Prebiotic supplements have been proven to support proper gut & digestive health, enhance immune system function, improve sleep quality, and help promote healthy bowel movements.
Although prebiotics can be found within food, many Americans may be lacking the optimal amounts of prebiotics. This is in part due to Western dietary habits that often neglect foods high in prebiotics.
Prebiotics and probiotics represent the most commonly used addition taken to restore balance within the body by improving your gut microbiome. Prebiotic supplementation is a great addition to your diet because it provides your body with the key healthy bacteria that might otherwise be missing.
With a prebiotic supplement, it is important to understand:
- Prebiotics are essential to combat digestive disease and illness.
- The fiber contained within prebiotics is only metabolized in select areas of the intestine. These prebiotics are otherwise non-digestible by the body.
- Prebiotics strengthen the intestinal microbiome to help prevent excessive bloating, painful stomach aches, and irregular bowel movements
To find the best prebiotic supplement to support proper gut health, it is crucial to investigate each supplement in detail.
Below is a list of top-tier premium prebiotic supplements that have been identified as the best prebiotic supplements on the market today. These products are tailored towards offering the best results and are backed by research-based evidence to support their claims.
Our Winners
Best overall: 1MD PrebioMD
Best prebiotic for weight loss: 1MD PrebioMD
Best prebiotic and probiotic combination: 1MD Complete Probiotics with Prebiotic Powder
Best prebiotic fiber: Performance Lab Prebiotic
Best prebiotic for constipation: Dr Tobias Prebiotic
Rankings
1. 1MD PrebioMD
As one of the most advanced restorative prebiotics supplements today, 1MD PrebioMD offers the best premium prebiotic ingredients to promote digestive health and support a balanced microflora.
1MD PrebioMD is equipped with their patented PreforPro formula blend for effective digestive health. 1MD PrebioMD also incorporates Xylo-oligosaccharides and galactooligosaccharides for additional benefits at no added cost or risk.
For these reasons, 1MD PrebioMD is food4me.org’s number 1 pick overall.
2. 1MD Probiotics Platinum
Next in line is 1MD Probiotics Platinum which does more than any other prebiotic. This product contains 11 diverse strains of healthy bacteria which have been proven to offer the best results.
1MD Probiotics Platinum has 51 billion CFU’s of probiotics and also contains Nutraflora prebiotic fiber to nourish the delicate microflora of your body.
3. Performance Lab Prebiotic
This prebiotic supplement offers their patented Orafti prebiotic blend which helps hep immune system strength, promote fat loss, and increase nutrition absorption.
This blend has been shown to boost gut probiotics, reduce caloric intake, and increase calcium absorption within the body.
4. Dr Tobias Prebiotic
This prebiotic provides you with the necessary prebiotics with no additional “fluff” ingredients.
If you are seeking the barebones prebiotic supplement that offers effective results, this is prebiotic for you.
5. Now NutraFlora FOS
Now NutraFlora FOS is a GMP-regulated product that provides the compounds necessary for proper gut stability, health, and growth.
Now NutraFlora is GMO-free and specializes in its ability to enhance the probiotics of the body.
6. BIMUNO
If you are seeking an alternative to large powdery containers, BIMUNO offers an effective prebiotic that includes powerful prebiotics, such as galactooligosaccharides in easy-to-use sleeves that you can take on the go.
For best results, BIMUNO has been shown to work best within 7 days of use.
7. Align DualBiotic
If you are seeking an alternative to capsules or powdery prebiotics, then Align DualBiotic is for you.
Align DualBiotic offers an effective probiotic in the form of tasteful gummies that provide the optimal amount of prebiotics to support gut health.
8. Physician’s Choice Women’s Probiotic
Physician’s Choice is tailored towards women and is packed with over 60 billion CFU’s.
This product offers a wide variety of unique probiotic strains that are easily accessible using Procan and D-mannose exclusive to only premium probiotics.
9. BlueBiology Prebiotic
Equipped with Alpha Galactosidase, BlueBiology Prebiotic provides a unique experience for individuals who may have had bloating or constipation.
This product is a great alternative for people who are sensitive to dairy products.
10. Hyperbiotics Organic Prebiotic Powder
If you are especially susceptible to upset stomachs after taking supplements then this product is for you.
Hyperbiotics prebiotic blend is designed with sensitive stomachs in mind.
11. BeLive SYNBIOTICS
This product is completely vegan-friendly and contains chicory root which provides additional health benefits.
Believe SYNBIOTICS does not contain gelatin within their prebiotic gummies, making it a great option for vegans or gelatin-sensitive stomachs.
Best Prebiotic for Weight Loss
1. 1MD PrebioMD
1MD PrebioMD contains optimal amounts of prebiotics with no additional unnecessary ingredients. 1MD PrebioMD takes our number 1 spot for weight loss because their specialized formula provides prebiotics to ensure the proper utilization of food which helps reduce fat storage.
Best Prebiotic and Probiotic Combination
1. 1MD Probiotics Platinum
This prebiotic and probiotic contains a patented formula that has been tailored to support gut health, digestive care, and promoting the healthy growth of beneficial bacteria of the intestinal microbiome.
1MD Probiotics Platinum takes the top spot as the best prebiotic and probiotic supplement because it contains 11 diverse strains of probiotics with the addition of numerous prebiotics to help the microbiomes of the body thrive.
Best Prebiotic Fiber
1. Performance Lab Prebiotic
This prebiotic takes our top spot for best prebiotic fiber because it is one of the few companies to utilize the potent, non-digestible, and effective fiber fructooligosaccharide. This carbohydrate works with the body’s microbiome to assist the growth of other healthy bacteria and maintain intestinal health.
Best Prebiotic for Constipation
1. Dr. Tobias Prebiotic
Equipped with unique plant fibers, this prebiotic has been formulated to offer the best solution for people with constipation. Prebiotics provide constipation relief, and no product does this better than Dr. Tobias Prebiotic.
This product has been designed specifically to help with proper bowel movements to provide optimal gut health.
Who Should Use a Prebiotic?
Like many probiotics, prebiotics offers a plethora of health benefits to the body that extends past just gut and digestive health. A prebiotic supplement helps safeguard against irritable bowel syndrome, gastrointestinal disease, constipation, weight gains, and helps the body metabolize foods and nutrients more effectively.
Prebiotics are generally safe and effective for both men and women. Prebiotics supplement companies often target those who are suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, and inflammation because prebiotics can significantly help relieve these issues. Prebiotic supplements can provide health benefits to most of the general population as well.
It is important to note that if you are taking medication or participating in a treatment plan for any disease, illness, or other health-related reason, you should contact your health care provider before using a prebiotic.
If you are pregnant or actively trying to become pregnant you should inform your health care provider about taking a prebiotic.
For those with sensitive stomachs, please be aware that a small minority of people have shown that prebiotics can cause mild stomach pain, irritation, and abdominal bloating.
Overall, prebiotic supplements are safe and sustainable for most people. Side effects are rare and often do not cause harm to the body.
Methodology
Prebiotic bacteria quality. The way healthy bacteria and the microbiome metabolize prebiotics spans well beyond basic nutrition. Prebiotics are unable to be digested by the body and are only responsive to microorganisms found within the intestinal tract. This is often referred to as gut bacteria.
It is crucial that a premium probiotic supplement contains quality healthy (rather than harmful) bacteria that have been clinically shown to interact with the bodies’ microbiome. For this reason, all premium prebiotics on this list contains top-tier ingredients that have been proven to be effective and safe.
Protective capsule coating. To ensure the safety of the prebiotic formula throughout the digestive system, it is mandatory that an effective prebiotic capsule contains a protective mechanism or coating. A poor-quality prebiotic will simply not work if they are destroyed within the stomach or other areas of the digestive system.
The prebiotic supplements within our list all contain a protective mechanism to ensure that the prebiotics is utilized properly and not destroyed.
Additional Probiotics & supplementary nutrients. Some of the prebiotic supplements like 1MD Prebio MD and 1MD Probiotics Platinum go above and beyond other companies because they include additional compounds that enhance the effectiveness of prebiotics. For example, by including 50+ billion CFU’s and a probiotic blend, 1MD Probiotics Platinum ensures that the effects of their prebiotic will be enhanced
Effective prebiotic ingredient dosage. For results to be maximized it is crucial that there is an effective amount of prebiotic fibers and compounds present in the capsule or powder. By reducing the number of prebiotics, you are limited to the benefits. This is why we ensured that all of the prebiotic supplements contained optimal amounts of prebiotics to optimize the health benefits.
In contrast, if prebiotic blends contain too many prebiotics it may pose harm to proper digestive health and can cause damage to your digestive tract.
Benefits
Prebiotics can enhance immune system function. Your immune system is the most important system required for keeping you safe from outside pathogens, viruses, bacteria infections, and toxins that can be harmful. Dietary fibers and prebiotics have been proven to provide health benefits to proper immune system function (1).
Prebiotic fibers contain the nutrients needed to enhance the immune system but because the health-promoting prebiotic fibers cannot be absorbed through the digestion system until it meets the intestinal microbiome, it is critically important to make sure you have a healthy intestinal microbiome.
Prebiotics fortify the immune response to harmful pathogens. Signs of a weak immune system include common fatigue, illness, stomach pain, and frequent colds. By taking a prebiotic supplement you will feel more energized, reduce stress levels, and prevent sickness and illness from occurring.
Building a solid immune system can be difficult and time-consuming. Most people forget about how important proper gut health is to their immune system strength. For example, if your body cannot eradicate harmful bacteria within the digestive system, they will continue to wreak havoc on your body. Thankfully, prebiotics is an effective option to promote a strong and efficient immune system.
Prebiotics improve digestive health. The intestinal microflora can be found within the large intestine. This is where a majority of probiotics and prebiotics work with the body. There are digestive processes such as fermentation that are exclusive to the intestinal microflora.
Within every premium prebiotic there will be prebiotic carbohydrates that function to strengthen the body’s resistance to harmful pathogens and reduce onset diarrhea. These prebiotic carbohydrates significantly improve health through their distinctive feature.
In a recent study, researchers investigated the gastrointestinal effects of prebiotics. They found that there were clear and distinctive physiological effects of prebiotics within the large intestine that are extremely beneficial to human health (2).
Prebiotics can help prevent obesity. Obesity is a rather complex disease that involves an excessive and harmful amount of body fat. More than 42% of Americans are classified as obese and this rate continues to climb. Obesity dramatically increases the risk for other health diseases and illnesses.
Americans are obese is in part due to hypercaloric meals, overeating, and refined sugar intake. Many health professionals advise that changing dietary habits is one of the most impactful factors in decreasing obesity.
One way to help reduce overeating is through the use of a prebiotic supplement which has been proven to reduce appetite (3). By reducing the appetite through a prebiotic, you are less inclined to overeat and become obese
Hormonal control plays an important role in hunger and satiety levels. Our body utilizes hormonal systems to decide when and when not to eat. Prebiotics may play a role in supporting proper hormonal systems in respect to hunger. There seems to be a link between prebiotic levels and obesity. Researchers have indicated that there may be therapeutic benefits from prebiotics for people struggling with obesity (4).
Prebiotics can reduce the risk for kidney and intestinal diseases. Kidney disease is the gradual loss of kidney function over time. The kidneys are responsible for many functions within the body including but not limited to hormonal control, fluid balance, and removing harmful waste products.
One way to combat kidney disease is through the use of prebiotic supplements. A recent study done in 2017 demonstrated that short-chain fatty acids (from fermentation processes by the gut microbiota) helped reduced the risk for kidney disease. The researchers noted that the use of prebiotic supplements was crucial in this process (5).
Further research indicated that similar to reducing the risk of kidney diseases, prebiotics produces metabolites that are responsible for preventing and protecting against intestinal diseases. This process is done through types of fermentation (6).
Prebiotics may enhance proper bone strength, density, and longevity. Like the microbiome of the stomach, bones are living cells that are constantly changing. The function of bones is to support the body, protect organs and tissues, store calcium, and produce red blood cells. The denser a bone is, the stronger and more functional that bone is. Bone is living tissue and changes as we age.
Around the age of 35, our bodies begin to reduce the bone density and mass of our bodies. It is important that we mitigate these losses through exercise and adequate diets. The use of a prebiotic is another addition to help reduce bone loss in older adults.
A variety of research has indicated that prebiotics offers an effective way to mitigate bone density and loss throughout the life cycle. This is because prebiotics provides special healthy bacteria that help increase the bioavailability of calcium and magnesium (7). These two minerals are especially important in maintaining bone mass.
Subsequent research suggests that prebiotics may provide additional bone support by reducing the number of fractures in older adults. This is in part due to the increase of calcium and magnesium through the use of prebiotic supplements (8).
Prebiotics can lower triglyceride levels in the blood. As a reminder, triglycerides are fats that can be metabolized to provide energy by cells of the body. Triglyceride levels within the blood can fluctuate each and every day. Elevated blood triglycerides can cause clotting in the walls of the arteries of the circulatory system which can cause heart attack, strokes, obesity, and peripheral organ damage.
In addition, if the body declares there is no need for triglycerides within the blood, the body will store some additional triglycerides as fat.
Decreasing elevated blood triglyceride levels is critically important for overall health and wellbeing. One way to do this is through the use of prebiotic supplements. Researchers have found that by supplementing with a prebiotic supplement, you can promote triglyceride-lowering factors within the body (9). this researcher was conducted on patients who were nondiabetic but should elevate triglyceride levels.
Prebiotics can reduce anxiety levels. Anxiety is one of the most common psychological disorders within America. Anxiety disorders include the presence of characteristics such as pervasive worry, fear, and behavioral impairments. If left unchecked, anxiety can cause a cascade of negative health impacts such as lack of sleep, and an increased risk for cardiovascular disease.
One area that has shown promise in helping those with anxiety is through the use of the microbiota, the healthy bacteria that line the intestinal walls. There is a special connection that is established between the brain and intestines. This system is called the microbiota-gut-brain axis.
Anxiety is interrelated to gut health. Further, a common symptom of anxiety is constipation and intestinal distress. Anxiety often occurs when someone has irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis which have all been linked to microbiota health.
Researchers have investigated the link between gut health, prebiotics, and anxiety, and here is what they found. A certain strain of probiotic, Lactobacillus rhamnosus has been shown to decrease anxiety levels (10).
Prebiotics keep you regular and improve bowel movements. Constipation is a gut-related issue that can often cause embarrassment and lead to severe digestive issues. Constipation can be a product of a variety of different issues, but dietary fiber intake is one of the leading causes.
In severe cases of irregular bowel movements, irritable bowel syndrome may occur. By taking a prebiotic you can prevent these types of disturbances and maintain regular bowel movements. One study suggests that one type of probiotic strain, trans-galactooligosaccharide can provide relief to people who have irritable bowel syndrome and the symptoms that follow: constipation. trans-galactooligosaccharide does this by promoting specific bacteria to alleviate the impact of irritable bowel syndrome.
Prebiotics can help lower cortisol (the stress hormone). Cortisol is often referred to as the stress hormone and has many functions within the body. An imbalance of cortisol within the body has been shown to cause a variety of negative health impacts such as inhibition of blood sugar, inflammation levels, metabolism, and some forms of memory.
The recent discovery of the connection between the gut microbiota and the brain has opened a lot of doors to investigate the full function of prebiotics on neuroendocrine functions, depression, and anxiety.
One recent study demonstrated, containing over 40 participants showed that as the microbiota began to proliferate from the abundance of prebiotics, the participants showed remarkably lower levels of the stress hormone – cortisol (11). Further, the researchers indicated that further studies should be done to further investigate the connection.
Prebiotics can help prevent metabolic disorders. Metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hunter syndrome are increasing health concerns for America. Metabolic disorders are responsible for significantly impacting the quality of life of many Americans today.
Dealing with metabolic disorders can be extremely difficult. The present treatment is through pharmacological means such as prescribed medication that come with a variety of side effects.
As a healthier alternative, prebiotics may be a more natural solution to provide metabolic disorder relief. A recent research team investigated the impact of a healthy diet with prebiotic supplements as a metabolic treatment. What they found was that this type of intervention provided a strong scientific base for developing dietary interventions for those with metabolic disorders and should be investigated further (12).
Prebiotics can help improve sleep quality. Have trouble sleeping? A prebiotic supplement may be a solution for you. There is a growing amount of new research that highlights the impact prebiotics can have on proper sleep health and sleep quality (13).
The mechanism on how prebiotics work to alter sleep quality is not fully understood yet but researchers believe it is in part due to prebiotics ability to alter fecal metabolites (14). The researchers go on to state that prebiotics is a great way to reduce obstructive sleep apnea.
Prebiotics improve energy levels. Do you suffer from low energy throughout the day? Prebiotics may be a solution to help improve your energy levels. Prebiotics offer essential macronutrients which provide you with additional energy throughout the day.
A recent 2019 study found that prebiotics contains energy-filled macronutrients and starches that are exclusive to prebiotic strains. The prebiotic strains are metabolized in the microbiota and yield significant amounts of energy (15).
Prebiotics can improve hair health. By using a prebiotics supplement you can maintain healthier-looking hair with radiant color. Prebiotics has been shown to induce a natural glow in hair cells.
A 2013 study found that mice who were given optimal levels of prebiotics should a significant increase in hair growth when compared to a control group. Additionally, the researchers indicated that the hair maintained a darker, healthier pigment than the mice within the control group (16)
Prebiotics enhance skin cell health and longevity. If you are looking for an addition to your skincare routine, you should consider a prebiotics supplement. Researchers have found that prebiotics may contain a protective mechanism for the skin to maintain younger-looking and healthier skin.
A very recent 2020 study demonstrated that prebiotics enhances the secretion of healthy oils to protect against harmful agents that can cause damage to skin cells (17).
Recap
Prebiotics are non-digestible ingredients that provide support to proper gut & digestive health, enhancing immune system function, and aid in bowel movements by reducing constipation.
The best prebiotic supplements will always have potent bacteria quality, a protective capsule coating, additional probiotics and vitamins, and effective dosages of prebiotic and probiotic strains.
By utilizing prebiotics supplements, you will empower the healthy bacteria found within your body with the energy and nutrients it needs to thrive.
For Food4me.org’s #1 prebiotic, click here