Gut bacteria have been a hot topic in the fitness world of late. Research has found that our gut bacteria composition may be responsible for a whole lot of things other than how queasy we feel. For instance, research has shown that gut bacteria may determine whether we are lean or obese, and even our mood and behavior.
Science still has yet to determine the full extent of our gut microbiome’s influence on our physical and mental health. But from what is already known, it wouldn’t be surprising if we find out that maintaining ideal gut bacterial health may be one of the most important things we can do for our health.
So it’s no surprise that many people aren’t taking any chances and are already taking steps to ensure to maintain consistent gut health. And the route that most people are going with is through taking probiotic supplements. And some of the most popular probiotic supplements on the market today are the range of probiotic supplements offered by GNC.
In this review, we will go over the basic mechanisms of probiotic supplements and how to evaluate them. From there, we will give you a detailed and in-depth review of GNC probiotic supplements. By the end of this review, you will be better informed as to which probiotic supplement would be best for you.
Topic Contents
How Do Probiotic Supplements Work?
To put it simply, probiotic supplements work by directly adding beneficial gut bacteria back into your digestive system. While there are dozens of beneficial gut bacteria strains, most probiotic supplements contain a blend of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains. Some probiotic supplements may contain other strains, namely Streptococcus Thermophilus.
If you see a probiotic supplement with only one strain, you’ll want to avoid it. That’s because the research shows that probiotics are synergistic, meaning that multi-strains are more effective than single strains.
When you look at the label of a probiotic supplement, you’ll note that it will say ‘X billion CFUs’. CFU stands for ‘Colony Forming Unit’ and is a unit of measurement used to estimate the number of viable bacteria in a sample. Generally, probiotic supplements have 10 to 50 billion CFUs per serving, with anything over that amount considered to be very high or extra strength.
GNC Probiotic Supplements Review
Currently, GNC has two main lines of probiotic supplements: GNC Probiotic Complex and GNC Probiotic Solutions. Each line has several product variations which we will examine in detail.
GNC Probiotic Complex Review
GNC Probiotic Complex Products
- GNC Probiotic Complex Daily Need – 1 Billion CFUs, 10 Billion CFUs, 25 Billion CFUs or 50 Billion CFUs
- GNC Probiotic Complex Extra Strength – 75 Billion CFUs or 100 Billion CFUs
Beneficial Ingredients
First things first, you should know that all of GNC’s Probiotic Complex products are both gluten-free and lactose-free.
GNC Probiotic Complex Daily Need – 1 Billion CFUs
Beneficial Gut Bacteria
- Lactobacillus Acidophilus
- Lactobacillus Salivarius
- Lactobacillus Plantarum
- Lactobacillus Rhamnosus
- Bifidobacterium Bifidum
- Bifidobacterium Animalis
- Streptococcus Thermophilus
GNC Probiotic Complex Daily Need – 10 Billion CFUs
Beneficial Gut Bacteria
- Lactobacillus Acidophilus
- Lactobacillus Salivarius
- Lactobacillus Plantarum
- Lactobacillus Rhamnosus
- Bifidobacterium Bifidum
- Bifidobacterium Animalis
- Streptococcus Thermophilus
Other Beneficial Ingredients
- Fructooligosaccharides (100mg)
GNC Probiotic Complex Daily Need – 25 Billion CFUs
Beneficial Gut Bacteria
- Lactobacillus Acidophilus
- Bifidobacterium Bifidum
- Bifidobacterium Animalis
Other Beneficial Ingredients
- Fructooligosaccharides (100mg)
GNC Probiotic Complex – 50 Billion CFUs
Beneficial Gut Bacteria
- Lactobacillus Acidophilus
- Bifidobacterium Bifidum
- Bifidobacterium Animalis
Other Beneficial Ingredients
- Fructooligosaccharides (150mg)
GNC Probiotic Complex Extra Strength – 75 Billion CFUs
Beneficial Gut Bacteria
- Lactobacillus Acidophilus
- Bifidobacterium Bifidum
- Bifidobacterium Animalis
Other Beneficial Ingredients
- Fructooligosaccharides (250mg)
GNC Probiotic Complex Extra Strength – 100 Billion CFUs
Beneficial Gut Bacteria
- Lactobacillus Acidophilus
- Lactobacillus Salivarius
- Lactobacillus Plantarum
- Lactobacillus Rhamnosus
- Bifidobacterium Bifidum
- Bifidobacterium Animalis
- Streptococcus Thermophilus
Other Beneficial Ingredients
- Fructooligosaccharides (50mg)
- Ginger Root Powder (50mg)
Looking at the formulations above, it is clear that GNC opts for two different blends of beneficial gut bacteria for its GNC Probiotic Complex Products. The first has three different strains, and the second with seven different ones.
Let’s take a look at how the different blends may differ in their effects.
| Beneficial Gut Bacteria | Benefits |
| Lactobacillus Acidophilus | Has been shown to help with diarrhea, constipation, depression, and even reduce LDL cholesterol levels. |
| Bifidobacterium Bifidum | Can help boost immunity, general health, and reduce symptoms of depression. |
| Bifidobacterium Animalis | May help with constipation. |
| Lactobacillus Salivarius | A species is prevalent in human saliva that can help with your dental health. |
| Lactobacillus Plantarum | Can help with constipation. |
| Lactobacillus Rhamnosus | Can help with constipation, diarrhea, weight loss, and obesity, as well as brain health. |
| Streptococcus Thermophilus | May inhibit antibiotic-associated diarrhea, improve immune system function, and help with lactose intolerance. |
In addition to the primary ingredients above, most of the supplements also contain fructooligosaccharides (“FOS”), which is prebiotic. The human body cannot digest FOS so it functions as fiber. However, some bacterial strains do have the necessary enzymes to break it down and thus it serves as ‘food’ to help good bacteria thrive and grow.
Price Per Serving
To make the various products easier to compare, we have listed the above products by approximate price per serving. Prices are based on official prices from the GNC store. All serving sizes, in this case, are one capsule.
As you can see, the price per serving increases with the amount of probiotics, however it’s not a linear scale. For instance, the price per serving for 25 Billion CFUs is 6.5x more than then one with 1 Billion CFUs despite containing 25x more probiotics.
GNC Probiotic Solutions Review
GNC Probiotic Solutions Products
- GNC Probiotic Solutions Women’s – 30 Billion CFUs
- GNC Probiotic Solutions Weight Management Support – 25 Billion CFUs
- GNC Probiotic Solutions Multi Strain – 25 Billion CFUs
- GNC Probiotic Solutions Adults 50 Plus – 55 Billion CFUs
- GNC Probiotic Solutions with Enzymes – 25 Billion CFUs
- GNC Probiotic Solutions Immune Support – 25 Billion CFUs
- GNC Probiotic Solutions Sport – 25 Billion CFUs
- GNC Probiotic Solutions Energy – 25 Billion CFUs
- GNC Probiotic Solutions Prenatal – 20 Billion CFUs
Beneficial Ingredients
First things first, you should know that all of GNC’s Probiotic Complex products are both gluten-free and lactose-free.
GNC Probiotic Solutions Women’s – 30 Billion CFU
Beneficial Gut Bacteria
- Lactobacillus Acidophilus
- Lactobacillus Gasseri
- Bifidobacterium Bifidum
- Bifidobacterium Animalis
Other Beneficial Ingredients
- Cranberry fruit extract (200mg) (for urinary tract support)
GNC Probiotic Solutions Weight Management Support – 25 Billion CFUs
Beneficial Gut Bacteria
- Lactobacillus Acidophilus
- Lactobacillus Gasseri
- Lactobacillus Plantarum
- Lactobacillus Paracasei
- Lactobacillus Reuteri
- Bifidobacterium Bifidum
- Bifidobacterium Animalis
Other Beneficial Ingredients
- Grapefruit extract, Sweet orange extract, Blood orange extract, Guarana extract (900mg)
- Caffeine (36mg)
GNC Probiotic Solutions Multi Strain – 25 Billion CFUs
Beneficial Gut Bacteria
- Lactobacillus Acidophilus
- Lactobacillus Salivarius
- Lactobacillus Plantarum
- Lactobacillus Rhamnosus
- Lactobacillus Paracasei
- Lactobacillus Gasseri
- Lactobacillus Casei
- Lactobacillus Fermentum
- Bifidobacterium Lactis
- Bifidobacterium Breve
- Bifidobacterium Bifidum
- Bifidobacterium Animalis
- Streptococcus Thermophilus
- Pediococcus pentosaceus
Other Beneficial Ingredients
- Fructooligosaccharides (100mg)
GNC Probiotic Solutions Adults 50 Plus – 55 Billion CFUs
Beneficial Gut Bacteria
- Lactobacillus Acidophilus
- Lactobacillus Reuteri
- Bifidobacterium Lactis
- Bifidobacterium Breve
- Bifidobacterium Bifidum
- Bifidobacterium Animalis
Other Beneficial Ingredients
- Fructooligosaccharides (100mg)
GNC Probiotic Solutions with Enzymes – 25 Billion CFUs
Beneficial Gut Bacteria
- Lactobacillus Acidophilus
- Bifidobacterium Bifidum
- Bifidobacterium Animalis
Other Beneficial Ingredients
- Fructooligosaccharides (100mg)
- Digestive Enzyme Blend (305mg)
- Ginger Root Powder (100mg)
GNC Probiotic Solutions Immune Support – 25 Billion CFUs
Beneficial Gut Bacteria
- Lactobacillus Acidophilus
- Bifidobacterium Bifidum
- Bifidobacterium Animalis
Other Beneficial Ingredients
- Vitamin C (125mg)
- Vitamin D (25mcg)
- Zinc (15mg)
- Elderberry Fruit Extract (75mg)
- Echinacea Fruit Extract (40mg)
GNC Probiotic Solutions Sport – 25 Billion CFUs
Beneficial Gut Bacteria
- Lactobacillus Acidophilus
- Bifidobacterium Bifidum
- Bifidobacterium Animalis
Other Beneficial Ingredients
- L-Glutamine (150mg)
- Ancient Peat & Apple Extract (150mg)
- Protease Enzyme Blend (120mg)
GNC Probiotic Solutions Prenatal – 20 Billion CFUs*
Beneficial Gut Bacteria
- Lactobacillus Rhamnosus
- Bifidobacterium Animalis
GNC Probiotic Solutions Energy – 25 Billion CFUs
Beneficial Gut Bacteria
- Lactobacillus Acidophilus
- Bifidobacterium Bifidum
- Bifidobacterium Animalis
Other Beneficial Ingredients
- Various vitamins and minerals
- Enzyme Support Blend (130mg)
- Antioxidant Support Blend (205mg)
GNC Probiotic Solutions has a few probiotic strains not found in the GNC Probiotic Complex line. Here’s how these gut bacteria can help you.
| Beneficial Gut Bacteria | Benefits |
| Lactobacillus Gasseri | Beneficial for weight loss and obesity as well as immune system support. |
| Lactobacillus Paracasei | Boosts immunity, helps digestion, and also in alleviating allergies. |
| Lactobacillus Casei | Helps with antibiotic-associated diarrhea, constipation, as well as depressive symptoms. |
| Lactobacillus Fermentum | Increases nutrient bioavailability, lower cholesterol, and boosts immunity. |
| Bifidobacterium Lactis | Provides constipation relief and helps with fat loss. |
| Bifidobacterium Breve | Helps with both digestive and skin health. |
| Pediococcus Pentosaceus | A relatively new strain with probiotic properties. |
Most of the products within the GNC Probiotic Solutions line also contain other beneficial ingredients. The most common are fruit and root extracts, digestive enzymes (to boost probiotic effectiveness), and even multivitamins.
Price Per Serving
*Denotes two capsules per serving.
So Many Options but Which to Choose? See Our Top Picks Here
GNC has an extensive line of probiotic products, and with 16 different products to choose from, it can be hard to pick one. You may have looked at all the information presented above and still asked yourself “So which one do I choose?”
Well, after extensive analysis of the beneficial ingredients and prices of GNC’s probiotic supplements range, here are our top picks.
Best Overall GNC Probiotic Supplement
The winner for this category would have to go to GNC Probiotic Solutions Immune Support– 25 Billion CFUs. The reason we chose this product as our top overall choice is the sheer amount of probiotic strains it contains; 16 of them!
We know that probiotics are more effective in groups and that each strain can have differing benefits. By packing this product with so many different strains at once, we feel that this is definitely the best overall choice.
Its price per serving, at $0.90 for 25 Billion CFUs, while not the cheapest, falls somewhere in the middle range which is reasonable. We also note that it has the lowest price per serving out of all the GNC Probiotic Solutions series, even though it has the highest number of strains!
Best GNC Probiotic Supplement for Weight Loss
Some of the most interesting applications of probiotics research has been the role that gut bacteria plays in weight management. The research has shown that the gut bacteria that are probably the most beneficial for weight management and combating obesity are Bifidobacterium Lactis, Lactobacillus Gasseri, and Lactobacillus Rhamnosus.
Hence, the best GNC Probiotic Supplement for Weight Loss is also GNC Probiotic Solutions Multi-Strain – 25 Billion CFUs! It is the only product on this list that contains all three strains. While GNC does have a probiotic advertised specifically for weight loss, it does not contain all three strains and only adds in caffeine for a thermogenic effect. You can easily get your caffeine anywhere else if you wish.
Best Value for Money GNC Probiotic Supplement for Daily Use
If you are on a tight budget, then the best choice for you would be GNC Probiotic Complex – 50 Billion CFUs. While it’s per serving cost seems on the high side at $1.08, when considering how much it would cost to get 50 billion CFUs from the other products, you will find that this is actually the top value for money option.
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Last updated: December 16, 2019
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