Looking for a high-quality probiotic supplement can be a little difficult in the ever expanding market of probiotics. Budget, brand, effectiveness and variety are just some of the factors that go into making an informed purchase. To help you with this, we’ve reviewed one of the top probiotic supplements on the health and wellness market – Pro45 Probiotic by Livewell Labs.
We’re going to tell you who Livewell labs are, what customers think of the product and what’s actually inside the bottle so that you can figure out if this is the probiotic product for you.
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are good bacteria that hang out in your small and large intestines assisting with bodily functions that are essential to great health. You can have trillions of good and bad bacteria contained in your gut – the aim is to have the good outweigh the bad. If your gut is balanced correctly, these are just a few of the health benefits probiotics can provide:
- Producing essential vitamins like A, K and B1
- Responsible for around 70% of the body’s immune response
- Maintaining urinary, vaginal and colon health
- Managing and reducing symptoms of various conditions/infections like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Crohn’s, diarrhea and eczema
- Improve cognitive function, decrease brain fog and help prevent mental illness in both the long and short term
Healthy bacteria can be found in a lot of fermented food and drinks, but the easiest and most convenient way to get your daily dose of probiotics is by investing in a high quality probiotic supplement. Preferably one that also contains prebiotics, which are basically what fuels probiotics and helps them function optimally.
Who are Livewell Labs?
LiveWell Labs’ headquarters is located in Burbank, California and all of their products are manufactured in the USA. Their website doesn’t have a lot of information about their origins or any experts they may have working within the company, however, it does show an emphasis on their passion for everyone to live a holistic life at their full potential. They aim for transparency when it comes to labelling, product potency and ingredient potency, and place a high importance on creating natural, effective products in the vitamin, protein and probiotic categories.
Active strains in Pro45 Probiotic
LiveWell labs have combined 11 different beneficial and clinically studied strains of acid and bile-resistant probiotic with a prebiotic fibre in a vegetarian, delayed-release capsule that will colonise your gut and help you to live a balanced, “awakened” life – according to their website.
There’s 45 billion colony forming units (CFU) in each bottle, basically, that’s how many viable beneficial bacteria are contained in this probiotic. 45 billion CFU definitely isn’t the highest count on the market but it’s a great amount for the consumer to feel some real health benefits. We’re going to take a look at what goes into making a product like this and how each ingredient can benefit you.
Bifidobacterium lactis 13.5 Billion – As one of the most common and powerful probiotics, this strain is able to fight tumours, improve immune response, and reduce the risk of obesity by reducing total cholesterol. It’s a great strain to have when trying to achieve a full spectrum of health benefits. B. lactis has also been known to assist with Celiac disease symptoms, normalising blood sugars and bowel movements, combating allergies, and more.
Lactobacillus acidophilus – 13.5 Billion – This strain of probiotic produces lactic acid. It does so by making an enzyme called lactase which breaks down lactose – the sugar found in milk. This mainly assists those who are lactose intolerant to combat their symptoms but L.acidophilus may also help with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), aid in recovery from bacterial vaginosis and recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis, and chronic fatigue syndrome. This is another highly potent strain that is essential for receiving a great mix of health benefits from your probiotic supplement.
Bifidobacterium longum 3.6 Billion – This strain is another that helps to break down the sugars in your food so they become lactic acid, helping to regulate the pH of the intestines. It’s also a strain that is known for being able to survive harsh, acidic conditions better than others. B.longum assists with boosting the immune system especially in the elderly and newborns, reducing symptoms of Crohn’s disease, reducing inflammation and total cholesterol.
Bifidobacterium bifidum 3.6 Billion – B.bifidum is one of the most common strains of probiotic in your body, generally found in the lower small intestine, colon, breast milk, and healthy vaginal flora. This strain produces a natural antibiotic substance that actually kills bad bacteria specifically, so it’s an excellent addition to any probiotic supplement. It’s also known to be able to populate the gut with healthy bacteria without any adverse effects.
Lactobacillus plantarum 3.6 Billion – Known for its toughness, this strain is able to survive tough conditions and harsh environments inside the body, tolerating acid and bile very well. It’s even been shown that L.plantarum can withstand some antibiotic treatment – an ability that isn’t very common for probiotics. This strain is also excellent for your immune system as it aggressively attacks harmful organisms and speeds up your healing process, it’s also great for your cognitive health.
Lactobacillus casei 3.6 Billion – L.casei is most commonly used to prevent and treat diarrhea, including traveller’s diarrhea, infectious diarrhea, and diarrhea induced by antibiotic use. Apart from that, this strain helps to reduce symptoms of IBS, constipation, lactose intolerance and assist with breaking down nutrients so your body can utilise them better. Overall, this is a great strain to include in this supplement for some serious digestive benefits.
Lactobacillus gasseri 1 Billion – This strain is known for its ability to fight obesity, supplementation has been shown to reduce weight in patients, with waist and hip measurements decreasing within just a few weeks without the help of lifestyle or dietary changes. It’s also been suggested that this probiotic may have a positive effect on metabolic disorders in those with overweight tendencies. Tests on mice have even concluded that L.gasseri was having an anti-weight gain and cholesterol-lowering effect on the test subjects, which is very encouraging.
Lactobacillus salivarius 1 Billion – Aptly named, L.salivarius is mostly found in the saliva and has many benefits for your oral health. Decreasing plaque in the mouth, reducing the sensitivity of your gums and keeping your breath fresh are just a few of the benefits. It’s also effective for the oral health of smokers, helping to lower their plaque levels even more so than in non-smokers.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus 1 Billion – L.rhamnosus is a strain of probiotic that has a powerful ability to adhere itself stubbornly to the mucus in the gut, allowing it to populate and persist in harsh conditions. Amazingly, it also produces a biofilm that protects the lining of the gut, making it a great protective and hardy strain to include in the Pro45 mix.
Lactobacillus bulgaricus 1 Billion – This probiotic was named when a Russian scientist, Ilya Metchinkoff, linked the longevity of the Bulgarian people to this strain. They were consuming it in their sour milk and fermented foods and it was having a powerful effect in maintaining their healthy immune systems. It is one of the lesser known strains but, nonetheless, still very important and beneficial.
Lactospore® (Bacillus coagulans) 1 Billion – This is a genetically manufactured strain of B.coagulans which has been optimised for surviving and populating in the gut. Generally, the B.coagulans strain is already quite a tough probiotic and has been known to assist with constipation, IBS, and arthritis, among others.
NutraFlora® Prebiotic Fiber 100 mg – This particular type of prebiotic is a form of short-chain fructooligosaccharide and is one of the most effective prebiotics on the market right now. It’s an excellent addition to this supplement as it will boost the function of the probiotics contained in it, essentially feeding them to ensure they’re optimised in the gut.
Other ingredients and allergen info
A great sign that you’ve found a high quality, effective product is when they contain minimal fillers and other ingredients apart from their active ones. Pro45 only has a couple extra ingredients, which are explained briefly below.
- Long grain rice flour – This is a harmless filler that helps to lengthen product shelf life.
- Vegetable cellulose – This is what the casing on the capsules is made from. Vegetable cellulose is generally made from the trunks of pine and spruce trees, is vegetarian, has no known health risks, is 100% natural and non-toxic.
Pro45 is also soy-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, preservative-free, non-GMO and vegan.
Pricing and returns
The great thing about Pro45 is that you only need to take 1 capsule a day, however, the product is on the more expensive side. 1 bottle will set you back $35 and last you around a month, so it’s one of the more expensive probiotic supplements on the market. You can get a discount if you buy in bulk, though, here’s the breakdown:
- 1 bottle for $35 ($1.16 per capsule)
- 3 bottles for $32 each ($1.06 per capsule)
- 6 bottles for $29 each (97 cents per capsule)
Livewell Labs also have free shipping on their products at the time of writing, so you’ll be saving a few dollars there. Returns are possible with their satisfaction guarantee and will be offered up to 365 days after you make your purchase. Refunds on opened, partially used, or empty bottles is limited to a maximum of 2 bottles, though, and there’s a 15% return processing fee that will be deducted from the total refund amount. It doesn’t look like they’ll cover the return shipping, either. Additionally, you do need to call them to initiate the return, it can’t be done via email – which is a bit of a hassle.
What customers are saying…
With a 4.5/5 star rating on Amazon from over 2,200 reviewers, this product means business. Here’s a few of the main themes of customer reviews for Pro45:
- Pro45 is most effective when taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach
- Helps with digestive (cramps, bloating, etc.) and immune issues, improvements seen within just a couple days
- Can be quite harsh for beginners, digestive discomfort may be experienced within the first couple weeks of use and some users have to discontinue use due to this
- Those who experience health benefits and are satisfied with Pro45 mention that it’s an inexpensive product for the results that it produces
Overall, customers are really impressed with Pro45. We haven’t taken into account the reviews on their Livewell official product page as we were wanting to remain as unbiased as possible.
Summary of Pro45 Probiotic by Livewell Labs
All in all, Pro45 Probiotic by Livewell Labs seems to be an all-round solid probiotic supplement. Here’s our favourite features:
- 11 different strains of probiotic for a variety of health benefits
- Prebiotic included to boost probiotic function
- 1 capsule daily serving for convenience
- Good returns policy (although a little complicated)
- Soy-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, preservative-free, non-GMO and vegan
- Minimal fillers
- 45 billion CFU
Although this is an expensive product, it covers a lot of bases when it comes to probiotic health benefits and includes some of the most beneficial strains on the market that have already been clinically studied – so you know they’re going to work.
Many customers mention that this probiotic is quite strong, so it might be more suited to someone who’s been taking probiotics for a while. If you’re new to the probiotic world, you may notice some digestive discomfort within the first few weeks of use. This should ease after a couple weeks, be sure to discontinue use and consult your doctor if it doesn’t, though.
Adele Taylor
Writer, Product Tester.
Adele is a budding content writer with a passion for all things health and fitness related. In her time off Adele enjoys reading, travelling and exploring Sydney’s culinary delights.
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