Best probiotics in the UK reviewed
Here we will give a hands-on, tested review of the UK’s best probiotics, including supplements from YourBiology, Symprove and Microbz.
We’ll look into the contents, benefits and value of each probiotic supplement and see where each stands above the competition.
This list aims to give you a choice of three great probiotics with each of them having their unique selling point.
Please note this article contains affiliate links.
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are live microorganisms, such as bacteria or yeast, that provide health benefits to us.
To be considered a probiotic, these microorganisms need to have been proven to be sufficiently beneficial to our health - so not all live bacteria or yeasts are considered probiotic.
Common probiotic strains include:
Lactobacillus: Found in yogurt, kefir and fermented foods
Bifidobacterium: Found in some dairy products and supplements
Streptococcus thermophilus: Used in making yogurt and cheese
Bacillus: Found in certain probiotic supplements and foods. Especially common in commercial kombuchas
Saccharomyces boulardii: A beneficial yeast used in some supplements
Probiotics are available in various forms - usually in fermented food and drinks or as a supplement like the products reviewed here.
Combining probiotics with a good diet
It’s important that recognise the limitations of probiotics and to not expect them to be a miracle cure on their own.
You should combine the start of your probiotics course with an improved diet if needed.
This could include:
Eating a wide variety of whole foods such vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts, seeds and fruits. Particularly focus on eating prebiotic vegetables to feed the probiotics you will be taking - these include garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, radishes, beets and parsnips.
Drinking plenty of water
Limiting processed foods
Limiting caffeine and alcohol
Okay, now let’s look at the winners in various categories for best probiotic in the UK!
Best probiotic overall in the UK
YourBiology Gut+ probiotic
YourBiology Gut+ is a premium gut supplement with various ingredients beyond just probiotics to improve gut health and general health. It is aimed at women, however anyone can take it. (If you’d prefer a product aimed at men, Biotics 8 is a very similar product from the same company.)
This supplement contains 10 strains of probiotics to give you a good amount of microbial diversity.
The strains and their benefits are:
Lactobacillus acidophilus – Supports digestion and helps maintain vaginal and intestinal health.
Lactobacillus casei – Aids lactose digestion and supports immune function.
Lactobacillus paracasei – Helps reduce inflammation and supports gut barrier integrity.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus – Known for preventing diarrhoea and supporting immune health.
Lactobacillus plantarum – Promotes gut healing and helps reduce bloating and gas.
Lactobacillus fermentum – Offers antioxidant benefits and supports respiratory health.
Bifidobacterium longum – Helps balance gut flora and reduce gastrointestinal discomfort.
Bifidobacterium bifidum – Aids in breaking down food and absorbing nutrients.
Bifidobacterium breve – Supports skin and gut health.
Saccharomyces boulardii – A probiotic yeast that helps prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and supports gut lining repair.
Collectively, these strains provide 20 billion colony forming units per three-capsule serving.
As as key point of difference to many other brands, it also contains prebiotics, digestive enzymes and vitamin D which collectively provide a more holistic approach to gut health than just probiotics alone.
Prebiotics are essentially fibres which promote the growth of probiotics (ie beneficial microbes) in the gut. This supplement contains two types of prebiotic fibre in the form of inulin and fructooligosaccharides (commonly known as FOS).
YourBiology Gut+ also includes three digestive enzymes - lipase, amylase and protease. These enzymes reduce the digestive burden on your gut which allows probiotics to more effectively colonise the gut and support gut repair.
This supplement also provides vitamin D which helps create a healthier, less inflamed environment where probiotics and digestive processes can function optimally.
This supplement is suitable for vegans.
Dosing
The dosing guidelines say to slowly increase the daily intake from 1 to 3 capsules to give your gut time to adjust.
Cost and availability
YourBiology Gut+ is more expensive than many other probiotics because it is a premium and multi-faceted gut health product which also includes prebiotics, digestive enzymes and vitamin D.
Prices vary so it’s best to check their website for current offers. It is not available in supermarkets or chemists.
Summary
Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5.
Verdict: YourBiology Gut+ not only offers 10 strains of probiotics, but also includes two types of prebiotics, three digestive enzymes and vitamin D for gut health support. All this means it offers a lot more benefits for gut health and general health than most probiotic supplements do. However, as you might expect, this comes at a premium price.
Pros
offers a more holistic gut health solution than most probiotic supplements
10 strains of probiotics - which have been chosen to influence various aspect of gut and general health
2 types of prebiotics
3 digestive enzymes
20 billion colony forming units of probiotics per serving
strong vegan capsules to make it though the stomach before breaking down
Cons
comes as a premium price
Best probiotic with a strong evidence base
Symprove
Symprove is a great choice for those wanting a probiotic with strong scientific research supporting it.
Symprove is a water-based probiotic which was developed by scientists at King’s College London and University College London.
A key selling point of Symprove is that it is specifically designed and tested to survive your acidic stomach and reach your gut alive. Key to this is that Symprove is water based which means it doesn’t trigger digestion which might kill the healthy microbes. It also includes strains which are adept at surviving harsh conditions.
You can read more about the research done into Symprove in our full review.
Symprove contains four strains of probiotics:
Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus NCIMB 30174
Enterococcus faecium NCIMB 30176
Lactobacillus acidophilus NCIMB 30175
Lactiplantibacillus plantarum NCIMB 30173
It is gluten-free, dairy-free and suitable for vegans.
Dosing
It is taken as a 70ml shot 10 minutes before breakfast. This is designed to give you 10 billion colony forming units of probiotics.
Cost and availability
Symprove is available through their website. Prices vary based on whether you choose a one-off purchase or a subscription. As an example, their cheapest subscription costs £40 per month.
You can use discount code HELLOGUT50 for 50% off the first three months at symprove.com.
Summary
Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Symprove is a thoroughly researched probiotic developed by respected scientists with lots of reported benefits and scientific evidence backing it up. However, it is not cheap. Compared to some other probiotics, it has been shown to be superior at making it to your gut alive and colonising it.
Pros
developed by scientists
further supported by numerous scientific studies since launch with impressive results
superior at colonising the gut than other brands
well reviewed by thousands of people
wide range of reported benefits from customers
I believe it has improved my gut health, energy, mood, eczema, general wellbeing and more
Cons
ongoing cost is higher than some others
taste of the original flavour is not great initially
having to take 10 minutes before food can sometimes get in the way of routine
some subscription and customer service issues reported on Trustpilot
Discount for you
Use discount code HELLOGUT50 for 50% off the first three months at symprove.com.
Best natural probiotic in the UK
Microbz Revive probiotic
Microbz Revive probiotic is a great choice for those looking for a naturally derived probiotic and also one with a good diversity of microbial strains.
Microbz harvests its probiotics directly from soil, rather than engineering them in a lab. As their website states, this is so they can ‘replicate the way nature has supported human health for centuries’.
Their probiotics are:
gluten free
GM free
wheat free
dairy free
sugar free
They are also vegan and vegetarian approved.
Microbz Revive includes 15 strains of microbes with most of them considered probiotic:
Bacillus subtilis
Bifidobacterium bifidum
Bifidobacterium breve
Bifidobacterium infantis
Bifidobacterium longum
Lactobacillus acidophilus
Lactobacillus bulgaricus
Lactobacillus casei
Lactobacillus fermentum
Lactobacillus plantarum
Lactobacillus rhamnosus
Lactococcus lactis
Saccharomyces boulardii
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Streptococcus thermophilus
Microbz doesn’t state the specific number of colony forming units (CFU) of bacteria. This is because each batch is hand-fermented and the exact numbers of bacteria may vary between batches. They simply state their are ‘billions’ of microbes present.
Microbz Revive also includes various herbs, minerals and other natural ingredients. These include agar agar, aloe vera, apple cider vinegar, chondroitin sulphate, citrus peel, glucosamine sulphate, Himalayan rock salt, peppermint oil, quercetin, rutin, sea water concentrate, slippery elm and turmeric.
In general terms, these ingredients aim to reduce inflammation, improve digestion and provide antioxidants.
Revive also includes the amino acid l-glutamine to help repair the gut and support brain function.
Dosing
You take a 15ml shot or tablespoon before breakfast. (Taking it before food will help the microbes survive your stomach acid.)
Cost and availability
One bottle for a month’s supply will cost £32.95, or on a subscription basis it will cost £28.
However, you can use discount code hellogut15 for 15% off on the Microbz website.
Summary
4.5 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Microbz Revive is a very natural probiotic containing an impressive array of microbial strains, along with other natural ingredients, for a reasonable price.
Pros
a natural product with probiotics derived from soil
15 different microbial strains
a fermented product containing healthy enzymes
other natural ingredients to help with digestion, inflammation and more
Cons
some people may not like the herbaceous taste, at least initially
not as much scientific backing as other brands
Discount for you
Use discount code hellogut15 for 15% off on the Microbz website.
Factors we consider in our ratings
The factors we consider when doing a review (and the weightings of each of these) may vary depending on the product we are testing, but here are the key general factors we consider when we settle on a rating for a product.
Health benefits
We find out how the product will be good for your health and outline the benefits for you in simple language. This often involves doing research so you don’t have to. We often link to scientific studies or articles summarising scientific findings so you can dig deeper if you want to.
Things detrimental to health
We want to highlight where a product might include something bad for your health - even if it might be good for you in another way. This could include such things as pointing out certain additives it contains or high sugar levels.
How its made
This will vary depending on the product, but we want to see a quality process for making it and quality ingredients. For example, we want to see a kombucha traditionally fermented with lots of different microbial strains and we want to see a yoghurt made with fresh milk and not milk powders.
Price
While we expect quality products to be more expensive, they still have to be priced within reason. On the other side of things, a product which is priced very competitively will get a ratings boost based on the value it provides.
Flavour
For some products flavour won’t be a factor (eg probiotic tablets), but for others, like yoghurt or kimchi, flavour is a key aspect because these products are made to be enjoyed as well as being healthy! We will try to be as subjective as possible and describe the flavour in detail so you can get an idea of whether you would like it or not.
Your reviewer
This hands-on review was written by Travis, the founder of this website, long-time gut-health enthusiast, science nerd and passionate kombucha maker of over 10 years!
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