(Last Updated on November 9, 2022)
Don’t confuse prebiotics for their cousin, probiotics.
Rather than introducing new gut bacteria, prebiotics are fibrous supplements that fuel your gut bugs from the inside.
They provide a healthy environment for your internal bacteria to thrive in.
Since so much research has come out about the benefits of a healthy gut, prebiotics are necessary elements to our well-being.
Prebiotics are naturally found in foods such as garlic and bananas, but it’s difficult to eat enough to have a meaningful effect.
Taking supplemental prebiotics can help any probiotics flourish as well.
We’re here to recommend our top three prebiotic supplements to keep you healthy, wealthy, and wise.
Features of Best Prebiotics
Every supplement should be third-party tested.
If you’re going to put anything in your body, you should make sure it’s been checked for quality.
As supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA, third-party companies do the job for you.
The best prebiotics come from companies who practice third-party lab testing.
Other than that, to get the most out of your prebiotic supplement, you’re going to want something derived from whole foods, ideally in a pill or capsule for direct digestion.
The best prebiotic supplements contain inulin and fructooligosaccharides (FOS), soluble fibers from chicory root.
This one-two punch passes through the stomach undigested, accessing the bacterial environment in the colon directly.
Top-Rated Prebiotic Supplements
1. Performance Lab Prebiotic
Performance Lab tops the list of best prebiotics for its impressive ability to recreate supplemental prebiotics as bioavailable as real food.
Their plant-based, vegan supplements support your intestinal microbiome through a potent combo of inulin and FOS.
Not only that, Performance Lab’s specific blend targets Bifidobacterium, a probiotic known to optimize digestion and metabolic health.
Ingredients
Performance Lab Prebiotic is 100% a blend of inulin and FOS.
Known as Orafti® Synergy1, they derive their proprietary blend from chicory root.
With one long-chain and one short-chain molecule, these two fibers tackle digestive health from multiple sides.
How does it work?
Inulin-FOS shoots through the stomach and small intestine to reach Bifidobacterium in your large intestine.
This prebiotic essentially fertilizes the microflora in your intestinal lining to keep the probiotic bacteria at optimal performance.
From there, Bifidobacterium does its thing to beat bad bacteria and improve health.
Each and every supplement out of Performance Lab is laboratory tested for quality and safety.
With no additives or synthetics, Performance Lab Prebiotic is the closest thing you can get to real food prebiotics, if not better.
Benefits
- Contains premium Inulin FOS, the most effective prebiotic fiber.
- Nourishes existing gut microbiome rather than introducing multiple probiotic strains.
- Supports digestive regularity, comfort and nutrient absorption.
- Promotes healthy immune system performance in the GI tract.
- Helps with weight by promoting satiety and reducing food caloric density.
- Third-party tested by UL and other labs.
2. Dr Tobias Prebiotic
Named after Dr. Tobias Ihde, a German sport scientist known for health, Dr. Tobias Prebiotic supports the balance of your microflora by nourishing your good bacteria.
While they leave out the FOS typical of strong prebiotics, this prebiotic is a great option for anyone with stomach sensitivity to fructooligosaccharides.
It’s made in a GMP certified facility to ensure third-party testing for quality.
Ingredients
Dr. Tobias Prebiotics include a blend of plant fibers designed to stimulate natural digestion.
Unlike most prebiotics, this supplement also features prebiotic bacteriophages.
Their PreforPro®, bacteriophage attacks e.Coli strains of bacteria to remove the bad guys.
How does it work?
While the plant fibers support good bacteria, their bacteriophage destroys the bad bacteria.
These two work in tandem to fuel probiotics in the gut.
If taken with probiotics, these prebiotics double the strength of good gut health.
Benefits
- Supports elimination of bloating, stomach discomfort and diarrhea.
- Supports your floral balance by feeding healthy bacteria and targeting the bad. Effective on its own or enhanced when paired with probiotics.
- Prebiotics and probiotics are essential for your gut health and immune system.
3. Hyperbiotics Organic Prebiotic Powder
Finally, Hyperbiotics Organic Prebiotic Powder brings an alternative twist to the traditional capsule form.
While this might affect digestion, it’s specifically made for sensitive stomachs.
Their Acacia Fiber is designed to slow fermentation and gently nourish your gut microbiome.
Ingredients
This prebiotic contains inulin, FOS, and another soluble fiber called resistant starch.
- Organic acacia fiber ferments slowly to encourage Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli.
- Organic Jerusalem artichoke fiber is mostly inulin, an insoluble fiber that supports your digestive tract.
- Organic green banana flour brings the resistant starch, also known as insoluble fiber.
All three combine as great options for your gut environment.
How does it work?
This specific blend is designed to reach the end of your intestinal tract and completely cover your microbiome.
By supporting Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, they fertilize the lawn of your gut to keep it running smoothly.
As such, the gut bacteria can ramp up your immune system and aid digestive health.
Hyperbiotics prebiotic powder is completely organic and food-based, mimicking the artichoke, acacia, and bananas its nutrients stem from.
While not in a pill, you can add this powder to smoothies and foods for an extra benefit.
Benefits
- Prebiotics are to probiotics what fertilizer is to a garden: they are the specific fibers that support your healthy bacteria and help them “set up shop” and thrive within your digestive tract.
- Nurturing the right balance of microbes in our digestive tract through prebiotic foods supports digestive and immune function, healthy weight management, energy levels, brain function, and mental clarity.
- Hyperbiotics Prebiotic Powder is a proprietary blend that is designed with sensitive stomachs in mind.
Summary
While prebiotics emerged a little after the probiotic craze, soluble and insoluble fibers have long been facets of important gut health.
Supplemental prebiotics target specific probiotics and gut bacteria that are critical to digestive system health.
Our top three prebiotic supplements list breaks down the best options and helps you make an informed choice.
It was tough competition, but Performance Lab Prebiotic emerged as the winner.
It’s innovative way to recreate biologically identical inulin-FOS in a plant-based, non-GMO and vegan capsule tops the prebiotic supplement field.