Your stomach is a hotbed of activity. Good and bad bacteria war it out every day, fighting for supremacy over your GI tract. You can tell which ones are winning based on the way your stomach and lower abdomen feel: cramped, gassy, or settled and healthy. Diarrhea or constipation is also a sign that your gastrointestinal system is out of whack.

Unconditional Tummy Love

You might not have a condition like IBS: your diet could simply be lacking probiotics found in high-quality yogurt, fermented vegetables, miso paste, and kefir. Taking probiotics is unlikely to hurt and most likely to benefit your tummy, but give your body time to readjust.

Cramping is likely in the first couple of days if your body is unused to being so well looked after. Food waste is going to start moving at a rate you are unaccustomed to. If symptoms persist even after you have been taking a probiotic supplement for two weeks, there are two possibilities: one is that you do, in fact, suffer from a condition your doctor should look into or the supplement contains an allergen you cannot tolerate.

Products to Trust

Doctors, pharmacists, and health food gurus recommend various supplements for individuals who are unable to tolerate foods containing soy and dairy, for individuals who dislike fermented foods. They also recommend probiotic supplements to help clients who need a little bit more support than usual. Top quality supplements do not contain irritants and allergens such as dairy, soy, and gluten. They contain effective strains of bacteria such as L. acidophilus and B. bifidum. Many foods on the market contain too few or the incorrect strains of bacteria.

It is also important to select a medium of delivery which the consumer is going to take. While one format might be considered “the best” for rapid and complete uptake, that’s a moot point if a consumer won’t touch it in that form. Some people don’t swallow capsules or pills easily so a powder could be the better option. All of the following items are designed for adults, so if you are looking after a child’s GI health, explore youth-specific supplements.

Six to Choose from

There are loads of supplements offering an average amount of benefit at an affordable price but the following 6 go above and beyond. Most of them are taken as capsules although one is available as a powder as well. They are:

• Dynamic Nutrition PureBiotics
• Probium MultiBlend 12B
• Now Probiotics 10
• SISU Dophilus Plus 4B
• Dr. Natura Flora
• Garden of Life Primal Defense Ultra

Studies show that if you take a high-quality probiotic supplement, you will notice several things happening. Your stomach will feel better, you could lose weight without dieting, energy could improve, and your mental state might also benefit. Scientists have identified a connection between intestinal health and moods, even going so far as to recommend probiotics to patients with depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and autism.

Number 6: Dynamic Nutrition PureBiotics

There are 7 strains of bacteria amounting to 5 billion in each serving. This supplement is a little expensive compared with most others, but it is a high-quality option garnering high ratings from consumers. Each capsule is free of most allergens such as peanuts, shellfish, and wheat.

Number 5: Probium 12B

What does 12B stand for? That is 12 billion active bacteria in every serving of this allergy-friendly product. Reviewers were as impressed with what is not in this supplement as they were with the number of effective live bacteria. You will not find any GMO ingredients, soy, sugar, wheat, salt, eggs, animal products, maltodextrin, or magnesium stearate in a dose of Probium 12B.

Number 4: NOW Probiotics 10

The brand NOW is known for making no nonsense, frill-free items retailers can sell at affordable prices. They aren’t sweetened or fancied up and you get what you pay for. Their distinctive orange containers are easily recognizable. Each serving of NOW Probiotics 10 provides 10 strains of effective bacteria your stomach needs to absorb nutrients and maintain healthy moods. Ingredients are suitable for vegans, free of gluten, and contain no soy or tree nuts.

Number Three: SISU Dophilus Plus 4B

SISU is a trusted name in the supplement industry. You have probably noticed their dark blue bottles on health food shelves and in grocery stores. Many retailers choose to carry this reliable brand which also makes calcium, magnesium, and other supplements. Each serving of their 4B probiotics is filled with 4 billion bacteria which are found in the human body naturally. They contain no artificial ingredients and are free of several allergens such as peanuts and gluten. The blue bottle is designed to prevent UV rays from interacting with active ingredients and altering their chemistry.

Number Two: Dr. Natura Flora

Wouldn’t you be inclined to trust a product named for a doctor, real or imaginary? Dr. Natura believes you will and in this case your trust is well placed. Their 8 strains of bacteria are stability tested, meaning the maker expects them to tolerate the extreme conditions of consumers’ GI tracts.

Dr. Natura rigorously maintains FDA standards in the production of their supplements. They are so sure customers will experience relief from gastric symptoms that they offer a 60-day money back guarantee. Dr. Natural Flora supplements do not contain egg, salt, milk, gluten, starch, or shellfish, so they are safe for people with the most common allergies.

Number One: Garden of Life Primal Defense Ultra

Costing less than the average product, Garden of Life PDU is among the highest-quality items on the market, so it ranks number one for quality at a good price. An adult serving contains a whopping 15 billion cells. They are packaged for freshness and certain typical allergens are absent, such as dairy and gluten, and are suitable for vegetarians.

Garden of Life Primal Defense Ultra probiotic tablets are highly potent products at a more affordable price than usual. It’s also available as a powder, the only item on this list to be offered in an alternative formula. Stir the powder into juice, milk, soup, a glass of water, or a smoothie.