The gut is home to 100 trillion bacteria. There are more bacteria in the belly than cells in the body. This microbiome is responsible for everything from digestion to building a healthy immune system to regulating mental health. When it's off, a wide variety of conditions can arise, but there are natural ways to heal the gut. Foods such as yogurt, kefir and sauerkraut help feed the good bacteria so that it can thrive, but sometimes you need more help.
Probiotics restore the balance of good bacteria in the gut. They overpower bad bacteria at the root of digestive upset and inflammation.
Florastor and GoodBelly have been producing high-quality probiotics for years, but which one is best?
Florastor is the most clinically researched probiotic in the world. It works to ease symptoms of diarrhea and constipation by temporarily lining the walls of the bowels with live yeast cultures that eventually overpower and replace the bacteria that is making you ill.
One of its most common uses is as an anti-diarrhea agent. It has also been studied to treat irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. Florastor also improves lactose intolerance and can be used to treat diarrhea in children.
Unlike other probiotics, Florastor does not contain bacteria. It uses active live yeast to promote gut health and better absorption of food and nutrients. It has been used in over 600 clinical studies and is safe for babies as young as 3 months old.
It meets the gold standard of evidence for its effectiveness in the following ways:
Unlike other probiotics, Florastor does not require refrigeration.
For people who do not tolerate excessive yeast, Florastor can be disastrous, causing uncomfortable bloating, diarrhea and gas.
It also contains soy and trace amounts of lactose.
This is one of the more expensive probiotic choices, too. It costs around $35 for just 50 capsules.
This is best if you want to try probiotics before investing in a large pack of supplements. With just 20 pills, you can “try before you buy." It helps to restore balance in the gut as it eliminates bad bacteria and promotes the growth of good.
Sold by Amazon
Florastor Select Gut Boost Daily Probiotic & Prebiotic Supplement for Women and Men
This includes prebiotics to help healthy gut bacteria flourish. It helps restore digestive balance and stimulates the immune system. Prebiotics are chicory and the probiotic has over 65 years of recommended use and research behind it. This is vegetarian, gluten-free and safe for lactose-intolerant people.
Sold by Amazon
Florastor Select Immunity Boost Daily Probiotic & Immune Support Supplement for Women and Men
In addition to probiotic cells that are 10 times larger for more coverage in your gut, this includes vitamins C, D3 and zinc for immune support. This formula is resistant to the most common antibiotics and does not require refrigeration.
Sold by Amazon
GoodBelly probiotics perform all of the functions that a probiotic is known for. It balances the gut, improves digestion and strengthens the immune system. It's available in various forms, including juice drinks, supplements, shots, fast melts and yogurt. Each of these forms contains the amount of probiotics needed to achieve the desired effects. For example, one container of yogurts contains the same amount of probiotics as a juice drink.
GoodBelly is dairy-free and vegan. Each supplement has the recommended number of colony-forming units of one to 50 billion bacteria.
The shots, juice drinks and yogurts have lower sugar than some other probiotics. The number of ways you can take GoodBelly probiotics is a big bonus in general.
One of the major cons of GoodBelly probiotics is that they do not participate in third-party testing to verify the contents of their supplements. Each supplement only includes one strain of probiotic and does not include prebiotics. It's possible that some forms of probiotics include GMO ingredients.
As with all probiotics, there exists the possibility of side effects that include constipation, diarrhea, bloating and gas. This is especially true for products that have 50 billion CFUs or more.
GoodBelly Probiotic Supplement for Digestive Support & Iron Deficiency
This is a good choice for iron supplementation and probiotic benefits in one. Each dose includes 10 billion active and live cultures of LP299V, a probiotic used specifically to improve iron uptake while it regulates the digestive system. There is no soy, dairy or gluten in these probiotics. They are also non-GMO, vegan and organic.
Sold by Amazon
GoodBelly Probiotic Supplement for Digestive Health Support
For long-term storage, choose this supplement packaged in an aluminum tube. It has the same great probiotics used in other GoodBelly products, but the packaging keeps it fresh longer. This also improves gut balance and promotes healthy digestion and a stronger immune system.
Sold by Amazon
If you don't like taking supplements but would rather get your nutrients from food, this mango-flavored juice shot is good for you. It’s a sweet way to get plenty of probiotics, plus additional healthy ingredients like oat flour. It does contain barley malt, so people with celiac disease may want to avoid it.
Sold by Amazon
Which probiotic is best depends almost entirely on the symptoms you are experiencing. If diarrhea that prevents you from properly absorbing nutrients in your food is the main symptom, Florastor is the best choice.
However, if you are looking to restore healthy gut balance and want a variety of options to choose from, GoodBelly might work best for you.
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Suzannah Kolbeck writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
