The 8 best vegan probiotic supplements (tested)

If the thought of shovelling vats of vegan kimchi, miso soup and sauerkraut down your gob doesn’t quite appeal, then you may be very interested to discover these vegan probiotic supplements which are jam-packed full of friendly and good bacteria.

These get delivered to your gut without the need for any fermented foods to ever enter your mouth. But if you do enjoy fermented foods (like me!), then you’ll love that these supplements help to give your gut that extra much-needed boost of the good stuff.

For me, it seems that I’d need to eat fermented probiotic-packed foods in literally every meal I eat in order to reap the benefits long-term. Maybe that’s because my gut issues are pretty severe, which considering how much I’ve tormented it over the years with bad diets, booze, and medicine, comes as no surprise to me at all.

So, whichever boat you find yourself in, I am here to tell you that there is a vegan probiotic supplement out there to save you from gut hell. I have been testing out all the options to see if they have any positive effects on my IBS and the acid reflux this triggers. And I must say, the results have been interesting. So, make sure to read on to discover the probiotics that actually worked for my gut and how each of them has helped me!

What are probiotic supplements?

Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that promote a healthy gut microbiome. These can be present in fermented foods like tempeh, kimchi and miso. But you can also find them packaged inside convenient supplements.

You get a mix of probiotic supplements with many of them coming in tablet or pill form. You are now starting to see more powdered options available, as well as water-based supplements.

They can help to replenish and support the natural balance of bacteria in your digestive tract, promoting a healthy gut microbiome. This can have various benefits, including improved digestion, enhanced nutrient absorption, and strengthened immune function.

Find out more in my guide: Do probiotics work?

Who should take probiotics?

Everyone should look to include either a wide range of fermented foods in their diet or take regular probiotic supplements. Without the regular introduction of good bacteria into our guts we will likely start to experience gut issues. Here are some signs that you may need to take probiotic supplements:

• You are experiencing digestive issues like regular bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhoea, or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• You have recently been on a course of antibiotics and you experienced stomach pain (antibiotics are designed to kill bacteria – see scientific source)
• You have a weakened immune system and find yourself getting ill quite regularly
• You suffer from skin conditions like acne, eczema, or psoriasis
• You struggle with mental health issues like anxiety, stress and depression

Please note that whilst many of these issues can be improved by taking vegan probiotic supplements, your gut health may not be the trigger or root cause. If you are experiencing any ongoing health issues you should talk to your doctor.

Are all probiotics vegan?

It all depends on where the bacteria are grown. For instance, it is very common to see probiotics that have been grown on dairy-based products like milk and yoghurt. This can then either be sold within the food that it grew on or placed within a supplement. Whilst the former is obviously not vegan, it can be difficult to know by looking at a probiotic supplement as to what it was fermented with. Therefore, you will need to check the packaging for information on the particular strains of bacteria used.

Fortunately, many probiotic supplement companies will label their products quite clearly to state whether they are vegan or not. And in my experience, most supplements are suitable for vegans. On top of this, I am seeing many more plant-based dairy products with probiotics inside.

Here are the best vegan probiotic supplements

These are all vegan probiotics that have worked for me. I have made sure to try out and test all of these because as an IBS sufferer, I know just how difficult it is trying to find suitable products that actually help alleviate symptoms.

Best long-term results

Symprove

Ingredients: 10 billion CFU from 4 strains
Packaging: Recyclable plastic bottle
Form: Liquid

Symprove is a water-based food supplement that is packed full of live bacteria that thanks to being in a liquid form gets delivered directly to your gut without being digested in the stomach beforehand. You may notice that Symprove doesn’t advertise their product as a probiotic, but as it does contain live bacteria it can be considered a ‘probiotic’. They just don’t name it as such due to European food law.

Out of all the companies providing bacteria-based supplements, they are probably the ones putting the most time and money into scientific research behind their product. This is why you’ll see their supplement used in many studies related to gut health. But this does seem to come at a price, this probiotic supplement is the most expensive.

If you want to find out more about Symprove, then make sure to read my full Symprove review.

How Symprove has helped me

I took Symprove for the suggested 12-week course, taking a shot every morning 10 minutes before consuming any food or drink. In the first 4 weeks, I actually saw the most changes in my gut.

At first, I found that I was becoming more able to tolerate certain trigger foods, like bread. I still had some side effects, but they definitely weren’t as severe. After that, I stopped getting abdominal pain and spasms. And shortly after, my bloating improved.

The next few months were also smooth sailing and nearly enough all of my symptoms disappeared altogether. It was almost as if I no longer had IBS – what magic! So, whilst it is on the more pricey side of things it actually works and it works really amazingly well. I continue taking this for 12-week periods throughout the year, to keep on top of things.

Best option with prebiotics & postbiotics

Ritual

Bacteria: 11 billion CFU from 2 strains
Packaging: Recycled plastic pill bottle that is recyclable
Form: Delayed-release capsule

Ritual is a fully vegan health and wellness company specialising in a range of supplements, including multivitamins, plant-based protein powders, and Synbiotic+ which is a prebiotic, probiotic, and postbiotic all rolled into one.

It looks very different to other capsule-based probiotics that you may be used to. This is because the capsule shell itself is delayed-release and a lot sturdier. Inside the capsule, you will see the liquid postbiotic, which helps to maintain the healthy bacteria left in your gut after the work of the probiotics is over. And then you will also see another capsule inside of this, which houses the prebiotics and probiotics.

Because of all their hard work put into creating the capsule correctly, everything inside gets delivered to your colon, not your stomach. They have proven this with multiple studies that they share on their website.

If you want to find out more about Ritual then read my Ritual review.

How Ritual has helped me

I took Ritual’s Synbiotic+ every morning with my breakfast. The mint flavour really helped to make it a pleasant experience, although it may not complement the food that you eat before or after. But you can also take this probiotic without food if you want.

After taking the capsules I didn’t feel any negative side effects and they appeared to digest well. Sometimes I can get stomach aches from taking pills, but this didn’t happen at all.

A few weeks in I found my gut to be in a really positive space. I was hardly bloating, even after some big trigger foods like oily pasta dishes and vegan pizza. In the run-up to taking these, I was also getting a lot of abdominal pains again along with some spasms in my side, these all went after 2 weeks of taking Synbiotic+.

Best for quick bloating relief

Wild Dose

Bacteria: 1 billion CFU from 3 strains
Packaging: Plastic pill packets but they also sell in glass jars
Form: Capsule

This fun and exciting brand was created by fellow bloater, Charles Instone. He concocted these anti-bloating capsules made using a unique blend of clinically proven probiotics, digestive enzymes and herbal extracts. They all work together to eliminate bloating, reduce gas, and give your tummy some much-needed love and attention.

It is different to many other vegan probiotics you can buy because it works faster to debloat. Results can be seen in just 30 minutes, and long-term benefits can be enjoyed when they are taken daily. This is thanks to the enzymes and plant extracts they mix into the probiotic.

Considering how affordable these are, with 20 capsules starting from £8.50, you really can take these on a long-term basis. If you want to find out more about Wild Dose then read my Wild Dose review.

How Wild Dose has helped me

I decided the best way to test out their short-term claims would be to try out taking some before my biggest trigger dinner – vegan burger and chips. Without fail, I’d get spasms in my right abdomen, instant bloating, and acid reflux straight after eating this dinner. Not to mention all the nasty side effects later on. But this time, the only thing I experienced was a minor cough straight after eating. And that was it.

It is safe to say that I was pretty much in awe of these capsules, so I began taking them more regularly to see if they’d help long-term. The results continued to impress as my bloating decreased significantly, even throughout my period!

Interestingly, my acid reflux symptoms have also been massively reduced. So, either these things are magic, or they have just really got their ingredients right.

I continue taking these anti-bloating pills whenever I am due to eat something that my stomach may not like. It definitely eases the bloat!

Best eco-friendly packaging

Ethical Nutrition

Bacteria: 50 billion CFU from 4 strains
Packaging: Glass jar and aluminium lid
Form: Capsule

If all the plastic and bioplastics that are used to package supplements bother you as much as it does me, then you’ll love Ethical Nutrition, one of my favourite supplement brands. You can find out more about why I love them here in my Ethical Nutrition review.

All of their supplements come packaged in recyclable paper-based pouches and a few come packaged inside a dark amber glass jar with an aluminium lid, like their probiotic.

It doesn’t stop there though, because their probiotic supplement contains a high dose of bacteria from 4 different strains. They are free from fillers, gluten and any allergen-containing ingredients.

How Ethical Nutrition has helped me

Unlike the other probiotic supplements, Ethical Nutrition has split its daily serving into two daily capsules. You can take these at the same time with food but I decided to split mine up so I would take one with breakfast and another with dinner.

I found this really helped my stomach stay happy and healthy throughout the day. Probably because there were more opportunities throughout the day for the friendly bacteria to reach my gut.

In the short term, I found these to reduce bloating and excess gas and in the long term, they really helped with my abdominal pains. The capsules were quite slimline and really easy to take, plus they digested well with each meal.

I would definitely recommend these supplements to anyone who is looking for an eco-friendly alternative that is still effective with a high dose of bacteria!

Best quantity of bacteria

DR.VEGAN

Bacteria: 50 billion CFU from 6 strains
Packaging: Compostable pouch (not home compostable)
Form: Capsule

This fully vegan supplement brand has made vitamin shopping much much easier for vegans. They have a large range of supplements on offer, including their vegan probiotic supplement – Gut Works. You can read more about their other vitamins on my full DR.VEGAN review – I definitely recommend checking out their vegan omega-3 supplement.

Their probiotic has the most bacteria per serving of all the brands mentioned here, with 50 billion CFU made up of 6 different strains.

They send their supplements in eco-friendly packaging which you can decant into your reusable tin. DR.VEGAN do state that their packaging is plastic-free and compostable, but they actually use bioplastics which whilst being compostable, aren’t home compostable.

How DR.VEGAN Gut Works has helped me

Much like Symprove, DR.VEGAN’s probiotics are supposed to help long-term so I started to take it every day to see if it would relieve my symptoms over a period of a few months. During this time I ate a lot of my trigger foods, including sugary gluten-based foods like doughnuts.

I found that at the beginning I would get the usual symptoms, including gas, bloating, and spasms. But over time I found these lessened and I was quite comfortable after eating. This allowed me to eat out a lot more regularly without feeling like I needed to get home, quickly.

It is definitely a lot more affordable, especially when you sign up for a monthly subscription. And it is great that you can pick up your other vitamins and supplements at the same time! But I didn’t find it as effective as Symprove long-term.

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Best number of bacteria strains

Feel

Bacteria: 10 billion CFU from 13 Bacteria Strains
Packaging: Glass jar and aluminium lid
Form: Capsule

Feel is a fully vegan health and wellness brand supplying a wide range of plant-based supplements, including vegan omega-3, multivitamins, protein powder, and more recently, a vegan probiotic!

Their probiotic, the Daily Biotic, comes in a glass jar with an aluminium lid, making it really easy to recycle. When shopping for this probiotic on their website, they include links to many scientific studies which I find to be very useful!

Inside the capsules, they pack 10 billion CFU and 14 different strains of live cultures. This is mixed with a prebiotic fibre which aids digestion. On the biotic product page, they go into loads of detail about each of the strains and how they help your gut.

How Feel Daily Biotic has helped me

I took one capsule a day with food and after just a few weeks I started to feel the positive effects of this probiotic. The capsule itself is quite small so I found it very easy to take and it digested well without any issues.

My bloating throughout the day had reduced and only really happened when I ate my big trigger foods. It was nice to have periods of time when I could feel fully comfortable. Now I can address the trigger foods that are still causing slight bloating.

Feel also added a prebiotic fibre, Acacia, into their probiotic capsule. I believe this has helped my overall digestion. When I eat meals I find myself being less uncomfortable as my food is digested.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a wider range of live cultures in their vegan probiotic supplement. But it is also on the more pricey side of things, especially if you don’t subscribe.

Get 20% off with code: PARTNER20

Best affordable option

Vitl

Bacteria: 14 billion CFU from 9 strains
Packaging: Glass jar & plastic lid
Form: Capsule

Vitl is a tailor-made vitamin brand specialising in nutrition tests which you can take from your own home. On top of their personalised supplement range, they have a great variety of affordable supplements including their vegan-friendly probiotic, the Daily Biotic.

It comes packaged inside a glass jar which can be recycled. But it does have a plastic lid which is easy to recycle.

Their affordability doesn’t stop them from packing in a whole 14 billion CFU from 9 different strains of live bacteria. I like how they go into more detail about each strain on their product page.

How Vitl Daily Biotic has helped me

I took one Vitl probiotic every morning with my breakfast. After just a few weeks I found I wasn’t bloating after eating, especially after breakfast which is normally a difficult time for my stomach.

I found the capsule really easy to swallow and digest. And it caused no stomach issues in the process. I also found the probiotics helped my GERD, meaning less coughing after eating and fewer general indigestion issues throughout the day.

I would recommend these vegan-friendly probiotics to anyone who is looking to help their gut but is on a bit of a budget!

Best powder

Biomel

Bacteria: 25 billion CFU from 13 strains
Packaging: Compostable packaging (not home compostable)
Form: Powder

Biomel is a fully vegan gut health brand. They have a range of probiotic drinks that you may well have spotted in a few different supermarkets and shops.

Their Complete Gut powder contains a unique blend of good bacteria and yeast strains specifically formulated to support gut health and overall wellness. It includes 25 billion CFU from 13 different strains of bacteria. They say this helps to increase the diversity of good bacteria in the gut.

Their probiotic supplement comes in powder form. Meaning you can sprinkle it on top of your morning cereal or blend it into your smoothie. This then helps to deliver the probiotics to your gut.

How Biomel Complete Gut has helped me

I have been sprinkling Biomel’s Complete Gut powder onto my coconut yoghurt in the morning. It blends so well into liquids that you’d never know it is there. I find this has really helped to get my gut working properly first thing in the morning.

Whenever I have felt any bloating throughout the day I have made myself a quick smoothie, sometimes even a vegan protein shake, and have added a spoonful of this powder into it. I have found it helps reduce bloating pretty soon after.

I really like how easy it is to incorporate this powdered probiotic into your day-to-day life. It even comes in a few different flavours which can help to compliment the smoothie or food you add it in to.