The best probiotic supplements 2024 – tried and tested

The potency of probiotics is measured in colony-forming units (CFU). Find out more about probiotics and what they do.

Best probiotic supplements at a glance

Best all-round probiotic: Vitabright Advanced Bio-Cultures, £16.19
Runner-up probiotic: ProVen Probiotics ShapeLine, £23.62
Best probiotics for potency: Epetome, £54.99
Best probiotics for convenience: ProVen Probiotics 25B, £10.24
Best liquid probiotics: Symprove Daily, £39.99
Best probiotics for value for money: Vitl Daily Biotic, £7.12
Runner-up probiotic for convenience: JS Health Probiotic, £19.79
Best probiotic for gastric upset: The Gut Co Gut Care, £44
Best chewable probiotic: Holland & Barrett Live Friendly Bacteria, £7.69

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Best probiotics to buy 2024

Vitabright Advanced Bio-Cultures

Available from Amazon (£16.19), Vitabright (£18.99)

Best all-round probiotic

Price per day: 63p

Star rating: 5/5

Offering a 100 per cent money-back guarantee, this product ticked most of our boxes, with 17 different species, 11 of which are at amounts above 1bn CFU (there are 45bn CFU in total). However, there are no details of the exact strains of bacteria used in the product. An enteric-coated capsule offers protection against stomach acid, and inulin acts as a food source to support the gut-friendly bacteria. Vegan and gluten-free.

Available from:

ProVen Probiotics ShapeLine

Available from Holland & Barrett (£23.62), Amazon (£25.20), Pro-Ven Biotics (£31.50), BodyKind (£31.50)

Runner-up probiotic

Price per day: £1.05

Star rating: 4.5/5

With 50bn CFU of ‘extensively researched’ microbes, this has one of the highest contents of the products we tested. However, although we are given the details of five different strains, there’s no detail of proportions.

Corn starch acts as a prebiotic, and an enteric coating protects against stomach acid, meaning there’s a good chance the bacteria will survive and establish themselves in the gut.

The capsules also include vitamins D3 and C, plus zinc. The packaging includes a claim they’re proven to support a ‘shapelier you’, but there’s no further explanation of how or what that means.

Vegetarian (not vegan), dairy- and gluten-free.

Available from:

Epetome

Available from Epetome (£54.99)

Best probiotic for potency

Price per day: £1.83

Star rating: 4.5/5

There are 11 different live cultures in these capsules, the majority at a level between 1.2 and 12.88bn CFU; three more are just below this (at 0.88bn each). Providing a total of 50bn CFU, this product offers one of the highest potencies of the products we tested.

The space-age looking capsule is formatted with a ‘duo cap’ designed for targeted delivery within the gut, and claiming to be 30 times more effective than other delivery mechanisms. It contains FOS fibre as a prebiotic, plus vitamin D, zinc and biotin.

Available from:

ProVen Probiotics 25B

Available from Amazon (£10.24), ProVen Biotics (£17.95)

Best probiotic for convenience

Price per day: £1.20

Star rating: 4/5

There are a few added extras in this product, as well as four popular bacterial strains. Nutrients such as vitamins C and D3, plus calcium, selenium and zinc are included to help support immunity. The total combined CFU of the four strains is 25bn, but there is no breakdown so we can’t be sure all are provided in sufficient amounts.

The capsules contain FOS as a prebiotic and have an enteric-coating. For ease of use the capsule can be opened and the contents sprinkled on food (but you will lose the benefits of the enteric coating), the product does not require refrigeration.

Vegetarian (not vegan), dairy- and gluten-free.

Available from:

Symprove Daily

Available from Symprove (from £39.99)

Best liquid probiotic

Price per day: £2.86

Star rating: 3.5/5

Contains four species of bacteria at a total of 10bn CFU, however, there isn’t any detail about the amount of each species for us to be sure they’re all present at effective levels.

This is a water-based solution, which helps protect the bacteria during stomach transit, germinated barley is included to speed up fermentation and to provide a fuel source for the microbes, the gluten from the grain is removed during production, making the product gluten-free.

Our testers found the measuring cup fiddly to use, and weren’t overly fond of the slightly vinegary taste (we sampled mango and passion fruit flavour). As it needs to be kept in the fridge, taken on an empty stomach, and used within 10 days of opening, it’s not the most convenient of products, but it is vegan.

Prices vary depending on subscription.

Available from:

Vitl Daily Biotic

Available from Amazon (£7.12), Vitl (£14.99)

Best probiotic for value for money

Price per day: 50p

Star rating: 3.5/5

Another good range of bacteria, with nine different species, including the beneficial yeast Saccharomyces Boulardii. Although there are 14.3bn CFU combined, two-thirds of the species are below levels of 1-10bn CFU individually.

The vegan capsules are enteric-coated to protect against stomach acid and include chicory root extract (an FOS) as a prebiotic fuel source.

Available from:

JS Health Probiotic

Available from Amazon (£19.79), JS Health Vitamins (£21.99)

Runner up probiotic for convenience

Price per day: 73p

Star rating: 3.5/5

There’s a good selection and strength of bacteria here, with seven different strains, all at or above 1bn+ CFU (35bn CFU total).

This product is vegan and is shelf-stable, although it can also be refrigerated; our testers found it convenient and easy to take.

Available from:

The Gut Co Gut Care

Available from The Gut Co (£44)

Best probiotic for gastric upset

Price per day: £1.47

Star rating: 3.5/5

The company claims that ‘exactly’ the right dosage of ‘prebiotic fibres, yeasts and live probiotics’ are included, with strain-specific, peer-reviewed clinical studies to support them. The formulation includes the yeast, Saccharomyces Boulardii, which is one of the most clinically researched probiotics. However, dosage information on the packaging isn’t clear, with individual CFUs of the ingredients not provided – just a total of 6.1bn CFU, which is at the lower end of the products we tested.

The company claims the tablet formation helps protect the ingredients and aid absorption.

Vegan, free from preservatives, gluten and other common allergens.

Available from:

Holland & Barrett Live Friendly Bacteria

Available from Holland & Barrett (£7.69)

Best chewable probiotic

Price per day: 13p

Star rating: 3.5/5

These chewable tablets are helpful for those who don’t like swallowing capsules, although it’s a shame that there’s no information on whether they’re suitable for children. They have a pleasant strawberry flavour (our testers compared it to strawberry milkshake) and are sugar-free, made with sweetener and flavourings.

Two types of bacteria are included, but the particular strain of one isn’t provided, and they only add up to a somewhat disappointing 1bn CFU in total. Includes FOS as a prebiotic.

Available from:

How to choose a probiotic

When choosing a supplement check the label for the following information:

A list of the species of bacteria included in the product. Are these appropriate for your needs (e.g. have they been assessed in clinical trials)? A good starting base is the inclusion of families such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus.
The number of colony-forming units (CFU) supplied by the product. The higher the number, the more active microbes per dose.
Either the manufacture date or an expiration date. This is a useful guide to determine the potency of the product, because the number of live bacteria will reduce over the life of the product.
Has the product been tested by a thirdparty to confirm the CFU and potency?
Does the product contain a fuel source (known as a prebiotic) to support the microbes? Check the ingredients label for accepted prebiotics which include inulin, fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS). You may see these combination products (pro- and prebiotics) referred to as ‘synbiotics’.
Has the product been designed to promote the safe delivery of the microbes to the small intestine and colon (where they are needed)? This may be thanks to an enteric coating on a capsule or the way a liquid product is taken, e.g. on an empty stomach.

If you have a specific dietary need, check the ingredients carefully, for example, not all products will be suitable for vegans because they may contain traces of dairy.

Which probiotic strain is best?

Look at the ingredients label to check the details – you’re likely to see the bacteria and/or yeast described as Bifidobacterium longum W11.

How we read this is as follows:

Bifidobacterium is the ‘genus’ or family name
longum is the species, or type within that family group
W11 is the specific strain.

The most common and effective probiotics that are included in a supplement are those of the Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Streptococcus families as well as Bacillus. Outside of these four, you will need to do your own research.

If you want to verify whether the particular probiotic can help with a specific health need, check the relevant clinical studies and then ensure that the product you are considering contains the same strain, at the same potency that was evaluated in the trial.

How much should I take?

There are no official recommended daily doses or upper limits for probiotics, although most experts suggest a product should supply 1-10 billion CFU per dose; with multi-strain products potentially offering doses of 1-10 billion CFU for each strain. Taking high doses isn’t advised due to the risk of unwanted side effects such as bloating, wind and loose bowels or constipation.

For most people, probiotic supplementation is generally safe; however, those with certain gut disorders, compromised immune systems (including those on immune-suppressant medication), severe illness or allergies, as well as pregnant and breast-feeding women should seek advice from their GP prior to supplementing. Furthermore, if you are taking certain medications including antibiotics or anti-fungals, discuss the use of a probiotic supplement with your GP.

What format of probiotic is best?

This depends on a number of factors:

the bacteria you choose,
how you wish to store the product,
and whether the formulation is designed to ensure the probiotics reach the part of the digestive system where they are needed.

Liquid and dairy-based products will likely need refrigerating, and tend to be the least shelf-stable. Probiotics in solid form, such as capsules and powders, are more stable and can be stored for a longer period of time often under cool, dry conditions, such as in a cupboard.

Probiotics that are encapsulated in a hard capsule shell or ‘enteric’ coated stand a better chance of reaching the colon, while dairy-based foods and drinks that tend to stay in the stomach longer may result in more of the bacteria being lost. Studies suggest that suppositories, which avoid the stomach altogether, may deliver a greater proportion of viable probiotic, but these aren’t as commonly available over the counter.

How should I take a probiotic supplement?

Follow the instructions on the label, as how you should take the product will depend on the ingredients. Often the recommendation is to take on an empty stomach, to avoid it being held up in the digestive system. Most studies support taking once or twice a day for about 12 weeks.

What we looked for in probiotic supplements

All supplements were tested within the same time period, with observations recorded based on the testing criteria. We included samples from various manufacturers, offering diverse formats such as capsules, gummies and liquids, with a range of price points to suit different budgets. The key areas we assessed were:

Taste and flavour: are they pleasant to consume?
Active ingredients: what are the different species of probiotic and are details of the strain included? What is the potency (CFU) of the individual bacteria? Are their details regarding the expiry date?
Formulation: Does the product include a prebiotic? And has it been formulated to deliver the probiotics to the part of the gut where they are needed?
Dietary requirements: does the product meet any specific dietary needs – is it vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free?
Value for money: how does it compare to other products on a cost-per-day basis?
Clarity of instructions: are storage details and how to take the product clearly described?

We also reviewed Nutrigums (£14.99)

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All health content on goodfood.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other healthcare professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local healthcare provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.

Always keep supplements out of the reach of children. Unless otherwise stated we tested products available in the UK market and suitable for adults.

Check the product label and ingredients before purchase to ensure it is appropriate for your individual circumstances.

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