Envive Probiotic Review: Pros, Cons, Effectiveness, and Safety

What Is Envive Probiotic?

Envive Probiotic is a daily probiotic supplement that claims to strengthen and protect the digestive system.

Digestive symptoms are often the result of dysbiosis, the imbalance of bacteria within your digestive tract.

Probiotics can promote a healthy balance of gut bacteria to reduce common digestive symptoms and have also been linked to far-reaching health benefits. (1)

Envive contains a proprietary blend of five probiotic strains intended to relieve common digestive symptoms, including gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and discomfort.

The product was developed by Salix Pharmaceuticals, one of the largest gastroenterology-focused pharmaceutical companies in the world.

Evaluation of Ingredients

Envive Daily Probiotic provides a proprietary blend of five different probiotics strains and 12 billion colony forming units (CFUs). These strains include:

• Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07
• Bifidobacterium lactis BI-04
• Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM
• Lactobacillus paracasei Lpc-37
• Bifidobacterium lactis HN019

Specific strains of probiotics appear to help with specific digestive symptoms. Below are common digestive symptoms and how the particular strains in Envive may help.

Bloating

The research surrounding the use of Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07 and Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM appears promising for reducing bloating.

One older study looked at the effectiveness of L. acidophilus NCFM and B. lactis Bi-07 in patients with bloating. (2)

Participants took a probiotic containing both strains twice a day for eight weeks. Those in the probiotic group showed significant improvement in bloating severity, while the placebo group did not.

Constipation

The probiotic strain B. lactis HN019 appears to help alleviate constipation.

One recent clinical trial found that taking a probiotic supplement containing B. lactis HN019 for 28 days increased bowel movement regularity and eased constipation. (3)

Gas

There is evidence that certain probiotic strains may help keep gas-forming bacteria under control.

One study assessed the effectiveness of B. lactis HN019 supplementation on gastrointestinal symptoms in adults. (4)

Researchers found that B. lactis HN019 helped improve symptoms of constipation and reduced gas in study participants.

One recent clinical trial found that a two-strain mixture of L. acidophilus helped reduce gas associated with irritable bowel syndrome. (5)

In the study, 80 participants were given either a two-strain mixture of L. acidophilus or a placebo for eight weeks. These specific probiotics strains significantly decreased the amount and severity of gas.

Diarrhea

Taking a probiotic supplement may help prevent certain types of diarrhea and help treat diarrhea by correcting imbalances of gut bacteria.

One study looked at the use of four probiotic strains in reducing gastrointestinal symptoms in patients taking antibiotics. (6)

These strains included L. acidophilus NCFM, L. paracasei Lpc-37, B. lactis Bi-07, and B. lactis Bl-04, identical to the strains used in Envive.

Researchers found that incidences of abdominal pain and bloating were lower, and diarrhea duration decreased with this probiotic blend.

These study results led researchers to conclude that this four probiotic combination appears to lower the risk of diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms in patients taking antibiotics.

One 2015 study found that B. lactis has gut-protective qualities and significantly reduced the severity and frequency of diarrhea in children. (7)

Digestive Discomfort

One recent study evaluated a probiotic blend containing lactobacilli and bifidobacteria for adults’ bloating, constipation, and digestive discomfort. (8)

Researchers found that people experienced less bloating, constipation, and digestive discomfort in the probiotic group versus the placebo group.

Substantial evidence supports claims that the specific strains in Envive Daily Probiotic Supplement can help relieve common digestive symptoms and discomfort, such as gas, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation.

Side Effects, Safety, and Dosage

The manufacturers of Envive recommend taking one capsule daily, with or without food.

The National Institutes of Health report that there have been very few adverse side effects from taking probiotics. (9)

On occasion, side effects of probiotics may result in mild gastrointestinal symptoms, including bloating and gas. (10)

Probiotics are generally safe to take. However, according to the National Institutes of Health, probiotics are problematic for people with severe illness or compromised immune systems. (11)

Cost and Where to Buy

Envive Daily Probiotic Supplement can be purchased through the website for $29.99 or Amazon for $18.72 for a 1-month supply.

This is a very reasonable price considering the research that supports Envive’s various health claims.

However, it is essential to note that this proprietary blend does not specify precisely how much of each strain you’re getting.

This makes it difficult to analyze whether each strain is balanced enough to achieve the intended results. For this reason, the cost may not be entirely worth it to some consumers because you do not know exactly what you’re paying for.

Buy Envive on Amazon

How Envive Probiotic Compares to Alternatives

If you have ever visited the digestive health aisle at any health food store, you have seen how many different probiotics exist.

It can be hard to evaluate all of these products and the bacterial strains they contain without doing prior research on what to look for.

There are several brands, like Envive that focus on providing specific strains for digestive health.

Nature Made Digestive Probiotics Ultra Strength 12 Strain Capsules is another shelf-stable probiotic that is similar to Envive.

The product provides 30 billion CFUs of 12 probiotic strains, including many of the same strains in Envive that help support healthy gut flora.

Nature Made’s product provides more CFUs than Envive and is similar in price at $25 for a 25-day supply on Amazon.

Nature’s Way Fortify Daily Probiotic also provides similar strains of probiotics as Envive.

The product contains 30 billion live cultures to help prevent occasional gas, bloating, and constipation and promote overall digestive balance.

The product is less expensive than Envive and can be purchased on Amazon for $17 for a 1-month supply.

Thorne FloraSport 20B is another probiotic that contains almost identical strains as Envive. These strains include B. lactis BI-04, B. lactis Bi-07, L. acidophilus, and L. paracasei Lpc-27.

Thorne’s product provides more CFUs (20 billion) and is also third-party tested. However, the product is also more expensive at $33.00 per month.

Envive’s formulary is proprietary, meaning that the exact amounts of each strain are unknown.

While many probiotic options on the market provide similar strains, a blend like Thorne’s is optimal as they provide information regarding the exact amount of each strain.

Additionally, Thorne’s product is third-party tested, so you know exactly what you are paying for.

See Also: Best Probiotics of 2022, According to Dietitians

The Bottom Line

Envive Daily Probiotic contains evidence-based strains to help support digestive health.

The research regarding their specific strains is there, but it should give you pause anytime you see a proprietary blend.

It’s unclear how much of each of their five strains are in the product, making it difficult to assess effectiveness.

Envive Daily Probiotic is a good choice, but if you’re willing to pay a bit more, you can get a higher quality product that does provide specifics for each strain included.