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Gut Science

Symprove reviews: What the evidence and real customers say

Explore real Symprove customer reviews alongside the research, with clear answers about everyday use and how to decide whether to try it.

9 minutes
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Written By

Marie Ellis

Marie has been a health and science journalist and writer for over 15 years. She has a master's degree in critical theory from the University of Sussex and a bachelor's degree in English from the University of California-Irvine. In her spare time, she likes to write fiction, participate in park runs with her family and perform in theatre where she lives in Bristol.

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Reviewed By

Imogen Wolsey

In-house Dietitian and Healthcare Professional Development Manager at Symprove

Imogen is a Registered Dietitian and our HCP Development Manager here at Symprove.Β She has clinical expertise in eating disorders, sports nutrition and gastroenterology, and is also trained in holistic wellbeing practices. Due to her own journey with her gut health, Imogen has both a personal and professional perspective that helps the work she does at Symprove. The way Imogen blends both Eastern and Western approaches in her practice as a dietitian also gives her a unique skillset that is very effective in improving mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.

The health and wellness sector has exploded in recent years, and gut health products are no exception.

Walk into a shop, and you might find dozens of gut health supplements, each making different claims. There are pills, powders and liquids, with some marketed to kids, some to older adults and others to pregnant people. Choice is great, but it can make deciding what to buy a bit of a challenge.

Star ratings from reviews help, but most people want to dig a little deeper into customers' experiences to weigh up the pros and cons. That's what we'll do here. We'll also look at the scientific evidence, which should play an important part in your decision, too.


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What customers say about Symprove

Without further ado, let’s jump into some reviews that Symprove has received. We’ll split them into three broad categories: fitting Symprove into your daily routine, taste and format, and changes customers noticed.

It's important to remember that each review reflects one person's experience. We've included positive, neutral and negative reviews to give you the full picture.

Does Symprove easily fit into your daily routine?

If you'll be taking something every day, it has to fit easily into your life. Even if you get real benefits from a product, you might stop using it if there's too much friction.

'First round of trying this. It doesn’t taste disgusting and it’s easy to fit into a busy routine. Second batch delivered on time with no fuss.

My stomach no longer looks like I’m about to give birth by the afternoon. The smaller bottles were great to pack for my holiday. I’m definitely sticking with this and recommend it.'

– Nicky Gun, verified customer

'Have been enjoying symprove, it is nice to be in a routine taking a supplement drink first thing in the morning. Pineapple flavour the best.'

– CU, verified customer

'Since starting Symprove (3 months ago), my gut finally feels at peace. I am no longer dealing with discomfort or bloating, and the daily routine is incredibly easy. I also love the small travel size bottles, they make it simple to stay consistent even when I’m away from home. Highly recommend!!!'

– VI, verified customer

Taste and liquid format

Taste matters, too, especially for something you'll use daily. Symprove comes in four flavours to suit different tastes: Original, Strawberry and Raspberry, Mango and Passionfruit, and Pineapple.

The form is also worth thinking about. Probiotics come as pills, capsules, powders and liquids, and all of Symprove's products are liquid. Let’s look at some more reviews:

'Lovely taste and feel so much better since I started a few months ago.'

– Mrs CD Westgate, verified customer

'After reading the reviews, I decided to try Symprove. At first, after couple of weeks, my upset tums did improve and the taste is really lovely. Unfortunately, my symptoms have started to come back so will persevere to see how it goes. Will continue to use for the recommended 3 months and monitor my symptoms. Lovely company.'

– Teresa, verified customer

'Great product, I have used it for some time now and it really does help with overall feelings of wellness and better digestion. Highly recommended. Taste is good and I have recommended to friends and family who also agree.'

– Carolyne Hill, verified customer

'Because this is a liquid it suited me. No powder or difficult to swallow tablets. It’s become a vital part of my day.'

– Christopher Lawson, verified customer

'I am not good with taking tablets/capsules, so drinking this lovely tasting liquid is a dream. Call this anecdotal if you wish, but Symprove has improved my gut health to no end. I have IBS/C and the bloating and constipation was a daily nightmare. Symprove is gentle and I am no longer constipated or bloated. I know there are other benefits to taking live cultures, but relieving my IBS/C is major.'

– Cherry, verified customer

Changes customers noticed

Routine, taste and format all matter, but the biggest question when you’re choosing a gut health product is: does it work?

'My tummy issues are much improved'

– Susan Clarke, verified customer

'Symprove has improved my gut health significantly. I’m burping much less and no longer feel as bloated as I did before. It has also had a positive impact on my sleep.'

– AB, verified customer

'Recommended by my doctor. I have been using Symprove for over a year now as I have diverticulitis. I have seen a great improvement in my symptoms, particularly less bloating and less pain.'

– Jean Mills, verified customer

'It took really about 12 weeks for me to appreciate how good symprove is although I felt some benefits with in the first week! I definitely have more energy now and I sleep so much better! Now my bowels are more regular and more normal! I am 69 years old and I have also been diagnosed with diverticulitis so keeping my system moving is vital to my health! I love being part of the symprove group! I love the emails I get with health advice, most recently the advice on taking peppermint oil which I am also going to start taking! I would recommend anyone to give symprove a try! Thank you.'

– Sharon Fortune, verified customer

Mixed and negative reviews

Not everyone reports a benefit, and some people don't like the taste. You can't please everyone all the time. So, let's look at what they have to say:

'I have faithfully used symprove every day for over 2 months now and it has made no difference to my gut. My gut continues to behave very badly and bloat and cause me excessive pain.'

– CU, verified customer

Symprove won't improve everyone's symptoms, but we recommend taking it for 12 weeks to give you time to assess your response and decide if it's working for you.

'Foul taste and no improvements in symptoms.'

– Jonathan Kirby, verified customer

'Cannot see any difference since taking Symprove, been on it for 8 weeks now. Getting used to the taste, some bottles have a darker liquid whilst others are lighter.'

– CU, verified customer

Symprove's colour can vary slightly between batches because of its natural ingredients, but this doesn't affect its quality or effectiveness. And if one flavour isn't for you, one of the other three might suit you better.

What the research adds

Reviews are helpful, but it's also worth checking that a product's claims are backed up by evidence. So, next, we'll briefly run through a study conducted by Symprove's scientists and their research partners.

Liquid bacteria supplements vs gastric juice

Stomach (gastric) acid is powerful. Symprove has to pass through it, so our scientists wanted to know whether the product’s microbes could survive the trip.Β 

In this lab-based study, they tested eight commercially available active bacteria supplements in conditions designed to replicate the human stomach.

The researchers found that bacteria in liquid products survived in numbers that matched or beat their label’s claims. Freeze-dried products didn't do as well, with fewer bacteria surviving than their labels stated.

It's worth highlighting again that the tests took place in a lab, not in people.

The authors of the study write: 'In general, liquid-based products tested tended to give superior results in terms of survival compared with the freeze-dried products tested'.

Regulations and clinical trials

There are limits to how openly we can talk about the science behind Symprove. The European Food Safety Authority states that manufacturers can't make specific health claims about any EU-marketed products that contain live bacteria.

Any health claims manufacturers do make are tightly regulated. For example:

  • Not allowed: β€˜Reduces the severity of rotavirus diarrhoea in infants’

  • Allowed: β€˜Improves gut health’

This means Symprove can't discuss clinical trials with consumers, but the information is available to healthcare professionals.

Should you choose Symprove?

We can’t answer for you. As the reviews show, lots of customers are very happy with Symprove, but it isn't quite right for everyone.

Your choice will come down to things like:

Because it’s a daily habit, it’s worth getting right.Β 

Frequently asked questions

Here are answers to some common questions about Symprove.

Where can I read more Symprove customer reviews?Β 

Trustpilot is your best bet, with almost 12,000 reviews so far.

Are the reviews featured here paid or incentivised?Β 

No. Companies aren’t allowed to offer incentives to Trustpilot to hide reviews. It’s a warts-and-all type of deal.

Does a high rating mean Symprove will work for me?Β 

No. Symprove doesn't work for everyone. A high score just means most reviewers had a good experience.

Why do Symprove reviews describe different experiences?Β 

Everyone's different. Our gut microbiomes vary from person to person, even more than our genetic make-up. Lifestyles and overall health vary widely, too, so it makes sense that people respond differently to the same product.Β 

To learn more about this and other gut health topics, visit Symprove’s Gut Hub.

Sources

A 4-strain probiotic supplement influences gut microbiota composition and gut wall function in patients with ulcerative colitis. International Journal of Pharmaceutics. (2020). Link.

Comparative survival of commercial probiotic formulations: Tests in biorelevant gastric fluids and real-time measurements using microcalorimetry. Beneficial Microbes. (2015). Link.

Randomised clinical trial: A liquid multi-strain probiotic vs. placebo in the irritable bowel syndrome – a 12 week double-blind study. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics. (2014). Link.