United Naturals Synbiotic 365 Review – Scam or Does It Work?

Overview

Synbiotic 365 is supplement created by United Naturals that consists of B vitamins, probiotics and prebiotics to support a healthy gut flora. As the company name implies, all of the ingredients are natural, which is usually a good thing. 

United Naturals is not accredited with the BBB, which may raise some concern, but based on my research they do seem to be a trustworthy and credible company, one that you can count on to honor their refund policy if you are not satisfied with your purchase (well, maybe not all the time--more on this!).

While the science behind the effectiveness of such probiotics is still lacking in some areas, overall the supplement definitely has potential and is one of the better probiotic supplements I have reviewed to-date. Just be aware that this is NOT guaranteed to work for everyone.

Claims Made

When you find promotional material for different supplements it is always hard to know what you should believe as absolute truth and what you should consider nothing more than hype.

As far as Synbiotic 365 goes things don't seem too bad. It isn't being promoted as some miracle supplement that is going to magically cure all of your digestive issues, or at least not to the extent of some other rather ridiculously marketed supplements I've reviewed, such as Digestive Freedom Plus for example.

The main claim is that, by improving gut health by improving the microbiota of the gut, you can possibly eliminate all sorts of digestive problems.

And the man behind it all is Dr. Vincent Pedre...

Who Is Dr. Vincent Pedre?

Dr Pedre is the man behind Synbiotic 365, and is the Chief Wellness Officer at United Naturals.

Pedre is a Cornell graduate who received his M.D. from University of Miami School of Medicine, later going on to found Pedre Integrative Health.

His approach to medicine is holistic, combining aspects of Eastern and Western medicine to come up with a solution to better gut health and better digestion. This is why he often promotes the use of yoga and meditation to relieve digestive problems, which may sound bizarre but can help by relieving stress... a known culprit of digestive issues.

But don't worry, with Synbiotic 365 you won't have to get into crazy yoga poses or meditate... and he isn't just a doctor teaching people what he learned from his education. He actually suffered from IBS himself for years and this is what led him in the direction of becoming a "gut doctor". 

Pedre has even went as far as to author a book called Happy Gut, which outlines his holistic approach to restoring gut health and living an overall better life, rather than just treating symptoms.

Overall I'm very pleased with the information I've found on Dr. Vincent Pedre. He seems to be the real deal and is the type of person you want standing behind a product like Synbiotic 365.

1) B Vitamins

The B vitamin blend consists of thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), vitamin B6, folate (B9), vitamin B12, biotin (B7) and pantotheric acid (B5)... all of which are dosed at 200% of the recommended daily value except for vitamin B12 which is provided at a 1,000% RDA dosage.

B vitamins are important for digestion and overall well being. They each serve different functions and I'll give a quick rundown of each included here:

• Thiamin (vitamin B1) is active in the process of turning carbs into energy, which is their main function. It also plays important roles in the brain and nervous system. When it comes to digestion thiamin assists in the production of hydrochloric acid, which is the acid in your stomach that breaks down food, and helps regulate appetite.
• Riboflavin (vitamin B2) is active in the metabolism of fats, proteins and carbs. It is also important in the process of turning carbs into energy, just as thiamin is.
• Niacin (vitamin B3) is needed in the conversion of carbs to energy and is also needed for the proper function of sugars and fats in the body, and helps support healthy mucous membranes in the digestive system. Besides that it is active in the production of sex hormones, improves circulation, and more. A deficiency of it can lead to vomiting and diarrhea.
• Vitamin B6 is important for digestion and particularly during the process of processing proteins. It also is active in the conversion of carbs to glucose as well as the creation of both red-blood cells and neurotransmitters.
• Folate (vitamin B9) is, yet again, active in the conversion of carbs to energy. It is also thought to help increase low digestive acid levels and help with constipation--and help form new red-blood cells.
• Vitamin B12 helps make DNA and is very important for healthy blood cells and nerve function... and of course it is active in the conversion of carbs to energy. Digestive problems are one of many symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency.
• Biotin (vitamin B7) isn't just great for your hair, skin and nails. It is also involved in the conversion of carbs to energy and important for digestive tract health.
• Pantotheric Acid (vitamin B5) also helps convert carbs to energy and is needed for producing blood cells... in addition to being important for a healthy digestive tract.

You can see that all of the eight B vitamins are active in the conversion of carbs to energy. This is why a common symptom of vitamin B deficiency if fatigue and being overly tired all the time--and why there are all sorts of vitamin B energy drinks on the market.

Many of their functions overlap to some extent but it is important that you get the enough of each in your diet, which many people don't.

Vitamin B12 deficiency alone is pretty common, which some studies estimating that up to 39% of US adults are at risk of being deficient.

2) Probiotic Blend

The probiotic blend is the core of what this supplement provides.

What we have here is a 20 billion CFU blend of different bacteria, mainly consisting of lactobacilli types.

What are probiotics?

Probiotics are often referred to as "good" bacteria. They are simply bacteria that live in our guts and are beneficial to our health, mainly for our digestion and immune health.

Taking probiotics has become more popular recently with the movement towards more natural health approaches and is a common alternative to conventional therapies when it comes to gastrointestinal problems.

Is there proof that they work?

• An analysis by researchers at Chochrane Collaboration looked at 63 different studies on the effectiveness of probiotics on acute diarrhea. With probiotics about 55% people were free from diarrhea after 3 days. Without probiotics only about 34% were diarrhea free.
• Article from Harvard Health  - There were 14 clinical trials of people with constipation who were given either probiotics or a placebo. On average probiotics were found to slow the gut transit time by 12.4 hours, increase the weekly frequency of bowel movements by 1.3, soften stool and make it easier to pass.
• A study of 214 IBS patients took probiotics for 4 weeks and 78% of them, or 167 of the patients, found them to reduce pain and bloating. The probiotic used here was L. plantarum, which is also included in Synbiotic 365.
• A large meta-analysis of 1793 patients looked at the benefits of probiotics vs placebos on patients with IBS. The concluded results were that probiotics reduce pain and severity of symptoms.

Constipation, diarrhea, IBS, acid reflux... probiotics have been found to be beneficial for many gastrointestinal problems.

The studies and analyses mentioned above are just a small sample of what exists out there.

Probiotics are definitely important for proper digestion. This is something we can all agree on. However, this alone doesn't mean that Synbiotic 365 is going to work.

Concerns about effectiveness

One of the big concerns when it comes to probiotics is that they will be killed by stomach acid before ever reaching the intestines, and will thus be useless. 

This is why you often see probiotics included in dairy products like milk and yogurt--the reason being that milk and yogurt help neutralize the stomach acid so that the probiotics can make their way into your intestines while still living.

This exact reason is why many probiotic supplements do not work. They fail to address this problem.

Synbiotic 365 does not have any dairy in it to neutralize stomach acid, but what it does have are capsules made from hypromellose. This is a fairly new type of capsule being used that delays disintegration. I haven't really found much information at how effective it actually is when it comes to delivering probiotics, but it's nice to see that United Naturals is working to address the problem.

*This means it's good for people who are lactose intolerant.

Dosage

The dosage you get per serving here is 20 billion CFU.

A CFU is a "colony forming unit" and this refers to the number of live bacteria strains in each dose. This may seem a bit weird but this is how probiotics are measured.

There is a lack or research as to what the best dosage is, but 20 billion CFU looks pretty good when compared to most other supplements and studies.

You will find many supplements with only 10 billion CFU and then a few that go as high as 50 billion CFU. However, more isn't always better.

3) Chicory Root Inulin

This is what you call a pre-biotic and its purpose being included in this supplement is to provide food for the probiotics. Prebiotics are not bacteria... they are just food for bacteria.

Chicory root inulin is soluble fiber and this is what you want. It is not broken down by our body's stomach acid and makes its way unchanged into the colon, where it is then fermented by our gut bacteria... and in this case hopefully by all of the probiotics this supplement has provided that made it's way beyond the stomach acid.

All this said, the 315mg of this fiber that Synbiotic 365 provides really isn't much at all... but I suppose it is better than nothing and if you have a healthy/balanced diet you should be getting enough soluble fiber to provide food for the probiotics anyhow.

Ingredient Quality

One thing I want to point out about this supplement, which is a good thing, is that they don't cut corners just to make money.

The quality of ingredients included here is better than most. I already went over how their capsules are made from hypromellose, which is certainly better than some of the other choices out there--but they also provide other better ingredient choices, such as methylcobalamin for vitamin B12 instead of the synthetic form of cyanocobalamin.

Ingredient quality is a huge concern when it comes to probiotics because of how fragile the bacteria is. Bacteria in probiotic supplements needs to survive the manufacturing process, storage, and then of course it needs to make it past your stomach acid to be of any benefit to you. So there is a lot it has to go through and a company that doesn't put in the effort to deliver a quality product is likely leaving you with a bunch of useless pills that won't do anything.

Luckily this doesn't seem to be the case here... although there aren't any studies I have come across as to Synbiotic 365's effectiveness in particular.

You are unlikely to experience any negative side effects from taking Synbiotic 365.

Some people experience a temporary increase in gas and bloating from the increased fermentation going on by the new bacteria, and some people have reported constipation and increased thirst, but occurrences seem to be rare.

Of course it is always best to consult with your doctor, but they might not be a big fan of alternative medicinal approaches like this.

*Note: There was a review I read recently from someone who experienced severe itchiness of their skin. I'm not sure why this would be but it seems very rare.

As I'm writing this there are 3 available purchase options:

• 1 Box - $45
• 3 Boxes - $119
• 6 Boxes - $229

Buying more gives you a discount, but it's also a lot of money to spend without knowing how it might work for you, which is why I'd probably start out with just 1 box for $45.

Refunds

You can read their refund policy on the Terms of Service page if you want to, but I'll give you the breakdown of what's going on here.

What they offer is a 60 day money-back guarantee in which you have 60 days to return Synbiotic 365 for a refund.

What's really nice about the policy is that you can even return for a refund with up to 2 empty/opened containers--returning more than 2 empty/opened containers will result in a prorated refund.

You will have to pay for shipping however and you might have to go through the process of contacting customers support to get a RMA # before sending your unwanted product back, which you can contact at:

• 1-844-794-7728
• support@unitednaturals.com

When should you take Synbiotic 365?

There are different opinions on when the best time to take probiotics is, but many experts agree that about 20 minutes after you eat first thing in the morning is best.

There are also proponents for taking them on an empty stomach first thing in the morning.

Is Synbiotic 365 a Scam?

I know this may sound like a bit of a silly question, but it is one that people are asking and so I'll address it.

No, Synbiotic 365 is not a scam. It is actually one of the better probiotic supplements I've come across, although the promotions for it may make it sound a tad better than it really is.

Where is Synbiotic 365 manufactured?

The good news is that this is made in the USA, which means it is subject to more regulation than many other countries... which is a good thing in this particular situation.

How long do you have to take Synbiotic 365?

There is no timeline for how long you should take this. If you want to it would be safe to take continuously, after all... it is completely natural.

Will Synbiotic 365 work for everyone?

No, it won't. If you already eat healthy and balanced then you may already have a healthy gut flora, which means you might not notice any difference. There are a lot of other factors at play here as well.

That said, it's difficult to know whether or not your gut flora is balanced so it could be worth a try. 

They have over 100 reviews from customers on the United Naturals website, but all of them are 4-5 stars out of 5 stars and of course there is the concern of bias since they are published on the official company website.

HighYa is a good source of reviews and right now as I'm writing this Synbiotic 365 has around 1,000 reviews from customers with an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars...

By far most of the reviews are very good, however, there are some complaints. Not everyone loves this supplement and/or the company. So let's take a look at few...

Lack of Customer Support & Refund Trouble

The person below was apparently trying to get a refund but had no luck of getting in touch with customer support until AFTER the 30-day return window was up...

*Note: The return window is now 60 days. This has been extended.

More Trouble With Refunds

The customer below had been trying to get a refund for over a month and claims to have been given excuse after excuse...

Return Trouble

And yet another complaint left below is from someone who wasn't able to get a refund--but this time because it took too long to ship and they would not have the needed time to return it within the 30 day window...and they also claim it didn't work at all.

But again, the 30 day return policy is now 60 days, so this shouldn't be a problem.

I think it's important to show that there are some people complaining and very disappointed here. But maybe these people's problems stem from issues that have nothing to do with a healthy gut microbiota, which would mean even the best probiotic wounldn't work for them... who knows..

What you also have to realize is that the number of people leaving negative reviews is very low.

Overall most people are pleased with their purchase.

Pros

• Seems to be a trustworthy brand
• Made in the USA
• Good dosages of probiotics and B vitamins
• Lots of scientific proof showing probiotics effectiveness
• No side effects (or at least very unlikely)
• 100% natural​​​​
• Good for overall health, not just digestive health

Cons

• Limited information on effectiveness of capsule delivery system
• Somewhat expensive
• Isn't going to work for everyone

As mentioned, Synbiotic 365 is one of the better probiotic supplements that I have came across. Not only does it contain a good dose of a variety of different probiotics, but it also contains prebiotics to support the probiotics supplied along with B vitamins for better digestion and better overall health.

Will Synbiotic 365 work for you? This is a question that will only be able to be answered after trying it.

Overall I think it is a good product and would recommend it. However, don't by any means think that your choice of good probiotic supplements is limited. There are plenty of good quality probiotics on Amazon, many of which are less expensive too.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this review and found it helpful. Please leave any comments and/or questions below and I'll get back to you as soon as I can 🙂