With 20 billion live cultures and 10 viable strains Nature’s Bounty Probiotic 10 is one of the most popular products in its class. Does popular equate to effective though? Read our review to find out.
Nature’s Bounty Probiotic 10 Review Summary: A very reputable manufacturer and a good price point.
Very popular in the United, States, Canada, Australia and the UK. Customer reviews are generally good and on the whole, positive.
However, we feel there are stronger digestive and gut health products available.
Our preference would be for ProBiology Gut+ – It is one of the highest strength products currently on the market with both a probiotic and prebiotic formula.
Table of Contents
Nature’s Bounty Probiotic 10 Review
Nature’s Bounty Probiotic 10 is a cheap and cheerful gut health supplement that provides 10 strains of probiotic bacteria at a very low price.
If you choose the right supplier the cost of using Nature’s Bounty Probiotic 10 could be less than 40 cents per day.
Of course, the cost of using a digestive health product isn’t the only thing you need to look at when you are trying to decide if it’s the best option for you.
You also need to look at the range and level of benefits it’s likely to provide. This review has the information you need to help you make up your mind.
Manufacturer Credibility
The Nature’s Bounty brand name is owned by The Nature’s Bounty Co. The company is based in New York and has been trading since 1971.
Nature’s Bounty Co also owns several other popular American health and wellness brands including Solgar and Body Fortress.
Nature’s Bounty Co. is not accredited with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) but the BBB opened a file on the company in 1972 and gives it a rating of A+.
What Is Nature’s Bounty Probiotic 10?
Nature’s Bounty Probiotic 10 is a supplement that provides live bacteria. As you are probably aware, that’s the good type of bacteria that’s naturally present in the gut and is beneficial for the health.
Digestive health capsule products are very popular these days. Many people start their days by consuming yogurts and drinks. Nature’s Bounty Probiotic 10 is a capsule-type supplement that has live bacteria locked inside.
Sometimes products of this nature can be uncomfortably big and hard to swallow. In this case, the capsules are quite small. That makes them a good option for people who have difficulty swallowing pills.
Although the marketing material fails to mention the importance of this, each capsule also provides inulin. It’s a prebiotic chicory extract that provides the type of fiber probiotic bacteria eat.
Inulin is a good inclusion because it helps good bacteria thrive and multiply.
Nature’s Bounty Advertised Benefits
- Advanced Support for Optimal Digestive Balance & Healthy Immune Function
- 20 Billion Live Cultures
- Provides 10 Probiotic Strains for Everyday Digestive Support
How Does Nature’s Bounty Probiotic 10 Compare to Competing Products
The fact that the capsules also provide prebiotic fiber is certainly a point in this product’s favor. Many similar products do not.
However, like a lot of probiotic products, Nature’s Bounty Probiotic 10 needs to be stored in a refrigerator. Many people find this to be inconvenient. If you don’t like the idea either, Nature’s Bounty Probiotic 10 won’t be for you.
We would place this product in the same category as Dr. Ohhira’s Supplement, Synbiotic 365 and Renew Life Ultimate Flora.
The formulation offers a nice diversity of probiotic strains. Some products offer a lot less. Others offer considerably more but 10 is fine.
Although Nature’s Bounty is quick to point out Probiotic 10 contains 20 billion live probiotic cultures, you need to be aware the company only guarantees this is so at the time of manufacture.
Shelf Stable
By the time customers consume the pills, this may no longer be the case. Especially if the pills have not been correctly chilled during transit.
Some customers state they believe their pills no longer contained any live bacteria. Many of them state they tested this by placing some capsules in warm milk and attempting to make yogurt.
This test works well on certain bacteria strains but not all good bacteria is capable of making the milk thicken.
However Lactobacillus Bulgaricus, Bifidobacterium Lactis, and Lactobacillus Acidophilus are strains that do. Nature’s Bounty Probiotic 10 contains all three so, in theory, the test should have made the milk set.
However, many Nature’s Bounty customers say the product works well so it’s possible the people who did the test were unlucky enough to receive a dodgy batch or failed to refrigerate the pills in their home.
Overall, Nature’s Bounty Probiotic 10 appears to be a middle of the range probiotic that is better than some of the alternatives but not as good as others.
The Nature’s Bounty Probiotic 10 Probiotic Blend at a Glance
Each (2 capsule) servig provides:
- Inulin(200 mg)
- Lactobacillus Plantarum 299v
- Plantarum DSM 15312
- Lactobacillus Paracasei DSM 13434
- Paracasei Lpc-37
- Lactobacillus Bulgaricus
- L. Salivarius
- Lactobacillus Brevis
- Lactobacillus Acidophilus
- Bifidobacterium Lactis
- Lactobacillus Casei
A More Detailed Look at the Formula
As you can see, the formulation appears to contain two forms of Lactobacillus Plantarum. There are also two forms of Lactobacillus Paracasei.
Nature’s Bounty does not list the ingredients in a sensible way.
In the case of, Lactobacillus Plantarum 299v, the bacteria belongs to the Lactobacillus genus, the species is Plantarum, and the strain is 299v. Although Nature’s Bounty fails to provide it, the strain identifier code is DSM 9843.
For the second form of Lactobacillus Plantarum, Nature’s Bounty provides the identifier code but not the strain. It’s a similar situation with Lactobacillus Paracasei. Although this is annoying it is not a major problem but it would have been nice to see some consistency.
Of the 10 bacteria strains provided, 9 of them belong to the Lactobacillus genus. Only one belongs to the Bifobacterium genus. It’s rare to encounter a probiotic formulation that has so little input from the Bifobacterium genus, but Lactobacillus is always a key player, so no surprise there.
Let’s take a look at the strains and the benefits they are likely to provide.
Bifidobacterium Lactis
Bifidobacterium Lactis aids digestion. It also appears to support healthy immune function.
Lactobacillus Plantarum
Lactobacillus Plantarum is heart-friendly probiotic bacteria that reduces cholesterol and lowers blood pressure. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5724841/)
Lactobacillus Paracasei
Research suggests Lactobacillus Paracasei may be useful for managing obesity and as a treatment for depression.
Lactobacillus Bulgaricus
Lactobacillus Bulgaricus helps fortify the intestinal walls. This makes it useful for treating a condition known as leaky gut that allows bacteria to “leak” through the intestinal walls and enter the blood.
Needless to say, this is a highly undesirable scenario that can lead to disease. Luckily Nature’s Bounty have included this strain in the formula.
Lactobacillus Salivarius
Among other virtues, Lactobacillus Salivarius has the ability to fight invading bacteria. It’s also good for managing the symptoms of IBS.
Lactobacillus Brevis
Lactobacillus Brevis reduces inflammation. Perhaps more interestingly, it’s a beneficial bacteria that supports good dental hygiene and freshens the breath. It’s unlikely to offer that benefit here because it will be delivered directly to the stomach but it’s still a virtue worth mentioning.
Lactobacillus Acidophilus
A well-tested probiotic that’s safe for most people. L. Acidophilus aids digestion and is also good for rectifying vaginal yeast infections caused by antibiotics.
Lactobacillus Casei
Lactobacillus Casei is good for treating diarrhea. It also eases certain other stomach problems including ulcerative colitis and IBS and may help the body to fight colds, flu, and other infections.
How to Use Nature’s Bounty Probiotic 10
The dose is two capsules per day, taken together, preferably with a meal.
Potential Side Effects and Other Health Considerations
Nature’s Bounty advises against using Probiotic 10 during pregnancy or while nursing a child unless you have consulted a doctor first.
The company offers the same advice to people who have medical conditions and/or would need to use the probiotic alongside medication.
Some customer reviews state using the product upset their stomach. However, all probiotics have the potential to do this—especially during the first few days of use. This is due to changes in the existing gut microbiome but side effects usually subside after the body has had time to adjust.
Nature’s Bounty Probiotic 10 Customer Reviews
Customer reviews are predominantly good. Many former users praise the product’s ability to remedy unpleasant gut issues such as bloating and intestinal gas. Others speak highly of its ability to support a healthy vaginal environment.
However, there are still plenty of nay-sayers and some former users say they never noticed any benefits at all. Others state the capsules caused gut issues such as bloating, gas, and diarrhea.
The Best Place to Buy Nature’s Bounty Probiotic 10
Nature’s Bounty Probiotic 10 is available from many online stores and certain supermarket chains.
Each bottle contains a 30-day supply of pills and, if you purchase via Amazon or Walmart, you can pick up a bottle for less than $12.
However, some sites are charging double that or more so, unless you like paying over the odds prices, it makes sense to choose one of the less greedy suppliers.
Guarantee
Nature’s Bounty does not back any of its products with a money-back guarantee but certain suppliers may offer guarantees of their own.
Nature’s Bounty Probiotic 10 Review Conclusion
One of the big selling points with this product is the price. Choose the right supplier and using this gut health capsule is going to be seriously cheap.
Although some customers raise doubts about the quality of bacteria present, good reviews far outnumber the bad.
It’s possible it might be a case of the luck of the draw but the chances of getting a bottle of dead bacteria are likely to be pretty slim.
As already stated at the beginning of this review, Nature’s Bounty Probiotic 10 is a cheap and cheerful product.
Does it offer good value for money? Unless the bottles have been left in a warm environment, the answer would have to be yes. However, although it’ a good probiotic, it’s not one of the best.
Other Similar Supplements to Nature’s Bounty Probiotic 10
- ProBiology Gut+ – Gut+ is arguably the most complete prebiotic supplement that we have reviewed – and we have reviewed a lot!
- 1MD Complete Probiotics Platinum – An authentic gut health supplement made by a reputable company