Are Probiotic Gummies Effective?

What could be easier than popping a little gummy into your mouth and chewing it up? There’s a reason why gummies have become a popular form of vitamins and supplements in recent years, but are probiotic gummies the best way to normalize your gut bacteria and are they even effective?

Research does not yet yield a definitive answer about the effectiveness of probiotic gummies, but its possible to draw some conclusions base on what experts know about probiotics and how they work.

According to Supplement Review Digest, probiotics that are closest to their natural form seem to be the most effective, and gummies are highly processed with ingredients like sugar, cornstarch, and gelatin added to help the gummies have the right shape and chewiness.

Not too many foods naturally occur in a form similar to gummies. It is difficult to believe gummies don’t undergo processing that might kill off some of the probiotic bacteria before they can get to your digestive tract, which would decrease the effectiveness of the gummies.

Besides, the sugar contained in many varieties of gummies is known to make bad bacteria in the gut grow, which can upset the balance of good to bad bacteria probiotics aim for. The gummies also may add calories to your diet you may be trying to avoid.

A review of one brand of gummies on the Best Digestive Enzyme website suggested probiotic gummies would not work on their own, but needed dietary changes in order to reach peak effectiveness. In many cases, however, the dietary changes alone could improve gut health to some extent, so gummies might not even be necessary.

Customers often mention in their reviews of probiotic gummies online that they taste good, but good taste alone doesn’t mean they work well.

Many probiotic gummies don’t list their colony forming units, or CFUs, so it's harder to know exactly what you’re getting.

In short, probiotic gummies are cheap and tasty, but may not be the most effective way to get your gut healthier because of added ingredients and a lack of transparency about the level of probiotics they contain.

• What Are the Best Types of Probiotics for Your Health?
• Probiotics vs. Prebiotics: What’s the Difference?