SPONSORED ADVERTISING CONTENT
2022's Top 5 Prebiotic Supplements for Gut & Digestive Health
How to find a prebiotic that makes digestion smooth -- and how to avoid empty promises
Advertiser Disclosure
For many Americans, digestion gets harder every year. After meals, they’re bloated. They suffer from uncomfortable gas, bloating, and diarrhea. Sometimes, they even have to give up their favorite foods.
So it’s no wonder why millions of Americans turn to prebiotics. Studies have shown that these extremely promising supplements can help correct your digestion by feeding good bacteria in your gut.
However, as prebiotics have become more popular, the market has become flooded. There are now so many prebiotics out there, finding the right one can feel overwhelming.
To help you make the right choice, Smarter Reviews sifted through hundreds of prebiotics, breaking down what works, what should be avoided, and the 5 best prebiotics on the market in this simple guide.
How Prebiotics Repair Your Digestion
Prebiotics are nutrients that feed the thousands of species of good bacteria in your gut. Common prebiotics include:
FOS
GOS
XOS
Inulin
HMO
When taken in a supplement, these nutrients give your good bacteria the nutrition they need to grow strong, multiply, and correct your digestion.
A quality supplement will contain several types of prebiotics. That’s because different species of bacteria have different diets. The more diverse prebiotics your supplement contains, the more digestive benefits you get.
Supplements that offer diverse prebiotics with the right probiotics are called synbiotics.
What Is a Synbiotic?
Synbiotics are cutting-edge supplements that fuse prebiotic nutrients with the exact bacteria that eat them. Numerous studies suggest that, by following the synbiotic method, supplements become much more effective in relieving gas, bloating, and diarrhea.
For the best digestive support, make sure you choose a synbiotic.
What to Look for in a Quality Prebiotic
Matching Pre- & Probiotics
If they don't match, it's not a sybiotic.
There are thousands of strains of good bacteria. Many have different diets. If a supplement includes a strain of bacteria and no nutrients that it specifically eats, that strain may starve out and die before you feel any of its benefits.
Remember, only supplements with matching pre- and probiotics bring the benefits of a synbiotic.
Diverse Prebiotics
Look for at least two prebiotics for maximum digestive support.
Since each strain of bacteria provides a different digestive benefit, the best prebiotic supplements support as many strains as possible. For best results, a prebiotic should contain at least two different nutrients.
Sufficient Dose of Probiotics
For quick gas and bloating relief, take at least 40bn CFU.
A healthy human microbiome is home to around 100 trillion bacteria. To make the most impact on such a huge population, we recommend supplements with at least 40 billion CFUs. This dosage range provides the quickest, most reliable digestive relief.
What to Avoid in a Prebiotic
Chewable Forms
Could render your prebiotic useless.
Prebiotics (as well as probiotics) belong in your gut -- not your stomach. Stomach acid will destroy them on contact. Chewable forms offer your supplement no protection from digestion. That’s why you should look for prebiotics with acid-resistant, timed-release capsules.
"Unstudied Prebiotics
Not guaranteed to support digestive health.
In the best case scenario, we don't know if unstudied probiotics actually support beneficial bacteria. In the worst, they might feed harmful bacteria.
On the other hand, patented prebiotics typically provide clinically-backed for digestive comfort.
Unnatural Additives
Could harm your microbiome.
Our microbiomes are extremely sensitive to common filler ingredients. In particular, watch out for maltodextrin and titaminium dioxide. According to recent studies, both have been shown to hurt beneficial bacteria and even help harmful bacteria.
Top 5 Prebiotic Supplements of 2022
Using these strict criteria, Smarter Reviews sifted through hundreds of prebiotic supplements, narrowing them down to the five absolute best.
- Bifidus Best Advanced Probiotic
- 1MD Nutrition™ Complete Probiotics Platinum
- Align Probiotic Supplement
- Advanced Probiotics
- Probiotic-40 Supplement
- Nexabiotic Probiotic
- Bio K Plus Acidophilus Capsules
- BIOPRO-50 Ultimate Probiotic
- Bioprotics Probiotic
- Pro-X10 Probiotics
- Bowtrol Probiotics
- Culturelle Probiotics
- Digestive Advantage Probiotics
- Dr. Axe Probiotics
- Dr. Mercola Premium Products - Complete Probiotics
- Dr. Ohhira's Probiotics
- Probiotic 4 Strain Blend
- Earths Design Probiotics
- EarthWell 40 billion Probiotic
- Probiotic Pearls Acidophilus
- Florajen High Potency Probiotics
- Ganeden: Probiotic
- RAW Probiotics
- Probiotics 30 BILLION CFU's
- GNC Ultra 25 Probiotic
- Probiotic Pro-40
- Probiotics Supplement
- Healthy Origins Probiotics
- HyperBiotics Pro 15
- ULTRA-30 Probiotics
- Probiotic 10 Billion
- Jarrow Probiotics
- Just Potent Probiotic Supplement
- Optimum Probiotics
- LG 365 Probiotics
- Advanced Probiotics Balance
- Lumen Naturals Probiotic
- Miracle Health Labs Advanced Probiotics
- Natren Probiotics
- Probiotic 40 Billion
- Nature Made Probiotics
- Nature's Bounty Probiotic
- Natures Design Probiotics
- New Chapter Probiotic All-Flora
- Nova Probiotics
- Now Foods Probiodics
- Probiotic Ultra Max
- Nutrition Essential's Probiotic
- Organic Probiotics
- Origin Essentials Advance Strength Probiotics
- Pinnacle Nutrition Probiotics
- Probium Probiotics Multi Blend 12B
- Pure Life Probiotics
- Puritan's Pride ProBiotic 10
- Renew Life Probiotics
- Savi Wellness Probiotics
- Sedona Labs Probiotics
- Solgar Probiotics
- Ultra-Biotics
- Sunbiotics Probiotics
- Suprema Dophilus Multi-Probiotic
- Probiotics by Supreme Potential
- Threelac Probiotic
- Triumvit Probiotics Supplement
- TruBiotics Probiotic
- Udo's Choice - Adult's Blend Probiotic
- Ultimate Flora Critical Care Probiotics
- UTVital Probiotics
- Vetri Probiotic Everyday
- Suprema-Dophilus Multi-Probiotic
- Complete Probiotic 5 Billion
- Well State
- Whole Body Research Keybiotics
- Zenwise Labs Ultra-15 Probiotic
Disclaimer:
Smarter reviews is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. This affiliate compensation may affect how and where products appear on the site, including the order in which they appear. This site does not rate all products in each category.
Go back to pageOur Main Sources
Sources used for research purposes. Smarter-Reviews.com are not officially affiliated with these sites.
1. BiomeMD®
.png)
Total Ranking
9.8/10
A+
Overall Grade
PROS
- Contains 62 billion CFU per capsule
- 14 diverse clinically tested strains
- Each capsule is acid-resistant
- Doctor-formulated
- 100% Non-GMO, gluten, soy, and shellfish free
- Contains 3 flora based prebiotics (FOS, XOS, GOS) + CARE4U™ Human Identical Oligosaccharides
- Generous 90-day money-back guarantee
CONS
- Only available online
The Bottom Line
BiomeMD® came in on top of our list for including 62 billion live colony forming units, 14 clinically studied strains, and 4 types of prebiotics, 2 of which are patented.
With its inclusion of HMO, or human identical oligosaccharides, BiomeMD® had the most advanced ingredient we could find on the market, HMO, which has both prebiotic and probiotic properties.
It is formulated with specially designed delayed-release capsules so the probiotics and prebiotics survive the caustic gut environment intact. This synbiotic also has no synthetic fillers or additives.
BiomeMD® also had the best variety of prebiotics to feed all of the different strains of any synbiotic we found. BiomeMD® is formulated by an MD, specifically a Gastroenterologist (gut and digestive health physician) and 1MD Nutrition™ offers a full 90-day money back guarantee.
Taking all of the above into account, BiomeMD® easily secured our #1 spot.
*Results are based on the Smarter Reviews Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. Please visit product websites for more information.
Learn More2. Pro-45
Total Ranking
9.5/10
A
Overall Grade
PROS
- Strong 45-billion CFU dose
- 11 strains of probiotic
- Shelf-stable bottle
- Soy, preservative, GMO, and filler-free
- Pre- and probiotic match
- Amazing 365-day money-back guarantee
CONS
- Only supplies one prebiotic nutrient
- Not doctor-formulated
The Bottom Line
Live Conscious' Pro-45 contains a strong 45-billion CFU probiotic dose, backed up by its clinically-studied NutraFlora fiber.
While its 11-strain bacterial diversity and dosage give considerable digestive support, Pro-45 falls short by only including one prebiotic. It also lacks a doctor's stamp of approval.
Still, however, Pro-45 is a very well-designed synbiotic, with its shelf-stable pills helping deliver its contents to your gut, and its 365-day money-back guarantee is remarkable. It earns our #2 spot on this list.
*Results are based on the Smarter Reviews Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. Please visit product websites for more information.
Learn More3. Probiotic 60 Billion
Total Ranking
8.9/10
B+
Overall Grade
PROS
- Strong 60bn CFU dose
- 10 strains of probiotic
- Shelf-stable bottle
- Doctor-approved
CONS
- Only contains two prebiotics
- Prebiotic may feed bad bacteria
- Contains maltodextrin
The Bottom Line
Physician’s Choice 60 Billion Probiotic is a powerful synbiotic, boasting a strong 60 bn CFU dose of 10 strains of bacteria. Its shelf-stable bottles protect all those bacteria, ensuring the dose doesn’t degrade over time.
However, two of Physician’s Choice’s three prebiotic ingredients supply the same nutrient, inulin. Its second prebiotic nutrient, gum arabic, may feed harmful Bacteriodes bacteria. With its questionable addition of maltodextrin, Physician’s Choice ultimately falls short.
That being said, the strength of its probiotic earns it a spot on our Top 5.
*Results are based on the Smarter Reviews Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. Please visit product websites for more information.
Learn More4. Synbiotic 365
Total Ranking
8.2/10
B-
Overall Grade
PROS
- 315mg dose of prebiotic
- 14 strains of probiotic
- Timed-release capsule
- Doctor-formulated
- 60-day money back guarantee
CONS
- Only one prebiotic
- Weak 20bn CFU dose
- Prebiotic does not support many included probiotics
- Titanium dioxide filler
The Bottom Line
Synbiotic 365 is a high-quality synbiotic, boasting a head-turning 315mg dose of inulin, a well-researched prebiotic. Its 14 strains of probiotic provided much-needed diversity for those with gas and bloating.
Considering Synbiotic 365’s price tag, however, its less-impressive 20bn CFU dose doesn’t offer adequate digestive support. The single prebiotic it includes doesn’t feed many of its fourteen bacterial strains, further limiting that support.
Nevertheless, Synbiotic 365’s bacterial diversity makes it a strong Top 5 contender.
*Results are based on the Smarter Reviews Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. Please visit product websites for more information.
Learn More5. Pre+Probiotic
Total Ranking
7.9/10
C+
Overall Grade
PROS
- Clinically studied probiotics
- Vegan & non-GMO
- Shelf-stable bottle
- Adequate 40bn CFU dose
CONS
- Only one prebiotic
- 9 strains of probiotics
- Not doctor-formulated or recommended
- No money-back guarantee
The Bottom Line
HUM Skin Squad combines inulin with 9 strains of probiotic.
While it’s sure to provide some digestive support, this synbiotic’s 40 bn CFU dosage falls a little short. Additionally, while its 9 strains of probiotics nearly reach our standards, their effectiveness is limited by HUM Skin Squad’s lacking prebiotic support.
Still, HUM’s inclusion of inulin and a shelf-stable bottle place this synbiotic on our Top 5.
*Results are based on the Smarter Reviews Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. Please visit product websites for more information.
Learn MoreCITATIONS
- https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2019.00057/full
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4615306/#s0003title
- https://www.eventscribe.com/2019/ACG/fsPopup.asp?Mode=presInfo&PresentationID=594678&sponsor=
- https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/73/2/361s/4737561
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4648921/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2999047/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1151822/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23434179/