In the past decade, probiotic-based nutritional supplements have skyrocketed in popularity for conditions such as obesity, gastrointestinal issues, and mental health, as well as our overall wellbeing. In fact, studies show that among adults, probiotics or prebiotics are the third most commonly used dietary supplement after vitamins and minerals.
Bio Complete 3 is a natural dietary supplement boasting a three-pronged approach to digestive health and weight management. It combines prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics to balance the gut microbe and bring about healthy change.
Our testing team has analyzed the effectiveness of probiotics in treating the issues they claim to combat and has tested numerous supplements, examining their claims and the science that supports or refutes them. In our full review below, we’ll detail the science behind Bio Complete 3 and offer our analysis and personal experiences with the product so you can determine if it’s right for you.
Pros
- Third-party tested
- 90-day money-back guarantee
- Physician-founded and developed
- May improve energy levels and reduce cravings
- Subscribe and save 10%
Cons
- Requires four capsules daily
- Contains only one strain of probiotic
- No CFUs listed on the label
Bottom line
We recommend Bio Complete 3 for individuals struggling with digestive issues and weight management. Its combination of prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics effectively can overall gut health as well as reduce cravings to some extent. Testers did not experience dramatic weight loss with this product, but did experience better skin, less bloating, and less digestive discomfort.
Bio Complete 3
Bio Complete 3 is a dietary supplement designed to improve digestion and support weight management. We highly recommend it for the former.
A week into taking Bio Complete 3, we believe you’re likely to see smoother digestion as well as somewhat reduced cravings. You may even experience increased energy, vitality, and muscle strength. Try it risk free for 90 days.
Over the past two decades, Innerbody Research has helped tens of millions of readers make more informed decisions involving staying healthy and living healthier lifestyles.
We extensively test each health service or product we review. We try our best to give you, our readers, an unbiased exploration of at-home health options, free of marketing jargon or gimmicks. We evaluate products and services based on their adherence to quality, the latest medical evidence and health standards, and a simple question: would we buy the product or service ourselves if it weren’t part of our job, and would we recommend it to family and friends?
Additionally, like all health-related content on this website, this review was thoroughly vetted by one or more members of our Medical Review Board for accuracy.
Bio Complete 3 is a probiotic-based dietary supplement that supports better weight management, easier digestion, boosted energy, improved muscle strength, and fewer unhealthy cravings. Each bottle contains a one-month supply of capsules taken twice daily (two in the morning and two in the evening).
Dr. Steven Gundry, a pre-eminent expert in heart surgery for over 30 years, founded Gundry MD with a focus on overall gut health as a proponent of healthy weight management. His “Holobiotics” approach involves administering a combination of prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics to face off against lectins, pathogens, and gut yeasts, which can harm proper cell function, cause illness and infection, and hinder healthy digestion.
In addition to Bio Complete 3, Gundry MD manufactures several products aimed at gut health and weight management. They range from lectin-free, gut-friendly foods to topical skin products, nutritional supplements, and powder shake blends. They even sell dog food.
The gastrointestinal system plays a central role in a healthy immune system, representing almost 70% of immunoregulation. It stands to reason, then, that addressing gut health is important not just for weight regulation but for overall health and wellbeing.
As noted previously, the ingredients in Bio Complete 3 fight against three major “enemies” of healthy digestion: lectins, pathogens, and gut yeasts.
- Lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins found in all plants but most prominent in raw legumes and whole grains. Lectins resist breaking down in the gut and may cause issues with human digestion, including interfering with the absorption of calcium, iron, phosphorus, and zinc.
- A pathogen is a bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease. Healthy bacteria from the gut microbiome help to fend off pathogens.
- Gut yeasts do not cause significant issues at normal levels. However, some gut yeasts, mainly when overgrowth occurs, are considered health risks and contributors to problems like diarrhea, skin rashes, asthma, food cravings, impotence, and more.
Below, we’ll examine the contributions of Bio Complete 3’s dynamic trio (prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics) in their fight against these gut enemies to support a healthier digestive system.
Probiotics
Probiotics are live bacteria that restore gut flora and are generally considered safe when taken as supplements. While probiotics have demonstrated potential in benefiting many conditions, there is little hard scientific evidence to support some of the big blanket claims of probiotic supplements across the board. That said, probiotics are consistently being studied and have demonstrated the ability to assist with the following conditions in clinical trials:
- Antibiotic-associated diarrhea
- Bacterial vaginosis
- Depression and anxiety
- Inflammatory bowel disease
Bio Complete 3 includes 16 mg of Bacillus coagulans (ProDURA) in each daily dose. This species of bacteria is unique because its outer shell protects it from harsh environments, allowing it to withstand bile and stomach acid before being absorbed in the large intestine. The only drawback regarding ProDURA in Bio Complete 3 is that the company lists it by weight rather than CFUs (colony forming units). This makes it difficult to determine the number of bacteria in the product.
Prebiotics
Prebiotics are compounds found in food that induce the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the gut microbiome. They are the “food” for probiotics. Preliminary research has demonstrated the potential benefits of prebiotics on a number of digestive issues and the immunity system, including:
- Improved calcium and other mineral absorption
- Immune system effectiveness
- Reduced colorectal cancer risk
- Treatment for inflammatory bowel disease
SunFiber (guar fiber) comprises the prebiotic component of Bio Complete 3. Numerous studies have looked at guar fiber, showing its role in maintaining proper bowel movements and treating symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome. However, a drawback to Bio Complete 3’s inclusion of SunFiber is in the amount: while studies suggest a daily intake of 5-10g of guar fiber for digestive support, the daily amount in Bio Complete 3 is just 200mg (0.2g).
Postbiotics
Postbiotics are short-chain fatty acids made by the health-promoting bacteria in your gut. They include nutrients such as vitamins B, K, and amino acids and play a role in intestinal immunity. Postbiotics are found in fermented foods like kimchi, kefir, and tempeh.
The main bulk of Bio Complete 3’s ingredients is in its postbiotic component, CoreBiome (Tributyrin), with 1000mg in each daily dose. This postbiotic may help support butyrate levels in the body, offering immune support and relief from digestive issues like bloating, loose stools, constipation, and gas. While Tributyrin has been studied extensively in animals, more research is needed to determine its impacts on human health.
Using Bio Complete 3
It is important to take Bio Complete 3 every day on a consistent basis. Gundry MD recommends taking two capsules twice daily, preferably before meals. We took two before breakfast and two before dinner without any issues. If you forget a dose, simply resume the schedule before your next meal.
One thing that you’ll consistently find in customer reviews for weight management products is a number of complaints. We see this as less unsettling than most because we realize that many customers buy a product with the hopes that it will miraculously make them drop pounds without any effort. This is simply not the case. Bio Complete 3 effectively promotes gut health and may help you lose weight – but it is not a magic pill, nor does it claim to be.
In our testing of the product, we benefited from increased energy, more efficient digestion, and improved overall health. Did it kick junk-food cravings? To some extent, but not completely. Did we lose weight? Only minimally. Do we think the product is effective? Yes. In conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise, we believe Bio Complete 3 is effective in helping to manage weight while noticeably impacting gut health.
Bio Complete 3 is made of natural ingredients and is considered safe for adults. Some side effects of probiotic supplements include gas, bloating, and other digestive discomforts, but our testers personally did not struggle with these.
Bio Complete 3 is manufactured in the United States, and an independent third party tests each product for quality. As with all nutritional supplements, we recommend consulting your doctor before beginning a new regimen.
You can only purchase Bio Complete 3 through the Gundry MD website, as the company does not allow the resale of its products by resellers, retailers, or distributors. However, you can earn significant savings by signing up as a Gundry MD VIP member, which is free. As a VIP, you’ll receive special deals and discounts, and you can set up regular monthly refills automatically. Whether you make a single purchase or sign up for a VIP membership, you earn additional savings by purchasing in bulk.
Gundry MD offers free shipping in the U.S. on all orders over $60
| Cost for single purchase | Cost with VIP membership | |
|---|---|---|
| One bottle (120 capsules) | $69.65 | $49.95 |
| Three bottles (360 capsules) | $188.85 | $134.85 |
| Six bottles (720 capsules) | $353.70 | $254.85 |
Is Bio Complete 3 a good value?
Compared to products with similar ingredients, Bio Complete 3’s cost falls somewhere in the middle range. While some products, such as Bio-X4, include more probiotic variants, its cost is about double the VIP membership price of Bio Complete 3. Another similar product from 1MD Nutrition, Complete Probiotics Platinum, costs about $40 for a monthly supply and offers further discounts.
In short, you can find similar probiotic-based nutritional supplements for less than Bio Complete 3, but many may be lacking in brand reputation, ingredient quality, and/or effectiveness.
Privacy considerations
Like most online retailers, Gundry MD collects personal and non-personal information about users on its website through cookies and other technologies. Enrolling in the VIP membership program will increase the number of related ads, email, and text promotions you’ll receive, but opting out is uncomplicated.
HSA, FSA, and health insurance
Bio Complete 3 is not eligible for payment with HSA, FSA, or insurance.
At Innerbody Research, we customize our evaluation criteria depending on the type and nature of the health-related service or product. But in general for health products and services, we have five broad areas that we explore in our evaluations, including:
Quality: How well does the company deliver its core service(s) to the customer? For testing services, does the company adhere to the latest and most advanced testing technologies and achieve a very high degree of accuracy? For non-testing telemedical or teletherapy services, is the quality of the service high enough that we would recommend it to loved ones without hesitation? If not, why not? For health products, does the product or device meet a high level of safety? Is it manufactured with high quality standards? Has it – or have its ingredients – been subjected to studies that confirm effectiveness?
User-friendly: How intuitive and convenient is the service or product? Does the device, program, app, or website achieve a good degree of user-friendliness for its customers?
Value: Are you getting your money’s worth? Are there any hidden costs or charges? Does the company offer discounts?
Privacy: If health data is stored, will your data be stored securely? Are payments secure? Does a company market your information?
Customer support: Particularly in situations where ‘one size fits all’ doesn’t make sense, how well does the company help to make the service or product ideal for you or address your individual needs?
