PrebioThrive
Positives
- Contains GOS, although amount unknown
Negatives
- Could be 99.9% flaxseed for all we know
- Too many plant gums
- Quality of inulin could be higher
- Very expensive for a simple prebiotic
Summary
PrebioThrive is a pretty poor prebiotic. Compared to other gut health supplements on sale today, it offers very low value for money and – most probably – limited results. We don’t know how much of each ingredient we get per serving. Some of the ingredients are questionable. There are better prebiotics than PrebioThrive for sure.
PrebioThrive Review: Does this prebiotic promote gut health?
PrebioThrive is a prebiotic supplement made by Gundry MD. Don’t let the name fool you – this is a supplement manufacturing company, not a doctor. The company was founded by Dr. Steven Gundry; a cardiac surgeon currently trying to make some side money by selling supplements through YouTube. Gundry MD makes a range of supplements related to gut health and microbiome support.
So what does PrebioThrive do exactly?
The Gundry MD website says that PrebioThrive can:
- Promote efficient digestion
- Reduce stomach and bowel discomfort
- Re-balance your gut microbiome
- Increase energy
- Improve mood
These benefits are all inter-related. If you can fix imbalances in your gut microbiome and promote the growth of “good” gut bacteria, then you will have better digestion, more energy, and so on.
This is how all prebiotics work. Your gut microbiome controls many aspects of health and performance. PrebioThrive claims to promote overall health by fixing an imbalanced gut.
Sounds great, but is any of this true?
Does PrebioThrive really work? Is it good for improving gut health? Is PrebioThrive safe? What side effects could it cause? Is there a better prebiotic on the market today? Read our detailed PrebioThrive review below.
PrebioThrive Ingredients
Here is the PrebioThrive ingredients list as shown on the bottle:
In case that isn’t clear, here is a list of the ingredients in PrebioThrive ingredients:
- Acacia gum
- Agave inulin
- Flaxseed
- Galacto-oligosaccharides
- Guar gum
We’re now going to go through each ingredient and give you a brief overview of what it is, what it does, and how (or if) it contributes to better gut health. Please post your questions in the comments section at the end.
Acacia Gum
Acacia gum, more commonly known as arabic gum, is a natural gum made from the sap of the acacia tree. It is made up of polysaccharides and glycoproteins, and it is widely used in foods as a stabilizer. It is a water soluble fiber, and it is indigestible to humans. All of the acacia gum you eat passes through your digestive system unaffected and is passed out. Once in the gut, it is good food for gut bacteria.
However, acacia gum does not selectively feed “friendly” gut bacteria like other prebiotic fibers do. It therefore has limited use as a prebiotic.
Agave inulin
Agave inulin is a fantastic prebiotic substance. Agave inulin passes through your stomach and into your intestine where it provides some fantastic nutrition to your gut bacteria. Agave inulin is sweet, but it has an extremely low glycemic load, meaning it does not afect insulin levels or blood sugar.
The reason agave inulin is in PrebioThrive is that it does selectively feed the most beneficial gut bacteria. Studies have found that agave inulin consumption increases Bifidobacterium prevalence while simultaneously depleting Desulfovibrio bacteria by as much as 40% (source)! This means agave inulin can feed your friendly gut bacteria while starving the not-so-friendly bacteria, giving youa more healthful, balanced microbiome.
Flaxseed
Flaxseed is not normally classed as a prebiotic. However, flaxseeds are absolutely packed full of prebiotic fibers. 100g of flaxsseds provides almost 30g of fiber. Of this, about 30% is water soluble, indigestible fiber. This, coupled with the omega-3 fatty acids in flaxseeds, make it a great addition to a general health supplement.
That said, we think you should really be getting things like flax from your diet; premium, professional-quality prebiotics like PrebioThrive should focus on things you can’t buy at the supermarket!
Galacto-oligosaccharides
Galacto-oligosaccharides are saccharides composed of different galactosyl residues and glucose. Galacto-oligosaccharides are produced via the enzymatic conversion of lactose. Studies have shown that galacto-oligosaccharides are bifidogenic – that is, they promote the growth of beneficial Bifidobacterium in the gut. All prebiotics need a major bifidogenic like this, and PrebioThrive ticks that box.
Guar gum
Some studies have found that partially-hydrolyzed guar gum is beneficial for people struggling with IBS and its related symptoms (source). People using guar gum reported significantly less bloating than placebo, and it is hypothesized that guar gum benefits the microbiome more generally.
Our thoughts on the PrebioThrive ingredients
PrebioThrive contains some great ingredients.
The ingredients in PrebioThrive are definitely capable of fixing imblanaces in gut bacteria composition, promoting a healthy microbiome, and reducing symptoms of IBS.
But we would not recommend PrebioThrive to someone looking for a good quality prebiotic. It is not the best prebiotic on sale right now; it isn’t even one of the best prebiotics on the market.
Our main problem with PrebioThrive is the fact that it could be made up almost entirely of flaxseeds. We aren’t given any detailed information about the composition of PrebioThrive – we get no exact dosing information for each ingredient on the label or the website.
We are always extremely skeptical of manufacturers who do not disclose their formulas in full.
The fact that PrebioThrive contains an ingredient that you can buy at the grocery store for very little money makes the lack of dosing information very suspicious!
The addition of plant gums to PrebioThrive is also not what we want to see.
Ideally, a prebiotic that costs as much as PrebioThrive will only provide ingredients that have been scientifically proven to selectively promote beneficial gut bacteria.
The fact that PrebioThrive contains Galacto-oligosaccharides is fantastic. It means PrebioThrive will promote the growth of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus.
But we don’t know how much Galacto-oligosaccharide we get in each serving of PrebioThrive.
We suspect a lot of this prebiotic is just flaxseeds. Why else would Dr. Gundry keep the formula a secret? He isn’t Colonel Sanders!
If you want a supplement to optimize gut health, promote better overall health and maximize cognitive function, then use a more transparent prebiotic.
PrebioThrive is likely just flaxseeds with tiny amounts of prebiotic fibers thrown in. If you really want to use PrebioThrive, just buy some flaxseeds and save yourself some money!
Price – How much is PrebioThrive?
Too much.
PrebioThrive is extremely over-priced in our opinion.
For starters, the fact that we aren’t given detailed formula information (like how much of PrebioThrive is flax seed) is a major problem from a value standpoint.
Would you pay $80 for some ground up flax seeds?
No, we wouldn’t either.
But even ignoring the lack of transparency from Gundry, we still think PrebioThrive is a bit of a rip off.
Other prebiotics provide the same benefits as PrebioThrive, but they typically cost about half as much.
The best prebiotic on the market right now – Performance Lab Prebiotic – costs $30 a bottle.
As far as we’re concerned, $80 is too much even for a top-tier prebiotic, which PrebioThrive is not!
Side Effects – Is PrebioThrive safe?
Now we come to one of the most important sections of this review – the PrebioThrive side effects.
PrebioThrive looks like a safe supplement for practically everybody.
It doesn’t contain any ingredients known to cause side effects.
It is unlikely to cause excessive bloating or gas.
We don’t think it will cause any kind of stomach discomfort, constipation, or diarrhea.
PrebioThrive may cause mild bloating at first, but this should dissipate after a week or so.
All-in-all, PrebioThrive looks safe to us.
However, it is important that you consult the ingredients list yourself before you take PrebioThrive.
If you are already on medication for gut issues, talk to your doctor before using PrebioThrive, or any prebiotic for that matter.
In Conclusion – Is PrebioThrive any good?
All things considered, we don’t think PrebioThrive is a good prebiotic.
Dr. Gundry hasn’t given us much information about the formula. All reputable supplement manufacturers disclose the doses for each individual ingredient in their formula. The fact Dr. Gundry hasn’t disclosed all his ingredient serving sizes makes us very suspicious.
The fact that PrebioThrive contains flaxseed makes us even more suspicious.
You can buy flaxseed from your local supermarket for a few dollars a bag. Flaxseed isn’t much of a prebiotic; it contains a lot of water soluble fiber but it isn’t particularly bifidogenic.
Paying $80 for something that could be 90% flaxseed powder seems like a bad idea to us.
The fact that you can get top quality prebiotics for $30-40 a bottle makes it clear just how much of a rip-off PrebioThrive is in today’s market.
There are better prebiotic supplements available today. If you want to optimize your gut microbiome health and start living a healthier, more productive life, invest in a top quality gut health supplement.
Like all of Dr. Gundry’s products, PrebioThrive looks like a total rip.
See Our #1 Rated Prebiotic
Performance Lab Prebiotic
Performance Lab Prebiotic is currently the most advanced, effective and economical prebiotic supplement on the market. If you're looking for a supplement to help rebalance your gut microbiome, support digestive health, and enhance total body performance, this is the supplement for you. It selectively promotes healthy gut bacteria while leaving detrimental strains unfed.
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FAQs
How long does PrebioThrive last?
Like all prebiotics, the beneficial effects of PrebioThrive last for a good while. Once you have properly re-balanced your gut micrbiota, you will experience better digestive health, more energy, and a bolstered immune system for weeks to come. However, if you do not maintain a diet rich in prebiotic fiber, harmful gut bacteria will begin to proliferate again and you will son be back to square one.
How long a prebiotic lasts depends entirely on the prebiotic you’re using, the state of your diet, and how long you use it for. We think it’s best to use prebiotics on an on-going basis for optimal results.
Is PrebioThrive legitimate?
No, PrebioThrive is not legit. In our opinion, PrebioThrive is a bit of a rip-off. We aren’t told exactly how much of each prebiotic fiber we get per serving. For all we know, PrebioThrive could be 99% flaxseed powder – something we can pick up from a grocery store for a fraction of the cost. If you want optimal results, use a professional-quality prebiotic with a totally transparent formula.
What is PrebioThrive used for?
PrebioThrive is a prebiotic supplement made by Dr. Gundry. It is designed to promote the growth of friendly gut bacteria by providing them with their ideal food source – water soluble fibers. Prebiotics typically provide fibers that are particularly nourishing to healthy gut bacteria strains.
Brian Johnson is a former academic researcher, psychologist, and tireless proponent of bio-hacking. Brian has dedicated all of his time since leaving academia and private practice to promoting the benefits to be obtained from the application of biotechnology and bio-hacking supplements. He has years of experience with nootropics, as well as prebiotics, probiotics, and other natural nutritional supplements. He has published scholarly research on natural nootropics; you can find his papers on his Google Scholar page.
My gastroenterologist recommended I try this and after a decade of IBS, bloating, gas and misery, had some relief almost from the first day. My friend, after her colonscopy was told same thing by her doctor. If doctors are recommending Prebiothrive, it can’t be that bad.
Hi Jimmie. We disagree that a doctor’s recommendation means that Prebiothrive is a good probiotic. Many doctors, especially those in the US, routinely recommend products because they stand to gain financially from doing so rather than because the medicine or supplement actually works. Even when there is no financial incentive for them to recommend products, doctors can be poor judges of what constitutes a good supplement. They are human, they are susceptible to bias, and their research can be flawed. Prebiothrive is far from a good gut health supplement.