Culturelle Probiotic Review - Real Culturelle Digestive Daily Probiotics Reviews, Compared And Rated

Culturelle Digestive Daily Probiotic is an oral supplement manufactured and distributed by iHealth. It's a subsidiary of the Dutch company DSM-Firmenich.
Culturelle is an established probiotics brand name many people will be familiar with. It offers several very specialized options including probiotic capsules for weight loss, chewables for kids, and probiotic drops for babies.

In This Culturelle review, we will examine the pros and cons of using the digestive supplement and help you decide if they are likely to be a good fit for your needs.

Culturelle Probiotic Reviews - Quick Comment

There is little doubting the reputation of the brand and it's efficacy but in our opinion there are a few products that we would place over and above.

Recommended Probiotic Supplements - Top 3 Brands

Culturelle is not for everyone - here are the top 3 wide spectrum probiotic brands.

#1 - YourBiology Gut+

CLICK to view YourBiology Gut website and view offers

Arguably the market leading probiotic that offers a wide range of benefits. A very high survival rate of probiotic strains means that a majority of the good bacteria ends up in your gut - where it's supposed to be.

#2 - Biotics 8

CLICK to view Biotics 8 website and view offers

The leading probiotic for men. Some probiotic strains and species have more benefit to males and so Biotics 8 have a high concentration of male specific needs such as muscle growth and boosting testosterone levels.

#3 - 1MD Complete Platinum

CLICK to view 1MD website and view offers

1MD is a highly reputable manufacturer of gut health supplements. Complete Platinum is the flagship product.

What Is Culturelle Digestive Daily Probiotic?

Culturelle Probiotic is an oral supplement that is primarily designed for daily use for the digestive system. It may also help calm intestinal issues such as bloating, diarrhea, and occasional gas.

Most good probiotics provide strains taken from four or more species of probiotic bacteria. Culturelle probiotics only provide one. However, the strain in question is very good and has excellent scientific credentials.

The problem is, many of the probiotic strains available in competing products have science-backed capabilities as well. More importantly, most competing products provide several probiotics. This allows them to deliver a greater range of benefits.

All the top probiotic supplements are capable of addressing digestive issues and problems in the gut and generally support better immune functions and/or also offer additional benefits such as greater vitality, stress reduction, and weight loss.

On the positive side, Culturelle Digestive Daily Probiotic is somewhat cheaper than many of the other options. That may certainly work in its favor but, bearing in mind the product's limited potential, it would be scandalous to put it in the same price bracket as any of the top probiotic supplements.

It's also worth noting, all the leading probiotic supplements have the backing of money-back guarantees. Culturelle probiotics do not. That's a pity because customer reviews show some people have had to stop using the capsules due to unpleasant side effects.

In the interests of fairness, we must also point out that many people love Culturelle probiotics too.

The problem is, you can never be sure how you will respond to this type of product. In this case, every first-time buyer will be gambling with their money. It's not going to be a huge gamble, but still...

Must Read: What is the best probiotic for gas and bloating - top brands revealed

Why Are Probiotic Bacteria Important?

The average human gut is home to around 100 trillion micro-organisms. Bacteria species are the most predominant but the "gut microbiome" contains viruses, protozoa, and fungi as well.

Some of the bacteria that occur naturally in the gut are pathogenic – meaning they have the potential to cause harm.

Probiotic bacteria are the "good bacteria" that so many people talk about and, in addition to providing many direct and indirect health benefits, they fight gut pathogens, helping to keep them under control.

By providing regular daily top-ups, probiotic supplements enhance the body's good bacteria colonies, helping them to prevent the bad bacteria from getting the upper hand.

If poor diet, disease, medications, or other factors cause an unfavorable sway in gut bacteria levels, it can weaken immunity and cause a variety of problems including slow metabolism and weight gain.

However, depending on the species and strain, good gut bacteria can deliver a variety of benefits, some of them surprising.

For instance, Lactobacillus acidophilus (L. acidophilus) can deliver a boatload of benefits including weight loss and better immune function.

It also helps women overcome the symptoms of menopause. Some researchers even suggest using L. acidophilus as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy (HRT). [1]

Needless to say, L. acidophilus supports digestion and gut health as well. It's very versatile. As are other probiotic species such as Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus paracasei. Strains from these three species are combined in all of the top-rated probiotic pills.

Bearing in mind the natural diversity of good bacteria species in the gut, there are strong arguments for using supplements that provide strains from several species.

The fact that Culturelle Digestive Daily Probiotic only provides one could be seen as holding it back.

Latest: Best probiotic for women over 50 experiencing menopause symptoms

How to Use Culturelle Digestive Daily Probiotic Capsules

Culturelle probiotics are intended for adult men and women and for children who are over the age of 12. The standard dose is one capsule per day.

During occasional periods of digestive upset, the dose is one capsule each morning and another at night. This (2-capsule per day) dose should be maintained until the discomfort subsides.

The manufacturer also suggests taking a similar (2-capsule) dose while traveling to help prevent stomach upsets.

However, it's important to be aware that, when you take two capsules per day, each box of Culturelle Digestive Daily Probiotic will only provide a 15-day treatment.

Important Usage Considerations

Although probiotic supplements are suitable for most people and can be very beneficial, they are not a good option for everyone.

If you have poor immunity, due to disease or medical treatment, you should not use any probiotic product without getting a doctor's approval first.

Several diseases can impair immunity. HIV and AIDS are the most obvious ones. Others include Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS), Benta disease, and Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD).

Medical treatments that reduce immunity include radiation treatment and chemotherapy. Certain medications can reduce immunity too.

It may also be unwise to use probiotic supplements while you are taking antibiotic medications.

Related content: Best probiotic for constipation relief

Culturelle Probiotic Benefits to Digestive Health

Customers who buy this supplement are told it will do the following things:

●   Help reduce occasional diarrhea, gas, and bloating
●   Minimise travel-associated digestive issues
●   Work naturally with the body to support digestion and immune defense
●   Improves known immune compromised condition

Culturelle capsules only provide one probiotic, so all the claims made must be for its abilities.

Culturelle Digestive Daily Probiotic Ingredient Profile

Each (1-capsule) dose provides:

● Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG 40 mg (10 billion CFU)
● Inulin (200 mg)

Inulin is a prebiotic fiber that comes from chicory roots. As with other prebiotic fibers, it feeds the probiotic bacteria in the gut, helping them to multiply.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG is one of the best-researched probiotic strains.

"Lactobacillus" is the probiotic family. "Rhamnosus" is the species and "GG" is the strain. Although other strains of Lactobacillus rhamnosus may work similarly, some of the benefits may not be the same.

Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GG (L. Rhamnosus GG)

Research published in Microbial Cell Factories (BMC Journal), says L. rhamnosus GG is one of the most widely used probiotic strains. It also states L. rhamnosus GG provides well-documented "health effects" that include the prevention of gastrointestinal infections and diarrhea. [2]

The article in Microbial Cell Factories confirms L. rhamnosus GG is associated with better immunity as well.

As you would expect from an article published in such a prestigious journal, the authors reference many sources throughout the text. There are 145 references in total. A lot of them are clinical studies exploring the probiotic strain's abilities in specific areas.

However, although the article clearly proves L. rhamnosus GG is a probiotic strain that can offer several health benefits, the authors also point out that "not all intervention studies could show a clinical benefit and even for the same conditions the results are not univocal."

The authors explain this hit-or-miss response can be due to several different factors such as the "host's" existing microbiome, age, genetics, and other environmental factors.

They also point out there continues to be a need for further research.

The fact that people respond to L. rhamnosus GG differently is not surprising because each person's gut microbiota is unique. That means some people may have a greater or lesser reliance on this particular probiotic strain.

Research shows the human microbiota is shaped during infancy. Various factors affect the process such as the delivery method used at birth and whether or not infants are breast-fed.

Needless to say, the mother's diet is an influencing factor too. As are any medications being used.

Due to these and many other influencing factors, there is no unique optimal gut microbiota composition. It's different for each individual. [3]

Potential Side Effects of Culturelle

Although many people seem to be able to use this Culturelle dietary supplement without experiencing any negative issues, others are not so lucky. Most of the side effects appear to be stomach or gut-related

Commonly reported side effects include:

●   Nausea
●   Stomach/gut pain
●   Gas/bloating
●   Constipation
●   Diarrhea

Other reported side effects include:

●   Headaches
●   Skin rash
●   Body aches
●   Chills
●   Anxiety
●   Fatigue
●   Weight gain

Culturelle Digestive Daily Probiotic Customer Reviews

Customer reviews are a mix of good and bad. Some people rate the product highly, while others complain of side effects and/or poor performance.

Let's take a look at a couple of positive customer experiences:
" wow, my gut health and digestive health has improved so much in recent months"
"the best results I have had from taking a digestive health product"

And here are a couple of reviews from the other side of the fence:

"hmm, admittedly, I only suffered from occasional digestive upset but I can see a difference."

" I have a milk and gluten intolerance and someone suggested I take these capsules as they are scientifically proven and studied extensively. I don't think they are working."

How Does Culturelle Compare to Other Probiotic Supplements

Moving forward, let's take a look at how Culturelle compares to other probiotic supplements in general.

Probiotic Formula

Culturelle Digestive Daily Probiotic is an oral supplement that provides only one strain of probiotic bacteria. Although the strain has excellent scientific credentials, research shows many other probiotic strains are equally beneficial. It's hard to find a strong enough argument to choose L. rhamnosus GG over some of these competing probiotic strains.

As we have already pointed out, research shows each person's gut provides a unique combination of probiotic bacteria. [3]

That means some people's guts may not be used to having an abundance of this particular probiotic strain and, possibly, may not obtain any benefits if it achieves a greater presence in their gut microbiomes.

Prebiotic Content

Many probiotic supplements do not contain probiotic fiber but most of them do.

Culturelle Digestive Daily Probiotic provides a decent dose of prebiotic fiber. That's a point in its favor.

Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin are two of the best sources of prebiotic fiber. The capsules contains inulin so the choice of prebiotic is good. It will help feed the probiotic strain the capsules provide along with the other strains that are naturally present inside the gut.

Delivery Technology

Many of the best probiotic supplements use capsules that have special protective coatings.

In most cases, these coatings are made from seaweed extracts that slow capsule disintegration to prevent the probiotic bacteria from being dispersed into the stomach where some of it would be killed by the digestive enzymes that are responsible for breaking down food and releasing the nutrients and energy trapped inside.

Thanks to the protective nature of these coatings, the probiotic bacteria are released directly into the gut. For maximum benefits, that's exactly where they need to be.

Culturelle Digestive Daily Probiotic capsules do not have this type of coating. The manufacturer deems it unnecessary, stating L. rhamnosus GG is strong enough to survive the digestive enzymes present in the stomach.

However, although the rhamnosus species of Lactobacillus bacteria boasts good overall resistance to digestive enzyme activity, research shows the GG strain is not as impervious as some of the other L. rhamnosus strains.

In one study, the survival rates of strains H12, H25, and N24 proved to be superior to L. rhamnosus GG. The bottom line is some of the L. rhamnosus GG bacteria never made it through the stomach alive. [4]

So, perhaps, a special coating would have been a good idea after all.

Do Culturelle Capsules Have Specialist Storage Requirements

During the early days of probiotic science, it was necessary to keep probiotic supplements refrigerated. It was the only known way to ensure the survival of the bacteria locked inside.

Things have moved on and, these days, all the best probiotic supplements are shelf stable. They do not require refrigerated transport or storage.

Despite the advances in science, some modern probiotic supplements still require refrigeration. Culturelle Digestive Daily Probiotic does not, it's shelf-stable, so nothing to complain about there.

Where to Buy Culturelle Digestive Daily Probiotic Capsules

Culturelle Probiotics are available from many reputable outlets including some leading pharmacy chains. It's also possible to obtain the capsules via the Culturelle website and from Amazon.

Each box provides a 30-day treatment (30 capsules) and, unless you choose to use an unusually greedy supplier, should cost under $20.

Do Culturelle Dietary Supplements Have a Guarantee

Culturelle Probiotics do not have a money-back guarantee.

Culturelle Probiotic Review Conclusion

In many ways, this probiotic supplement ticks all of the right boxes. It's produced by a reputable company, is reasonably cheap to buy, and does not require refrigerated storage.

However, one strain of probiotic bacteria is not enough. Although Culturelle customer reviews suggest the supplement works well for many people, the good results may have been posted by people whose guts naturally have a greater reliance on the presence of L. rhamnosus GG.

That makes Culturelle Digestive Daily Probiotic a potentially hit-and-miss product and, to make matters worse, it lacks a money-back guarantee.

The lack of a protective coating is also an issue because, although the CFU may be adequate when you put the supplement in your mouth, this may not be the case when the capsule contents get to the gut.

All in all, Culturelle Digestive Daily Probiotic does not offer the same overall value as many competing products in our opinion. Although it works well for some people, it may not do the same for you.

Disclaimer : The above is a sponsored post, the views expressed are those of the sponsor/author and do not represent the stand and views of Outlook Editorial.