GNC Probiotic Complex Extra Strength is a very high potency probiotic supplement that technically has 8 probiotic strains. The probiotic strains in this supplement, however, are not as diverse as the label might lead you to believe.

After analyzing this product, it did not meet the standards to make it one of our top picks. (You can find our top picks for the best probiotics here)

Overall Rating:          4.25/5

The first thing you might have noticed is that this complex claims to contain a CFU of 100 Billion! Unfortunately, however, this is another instance of the same type of deception you frequently see in the supplement industry: claims do not always measure up to reality!

This is not a bad product, but test results were not remotely as positive as our top rated probiotic product, BlueBiology BlueBiotics Ultimate Care. Our analysis concluded that only 27% of the colonies were still alive! However, this still means that the effective CFU level is right around 27 Billion, which isn’t all that bad.

What to expect from the strains

GNC Ultra Probiotic Complex is a deceptively diverse probiotic blend.

These are the probiotic strains included in GNC Probiotic Complex Extra Strength:

• Lactobacillus acidophilus (CUL 60)
• Lactobacillus acidophilus (CUL 21)
• Bifidobacterium bifidum (CUL 20)
• Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (CUL 34)
• Lactobacillus salivarius (CUL 61)
• Lactobacillus acidophilus (NCFM)
• Bifidobacterium lactis (HN019)
• Lactobacillus rhamnosus (HN001)

By the looks of it, there are 8 probiotic strains here. However, three of them are lactobacillus acidophilus strains, which really aren’t different enough from each other to be considered their own individual strains, as their health benefits are each going to be about the same. This effectively cuts down the number of probiotic strains to 6, which is a lot less than what better probiotic products offer.

There is evidence that the strains in this supplement may have the following health benefits:

Lactobacillus acidophilus

• Lactobacillus acidophilus is good for your gut health. It does this partly by strengthening the lining of the intestines and increasing the numbers of other beneficial bacterial strains in the gut.
• May help prevent diarrhea and reduce symptoms if you do get it.
• May relieve your symptoms if you have IBS (1) (2)
• May boost your immune system (3) (4)

Bifidobacterium bifidum

• May improve gastrointestinal disorder symptoms (5)
• May reduce inflammation and symptoms of irritable bowel disease (6) (7)
• May improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (8)
• May lower your cholesterol (9) (10) (11)
• May strengthen the immune system (12)
• May provide antioxidant benefits (13) (14) (15) (16) (17) (18)

Bifidobacterium Animalis Subsp. Lactis

• May improve symptoms of diarrhea (19)
• May alleviate constipation (20)
• May alleviate digestive discomfort (21) (22)

Lactobacillus salivarius

• May lower the risk of developing cavities (23)

Bifidobacterium Lactis

• May boost immune health (24)

Lactobacillus Rhamnosus

• May reduce your risk of diarrhea (25) (26) (27) (28)

The Good

GNC Ultra is composed of very well-documented probiotic strains and is an effective addition to any lifestyle, capable of conferring a wide variety of health benefits.

The probiotic strains are not only diverse, they were also resilient to outside influences and, in many cases, were successful in establishing colonies within the digestive tracts of study participants. Individuals participating in our studies also reported moderate to significant weight loss.

This product is safe for pets and children, but it is always wise to consult a physician before taking any supplement if you are pregnant or nursing.

The Bad

Despite the hefty CFU advertised by GNC Ultra, a large portion of the probiotic colonies were no longer alive upon analysis. This resulted in the effective CFU being roughly one third of what was claimed by the product. The result was a compromise in the integrity of the overall product, although it must be said that even at one third of the claimed value the CFU still scored well within the upper spectrum of general probiotics.

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Potency:…………………3.8

Weight Loss……………4.1

CFU: 100 Billion………4.8

Strains: 8………………..4.0

Strain Purity:……………3.9

This product did not make our top 5 picks for the best probiotics. If you’re looking for the best of the best when it comes to probiotics so that you get the most health benefits and the most bang for your buck, we analyzed the best probiotic supplements here.

Sources