Nutravita Pro Bio Cultures probiotic review
Here we will give a hands-on, tested review of Nutravita Pro Bio Cultures 60 Billion CFU probiotic. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, dosage and whether I would recommend this probiotic supplement.
We’ll also compare a few factors against our favourite probiotic in the UK which is YourBiology Gut+ probiotic.
You might also be interested in reading our article about the best probiotics in the UK reviewed.
What is Nutravita Pro Bio Cultures probiotic?
Nutravita Pro Bio Cultures probiotic is a supplement which offers many different strains of live cultures, however, not all are generally considered probiotic (more on this below).
It is widely available in the UK and online.
This supplement does not need to be refrigerated and it is vegan friendly.
Our favourite gut health products in the UK
YourBiology Gut+ probiotic 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
Healthpath gut health test is the UK’s most comprehensive gut health test. It tests over 100 biomarkers, checks your digestion and immune response, analyses leaky gut and provides a clear and understandable report on your microbiome
YourBiology SuperGreens+ is a superfood and greens supplement which makes it very easy to get a huge amount of nutrition - vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fibre, polyphenols and more - in one glass. Great for supporting gut health, skin health, energy, mental clarity and immunity.
Read more about the best gut health products in the UK.
Benefits of Nutravita Pro Bio Cultures probiotic
The main benefit of this supplement is the large number of probiotic strains it contains. For context, we’ll compare some factors against YourBiology Gut+ probiotic which is a more holistic supplement.
Probiotics
Probiotics are live, beneficial microorganisms that have been proven to support health. They are a specific type of live culture.
Because probiotics need to be proven by evidence, sometimes live cultures fall into a grey area where there is limited evidence they are beneficial but not enough to be generally regarded as probiotic. This is the case with many strains in this supplement.
Nutravita Pro Bio Cultures includes 21 strains of live cultures and, depending on how strict you want to be, around 13 of the strains are generally regarded as probiotic:
Lactobacillus acidophilus – aids lactose digestion, supports a balanced gut microbiota and may ease bloating
Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus – helps prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and supports digestive and immune health
Lactiplantibacillus plantarum – supports intestinal barrier integrity, helps regulate bowel habits and may reduce IBS-type symptoms
Lacticaseibacillus casei – supports immune function and may improve stool frequency and gut comfort
Lacticaseibacillus paracasei – supports immune function, may lessen common cold symptoms and contributes to gut barrier integrity
Limosilactobacillus reuteri – may shorten the course of infectious diarrhoea and supports gut comfort
Lactobacillus gasseri – may support H. pylori therapy and helps maintain healthy vaginal microbiota
Bifidobacterium longum – supports bowel regularity, may help IBS symptoms and contributes to gut barrier protection
Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis – may reduce pain and bloating in IBS and supports immune tolerance
Bifidobacterium breve – may help with functional constipation in children and supports skin barrier function in atopic dermatitis
Bifidobacterium bifidum – supports immune responses and may reduce the duration of respiratory infections
Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis – improves stool frequency and consistency, and supports immune markers
Bacillus coagulans (ie the ‘Lactospore’ trademarked strain) – survives gastric acidity well, may reduce abdominal pain and bloating and improves stool form
And around 8 of the strains have limited probiotic evidence:
Lactobacillus helveticus – aids lactose digestion and produces peptides in fermented dairy that may benefit cardiovascular health
Levilactobacillus brevis – may support immune modulation and oral mucosal health
Ligilactobacillus salivarius – may reduce IBS symptoms and supports oral and vaginal microbiome balance
Lactobacillus crispatus – associated with vaginal health and lower bacterial vaginosis recurrence, however evidence for gut health is limited
Bifidobacterium adolescentis – ferments fibre and may aid bowel regularity, human data is still emerging
Streptococcus thermophilus – yoghurt starter culture that helps lactose digestion and tolerance
Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus – yoghurt starter culture aiding lactose digestion
Lactococcus lactis – yoghurt starter culture, may produce beneficial metabolites
So it’s fair to say there are quite a few strains in this supplement which may provide little, and perhaps no, benefit. Call me sceptical but it seems they have included as many strains of live cultures as possible so they can market it as a ‘21 strain’ product - but as we’ve seen this doesn’t mean 21 probiotic strains.
Also, it’s worth stating that over half of actual bacteria present are of just one strain…
In terms of the actual amount of bacteria, two capsules provide 60 billion colony forming units (CFU). And Lactobacillus acidophilus makes up 32.2 billion of this, while most others are 1.3 billion CFU. Call me sceptical once more, but it feels like they’ve used a huge number of this common strain so they can market the product as ‘60 billion CFU’.
In contrast, YourBiology Gut+ probiotic includes 10 different probiotic strains and provides around 20 billion colony forming units per serving.
Learn more about the benefits of probiotics.
Prebiotics
Prebiotics are essentially fibres which promote the growth of probiotics in the gut.
This supplement contains one type of prebiotic fibre in the form of inulin.
For comparison, YourBiology Gut+ contains two types of prebiotic fibre, which can help support the growth of a broader range of beneficial bacteria.
Read more about the benefits of prebiotics.
Dosing
The dosing guidelines are to take 2 capsules per day with a glass of water.
My experience taking it
As the picture below shows, the capsules are of a medium to large size. While not as small as other brands, I personally didn’t have any trouble taking them and they didn’t cause any stomach issues for me like bloating or reflux.
Cost of Nutravita Pro Bio Cultures probiotic
The recommended retail price for 60 capsules is £20.
Would I recommend it?
Nutravita Pro Bio Cultures probiotic is a good value option for a supplement with a high CFU and high strain count - but as we’ve discussed, both of these factors are perhaps a bit misleading or at least not as appealing when you dig into the details.
Nutravita also doesn’t offer the full range of benefits which YourBiology Gut+ does, such as vitamin D and digestive enzymes. YourBiology Gut+ also includes more types of prebiotic fibre.
Nutravita still remains a cheaper, decent choice though.
Review summary
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Nutravita Pro Bio Cultures probiotic offer many strains of live cultures and a high number of actual bacteria - but not as many as you might have expected of either when you look into it deeper.
Pros
decent price
contains prebiotic fibre
delayed release capsule to help the cultures survive stomach acidity
high amount of actual bacteria (but just one strain comprises more than half the total number)
21 strains of live cultures…
Cons
…but many strains are lacking strong probiotic evidence
no vitamin D or digestive enzymes (which some alternatives offer)
Read our article about the best probiotics in the UK reviewed.
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 it’s 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.
Our favourite gut health products in the UK
YourBiology Gut+ probiotic 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
Healthpath gut health test is the UK’s most comprehensive gut health test. It tests over 100 biomarkers, checks your digestion and immune response, analyses leaky gut and provides a clear and understandable report on your microbiome
YourBiology SuperGreens+ is a superfood and greens supplement which makes it very easy to get a huge amount of nutrition - vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fibre, polyphenols and more - in one glass. Great for supporting gut health, skin health, energy, mental clarity and immunity.
Read more about the best gut health products in the UK.
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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