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5 Quality Probiotics To Try - What To Look For

Many people try restrictive diets to address digestive problems, but these diets often fall short because they fail to tackle the root cause—gut health. Modern diets typically lack the essential nutrients required to maintain a healthy gut balance.*

Research increasingly highlights the gut's vital role in not just digestion but also lung, heart, and brain health. When harmful bacteria overpower beneficial ones, it can negatively affect multiple aspects of your well-being.*

This has led many to turn to probiotics as a solution for improving overall health; however, not all probiotics are equally effective. With so many options on the market, it can be challenging to identify the best ones. To help, Buyers Choice team breaks down what to look for in a quality probiotic and what to avoid. We also share our top picks for the five best digestive probiotics available today.*

What are probiotics and what are they good for?

- Help improve gut issues*

When harmful bacteria in the gut outweigh the beneficial ones, it can disrupt digestion and lead to uncomfortable issues like gas, bloating, and diarrhea. A premium-quality probiotic can help restore balance, significantly reducing these symptoms.* (Source 1, 2, 3)

- Help strength immunity*

Since more than 70% of our immune system is based in the gut, it's essential to provide it with proper support. Probiotic supplements help restore beneficial bacteria in the gut, strengthening the immune system to better handle unexpected challenges.* (Source 4, 5)

- Help promote brain health*

Many people are surprised to discover that the gut contains over 500 million neurons, which communicate with the brain through the spinal cord. When harmful bacteria in the gut become dominant, it can disrupt these signals, potentially causing brain fog, stress, and occasional memory lapses. Since the gut and brain are deeply interconnected, maintaining a healthy gut is essential for overall well-being.* (Source 6, 7, 8, 9)

- Help encourage restful sleep*

Recent research has revealed a direct link between the overgrowth of harmful bacteria in the gut and difficulties with falling and staying asleep. This imbalance can contribute to sleep disorders, draining energy during the day and disrupting sleep patterns. Simply put, a healthier balance of good bacteria in the gut leads to better sleep quality.* (Source 10, 11, 12, 13)

- Help encourage healthy aging*

Ever wonder how some people maintain their vitality and sharpness well into old age? The secret might lie in their thriving, healthy gut. Recent studies reveal that those with better physical strength and mental clarity tend to have an abundance of beneficial gut bacteria. It seems the key to longevity and wellness could be found in a balanced gut!* (Source 14, 15)

Note: Individual results may vary. The benefits stated are based on personal experiences and subjective feedback and may vary from person to person.

7 Things To Consider Before Buying

1. PRO-biotics with High CFU Count: choose a probiotic brand that has a higher number of probiotics, from at least 40 billion to 75 billion per serving.* (Source 16, 17)

2. PRE-biotics: to support the growth of probiotics once they get into your system, it is essential that prebiotics are also included in the formula.* (Sources 18, 19, 20)

3. POST-biotics: are bioactive compounds made when the healthy bacteria in your gut ferment fiber. Many of the health benefits linked with prebiotics and probiotics actually come from the production of postbiotics. So it’s important for your supplement to include CoreBiome or other types of postbiotics.* (Source 21, 22, 23)

4. Strain Diversity: choose a probiotic supplement that has at least 15 or more probiotic strains, such as Bacillus coagulans, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium and Streptococcus thermophilus strains.* (Sources 24, 25)

5. Survivability: look for formulas that are in delayed release capsules such as DRcaps that protects the probiotics from stomach acid; or at least have MAKTrek in their formula.* (Sources 26)

6. Be Shelf-Stable No Refrigeration Needed: make sure your probiotic supplement has soil-based probiotics and is shelf-stable, meaning it doesn’t need to be refrigerated. Ideally you want your probiotic to have a shelf-life of 2 years.* (Sources 27)

7. Easy Refund Policy: it is important for a brand to offer a long refund policy. Many probiotic supplements may take up to three months to show their full benefits. We highly recommend choosing a brand that offers a 90 days easy refund policy.

The result: There are many probiotics supplements in the market. To hep you choose, we purchased and reviewed 127+ supplements and compiled a list of our 5 picks based on their ingredients, label accuracy, pricing, return policy, and overall customer satisfaction. *

Top 5 Probiotic Supplements

USCare Biome 100

Biome 100 Advance Probiotics contains 50 Billion CFU live cultures probiotics consisting of 18 diverse strains, plus NutraFlora® prebiotic and CoreBiome® Tributyrin postbiotic; with no synthetic fillers or additives and vegan-friendly.

Biome 100 is one of the few doctor formulated probiotics on the market with DRcaps™ delivery system to help protect your ingredients from stomach acid. It is also shelf-stable meaning it does NOT require refrigeration and has 2 years shelf life (most other brands have 1 year or less). We highly recommend this formula.

Biome 100 is made in USA, 3rd party lab tested for purity and label accuracy; a robust and advance formula. All purchases from Gives Nutrition are backed by 90 days 100% refund policy.

Form: Capsule
Dose: 1 capsule per day
Active ingredients: Probiotics, Prebiotic and Postbiotic
Number of servings: 30 per container
Shipping: free shipping on all orders
Refund Policy: 90 days full refund

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*Results are based on the Buyers Choice Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. Please visit product websites for more information. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.

MegaFlora

MegaFood MegaFlora is another great option. It contains 50 billion CFU probiotics from 14 different strains.

It also contains prebiotics, however it does not contain any postbiotics. This formula doesn’t contain any unnecessary additives and does not require refrigeration as well.

Made in the USA with all-natural, fast dissolving veggie capsule and 3rd Party Tested. All purchases from MegaFood are backed by 30 days return policy.

Form: Capsule
Dose: 2 capsules
Active ingredients: Probiotics, Prebiotic, Turmeric
Number of servings: 45 per container
Return Policy: Limited 30 days

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All Flora Probiotic

New Chapter All Flora Probiotic came in as our 3rd choice for probiotics. It’s no wonder because All Flora is a great product with 10 Billions CFUs from 2 different strains of probiotics.

Although some of the ingredients may be considered a type of prebiotic, however it doesn’t contain any NutraFlora and other kinds of postbiotics.

Nevertheless, All Flora is a good choice for people that look for a simple probiotics supplement. It is made in the USA with all-natural, fast dissolving veggie capsule and 3rd Party Lab Tested. All purchases from New Chapter are backed by 30 days return policy.

Form: Capsule
Dose: 1 capsule
Active ingredients: Probiotics, Prebiotic, Turmeric
Number of servings: 30 per container
Return Policy: 30 days

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FloraMend

Thorne FloraMend Prime Probiotic is another top rated formula. Thorne offers a wide variety of supplements and their probiotics is another great choice for many consumers. This formula contains 5 Billion CFU live culture probiotics from three different strains of probiotics. Although this formla doesn’t contain any prebiotics or post-biotic, it’s another great choice for people looking for a lower dosage and simple formula.

FloraMend is also made in USA, shelf-stable and 3rd party lab tested for label accuracy and purity. All purchases from Thorne are backed by 60 days return policy.

Form: Capsules
Dose: 1 capsule
Active ingredients: blend of probiotics
Number of servings: 30 per container
Return Policy: 60 days limited

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Tri-Butyrin Supreme

Designs for Health offers a wide variety of supplements. Their postbiotic supplement is a top rated brand for people looking for just a postbiotic formula. It contains 300mg of CoreBiome Tributyrin.

This formula doesn’t contain any other strains of probiotics or prebiotics. Tri-Butyrin Supreme is also made in USA, shelf-stable and 3rd party lab tested for label accuracy and purity. All purchases from Designs for Health are backed by 30 days return policy.

Form: Softgel
Dose: 2 capsules
Active ingredients: Tributyrin postbiotic
Number of servings: 30 per container
Return Policy: 30 days limited

Learn More >>

Sources and citations

1. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/8-health-benefits-of-probiotics

2. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/14598-probiotics

3. https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/good-bacteria-for-your-gut

4. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Probiotics-HealthProfessional/

5. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-probiotic-supplement

6. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-brain-gut-connection

7. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/gut-brain-connection

8. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/gut-brain-connection

9. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/brain-fog

10. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0222394

11. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1418773/full

12. https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/47/3/zsae005/7512301

13. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191028164311.htm

14. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11894-024-00932-w

15. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0305583

16. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Probiotics-HealthProfessional/

17. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-pick-the-best-probiotic-for-you

18. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/probiotics-and-prebiotics

19. https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/prebiotics-understanding-their-role-in-gut-health

20. https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/dairy-health/prebiotics-probiotics-and-the-microbes-in-your-gut-key-to-your-digestive-health/

21. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/postbiotics

22. https://compoundsolutions.com/corebiome-tributyrin-the-source-of-wellness/

23. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/postbiotics

24. https://longevity.stanford.edu/lifestyle/2024/04/08/probiotics-prebiotics-and-postbiotics-what-are-they-and-why-are-they-important/

25. https://www.metagenicsinstitute.com/blogs/targeted-probiotic-strains/

26. https://www.lonza.com/knowledge-center/chi/pharma/capsules/protection-of-probiotics-drcaps

27. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Probiotics-Consumer/