five billion CFUs of optimal probiotic strains in the perfect ratio and potency. They also added watermelon flavor to the tablets to make them more palatable and enjoyable for children. As it comes in tablets, it is convenient for daily use as you can give your kids to chew the tablets like sweets.
Cold and Protected Shipping: Probulin offers shipping in a cold container to preserve the quality of the probiotics. It uses Enviro Ice to keep the container at the ideal temperature throughout the route to your doorstep. Even though Probulin probiotic is shelf stable, Probulin takes the extra step to ensure the parcel’s temperature will not go beyond the probiotic killing temperature.
Environmental-Friendly: Probulin uses recycled materials in its packaging, such as a thermal insulator made with recycled cotton denim. The materials decompose by themselves after some time, thus minimizing the impact on the ecosystem. They also use Enviro Ice ice packs. The ice packs are eco-friendly as you can reuse the gel content as plant food. You can pour the gel onto your plant soil and use it as fertilizer.
Pros
- MAKTrek® 3-D Delivery System
- Fun bug-shaped tablets for children
- Shipped in a cold container
- Various options with different purposes
Cons
- Minimum purchase amount required for free shipping
Factors to Consider Before Buying the Best Probiotics and Gut Health Supplements
Product Labels
Every dietary supplement product must provide complete information on its product label. According to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act regulation, the label must present product identity, amount of each probiotic strain, ingredient list, and manufacturer and distributor details. Therefore, the first thing you have to do before buying a probiotic supplement is to read the label and ensure all information is provided.
Formulated with Prebiotics
Probiotics are live microorganisms that feed on prebiotics. Undeniably, it will produce the best outcome when they work together. Probiotic products infused with prebiotics are most likely to give optimum results. Thus, we made sure that we only picked products that contained prebiotics in their formulations. Prebiotics will help nourish probiotics and maximize the bacteria functions in the small intestines.
Your Health Condition
Although most probiotics are made of Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) ingredients, some people may experience adverse effects. For example, people with compromised immune systems due to any medical conditions and chronic illnesses need to avoid the product. It is best to ask a healthcare provider and seek kids-friendly probiotic supplements for children. Besides that, patients with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) should be careful with probiotics. It is due to the lack of solid evidence associating the positive effect of probiotics with SIBO. Therefore, please seek advice from a healthcare provider.
Quality Over Quantity
Instead of looking for many CFUs, you must study the product’s ingredients and strain types. A higher amount of CFUs does not promise a better probiotic supplement. What is more important is whether all strains are resistant to the stomach’s acidic environment and functioning well in the gut. Probiotics also need to have science-backed benefits for your health, especially for the digestive system.
How We Made the List of Probiotics for Gut Health
We walked through multiple online searchers looking for probiotic supplements with high demands on the market. Next, we compiled all high-quality supplements and made a list from the search. Then, we looked at each product to match the criteria we wanted. Finally, we chose products that fit most of our standards and made this list of the five best probiotic brands.
What We Looked For
After thorough research, we made a list of criteria to choose the best probiotic products. The criteria are as follows:
- Probiotic Strain: A probiotic product must contain beneficial and viable bacteria strains. The bacteria must be alive and active when you consume and deliver it to your gut. As a rule of thumb, we target products with more than one billion colony-forming units (CFU) of strains per serving amount. It ensures a sufficient number of probiotic bacteria are available for action. Scientific research proved the two most common strains in daily probiotic products help gut health. Those are lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Therefore, we looked at the list of strains in each product to ensure they include at least these two robust species. However, some companies also add other probiotic strains such as saccharomyces to target other health benefits. Therefore, we also ensure other bacteria listed are safe and have science-backed proof.
- Manufacturing Facility: All dietary supplements must be produced from a qualified manufacturing facility. The facility must be certified, complies with laws, and have a license and manufacture certificate. Examples of the certificate are Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), and National Sanitation Foundation (NSF). We looked at all the manufacturers to recommend products that come only from reliable probiotic brands.
- Probiotics Protection: Each probiotic strain must be protected to increase its survival rates. When the strains move into your body, they must pass through your stomach and endure stomach acid before reaching your gut. Therefore, we ensured that the probiotic products have a protection technology system. This system protects the strains from harsh environments so they can arrive safely in your intestines. The best technology is the one that passes through clinical tests; As a result, we give priority to products that have a scientific-based technology.
FAQs On Probiotic Supplements
1. What are probiotics?
Prebiotics act as food for probiotics. It means that probiotics need prebiotics to survive across the digestive tract before it reaches the small intestines. Beneficial prebiotics are essential for well-functioning probiotics upon arriving in your gut. Besides that, prebiotics also help improve bowel movements, thus preventing constipation.
2. What are the health benefits of taking Lactobacillus probiotic strains?
There are a few types of Lactobacillus strains with different benefits. For example, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus plantarum have the properties to reduce irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms such as bloating and stomach cramps. Both gut bacteria also help maintain a well-balanced gut with beneficial bacteria for a healthy digestive system and effectively eliminate bowel waste. Another strain, lactobacillus paracasei, may improve complexion and eliminate bad inflammatory reactions that can cause inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The lactobacillus family can also help support the healing process of antibiotic-associated diarrhea resulting from antibiotic treatment.
Conclusion: What Are Probiotics Good for?
Taking probiotics can give numerous positive outcomes to your body’s health, especially gut health. Probiotic supplements provide more benefits than probiotic food on their own. Most strains in probiotic food do not survive the journey to the intestines. Therefore, picking the best probiotic supplement that suits your body and improves health is crucial. Don’t worry if you don’t see improvements after trying the product, as these brands offer a guarantee for return and refund. You can always pick another affordable probiotic supplement and observe the changes. However, if you have any severe illness, you must seek medical advice before taking probiotics.
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