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Probiotic Buyer’s Guide (updated March 2024)

How To Find A High Quality Effective Probiotic Supplement

An image of the site's Senior Editor - Sally Harper.
  Sally Harper
  Senior Editor
  Health & Wellness Advice

With each latest health supplement trend, such as with probiotics,  manufacturers very quickly begin to create products that they claim are the best on the market or the most effective, even manipulating the facts to claim that it is the best choice.

These wild claims are often not backed up with scientific support and with no real explanations as to why they have formulated their version of a probiotic supplement in the way that they have or how exactly they work to help improve gut and overall health. To say the least, they are very vague.

It can be beyond confusing for consumers, not knowing which probiotic supplements are worth buying and which are worthless fakes. We felt it was time to carefully examine some of the products available, to discover more about which ones may be telling the truth and those that clearly you need to stay away from.

What Is The Science Behind Probiotics

Our gut contains trillions of bacteria which are important for digestion, immune health, and other functions. These microorganisms include both bad bacteria and friendly bacteria, so it is important to maintain a healthy balance. When the gut flora is out of balance, that is when health issues can arise. An imbalance can lead to a number of health concerns, such as digestive issues, diarrhea, mood changes, skin blemishes, poor nutrient absorption,  and a weaker immune system.

Taking a probiotic supplement helps maintain a healthy balance of the gut microbiota as well as restore healthy bacteria in the gut.  Probiotics are live microorganisms which are similar to those found in the body. To get the full benefits of taking a probiotic supplement, you need to choose the correct one. Different strains of probiotics provide different benefits.

Our Research On Probiotic Supplements

When looking for an effective probiotic supplement to achieve the results above, you must read product labels. We were able to immediately spot manufacturers that were simply out to make a quick return and cash in on the latest trends versus the products that we consider to be high quality and effective supplements that will bring positive results.

Our research identified key clinically-proven ingredients which should be included in a probiotic supplement for optimal effects. These ingredients include:

  • Multiple Strains Of Probiotics – Each strain provides a different benefit for the body. The most beneficial strains include those from the Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces family.
  • Added prebiotic such as Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) – Helps maintain the pH balance of the gut. Stimulates the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut providing an excellent support framework for the probiotics.

The amount of probiotics found in a supplement should be at least 20 billion CFU. CFU stands for Colony Forming Units, and it is the measure of how strong a probiotic is. The higher the strength, the more benefits you will receive.

Thorough research takes time and money, which most people don’t have an endless supply of. So, we did the work for you, saving you both. We researched numerous probiotic supplements to ascertain an in-depth analysis of what is out there on the market.

To determine those products that we could rate as beneficial, we looked to see if they contained the correct concentration and ingredients, how potent they were and their grade of purity. We eliminated products that we found to contain synthetic fillers, unnecessary ingredients and those that each pill showed inconsistency with each other.

However, that was not all, we didn’t stop there. We understand that facts and figures don’t always tell the whole story. So, we looked for real consumers who had purchased and used the products and asked them for their feedback. Their testimonials helped us to establish a list of the best possible products currently available based on the experience of real consumers.

How To Find High-Quality Probiotic Supplement Manufacturers

OK, so….there are several key elements to look out for that can pretty much guarantee the product’s authenticity.

  • Optimal Dosage and Purity: We eliminated any products with synthetic fillers, unnecessary ingredients and inconsistent pills.
  • Verified Customer Reviews: We reviewed testimonials of real consumers who had purchased, used the products and given feedback.
  • Monitoring by a Third Party: Using third-party organizations to independently monitor and track the reputation of a manufacturer and assess their customer satisfaction levels is crucial.
  • 100% Money Back Guarantee: A strong guarantee demonstrates the confidence that manufacturers have in their products.
  • External Testing: Third-party testing substantiates and verifies the quality of the manufacturer’s product. It can be very expensive for manufacturers to undertake and even disqualify entire shipments of products that don’t reach the correct standards.

We are very confident in the brands that we did pick. Given our stringent parameters and reasons for choosing our recommendations, we are sure our suggestions will help you achieve the results you are looking for.

Our Probiotic Product Recommendations

Our product recommendation stands tall against its competition, we think you will agree. The company’s excellent reputation, quality product, external independent monitoring, and testing, coupled with an incredible money back guarantee policy, makes this a good product to consider if you are looking for a quality probiotic supplement.

Probiotic Report

APPROVED

Rating: Excellent

5starsn

Effectiveness
Potency
Money Back Guarantee
Value
Consumer Feedback
Company Reputation

Approved Science Probiotic

If you are looking to improve your gut flora balance and boost your overall health, then Approved Science Probiotic is something that deserves your undivided attention. Of all the probiotic supplements currently available on the market, this is the one that deserves a closer look and very likely, the one that will change your life!

It contains a patented 10-strain blend of the highest quality probiotics called Pro-Sci™, with a culture count of 25 billion CFU for promoting gut and overall health. It includes Saccharomyces boulardii which is a probiotic heavily supported by research for its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory health benefits. In addition, it contains a top-quality prebiotic, Fructooligosaccharides (FOS), to boost the production of healthy bacteria in the gut as well as balance pH levels. It does not contain any additives or preservatives and is totally 100% safe to use with no long-term side effects. It is also vegan friendly, which is rare with probiotic supplements.

Quality: Approved Science Probiotic contains high-grade, 100% natural, clinically-verified ingredients that are GMP certified.

Reputation: Their reputation is top quality. This manufacturer has several third-party monitoring services, including buySAFE, Norton, and Trustee, as well as an A+ rating from the quality monitoring company QualityTrusted.

Money Back Guarantee: Every item sold, is supported by a 60-Day 100% Money Back Guarantee. Such guarantees from manufacturers show strong confidence in their products’ ability to deliver results. Great news for consumers.

What’s more, they are well known in the industry and an established company that provides great customer support service, secure and easy checkout as well as prompt, efficient delivery.

Their commitment to the health industry and consumer is excellent, providing further qualification of efficacy by producing their products in an FDA registered laboratory.

If you are looking for a top-quality probiotic supplement that contains a strong prebiotic for optimizing gut health from an established reputable company with an excellent money back guarantee, this is the supplement for you.

It would be good to note that, due to high demand, Approved Science Probiotic is often sold out. To avoid having to back order, don’t hesitate to make that purchase when you see it in stock.

See the full review

 

Rating: Good

4-star-rating

ProbioticXL

ProbioticXL is manufactured by Great Healthworks and makes good use of 10 strains of probiotics. An effective probiotic formula should contain multiple strains for better results. So, while we were pleased to see the multiple strains included in the formula, we were disappointed that the strength is only 11 billion CFU.  

The manufacturer’s website is packed with information, which is useful when you are looking to buy a health supplement. However, not all of this information is so clear. It is hard to really find out the finer details of the product. Even the information about a guarantee is written in small print at the bottom of the site and could easily be missed. Continue reading our full review to learn all the details.

Click here to read the full review

 

Rating: OK

3-star-rating

Vitalite Now Probiotic & Prebiotic

We were happy to see that this product comes with a money-back guarantee and is GMP certified, when so many products today are not. We also like that this probiotic supplement contains a prebiotic. The prebiotic in this supplement is a blend containing 4 strains. It is a patented prebiotic formulation, but the manufacturer does not provide much information about it. 

This product fell a bit short compared to other products we have reviewed because it only contains 4 probiotic strains, so it will offer fewer benefits. Its potency is also very low at only 4.4 billion CFU. Another downside to this product was that it doesn’t offer any discounts for multiple purchases which is a shame. While this doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t buy the product, if you are looking for a cost-effective long-term solution, this may not be the one for you.  

Since the company sells a variety of supplements and has some excellent research behind their products we definitely recommend you read out the full review for the big picture. 

Click here to read the full review

What You’ll Discover:

Which Probiotic is the BEST BUY and comes with a great GUARANTEE!
Which formula and ingredients are the most EFFECTIVE and work the fastest?
How NOT to get ripped off! BE AWARE of poor quality and cheap products.

The Top 6 Items to Consider:

  1. Ingredients
  2. Cost Per Serving
  3. Product’s Testing Results
  4. Company’s Reputation
  5. Consumer Reviews
  6. Return Policy & Satisfaction Guarantee

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