Bio Complete 3 Review: What You Must Know?
A balanced gut microbiome is now recognized as vital for optimal health. Bio Complete 3 targets gut health and overall wellness using a 3-pronged approach. It supplies a prebiotic, probiotic, and postbiotic in one product.
While relatively expensive, the product receives excellent customer reviews. Many users, including some with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), have reported some or even complete relief of their digestive issues.
This review provides an overview of the features, specifications, pros, and cons of Bio Complete 3. This is followed by a more detailed discussion of why you might consider using it.
Bio Complete 3 (Dr. Gundry) at a Glance
Key Features
- Formulated by a renowned physician – specializing in gut health
- Designed to support the gut microbiome – optimizing both digestive health and overall wellness
- A 3-in-1 supplement containing:
– Prebiotics – feed the gut bacteria.
– Probiotics – provide good gut bacteria.
– Postbiotics – provide additional tributyrin, a normal “waste product” of gut bacteria that supplies essential biochemicals to the body.
- Ingredients have few potential allergens – limited reported side effects.
- Users report beneficial effects – especially for improving digestive issues.
Product Specs
- Trademarked active ingredients – Bacillus Coagulans (ProDURA®), tributyrin (as CoreBiome®), Sunfiber®.
- Ingredients are in capsule form – two in the morning and two at night, before meals.
- Month’s supply – comes with 120 capsules.
- All-natural ingredients – quality tested by 3rd parties.
Pros
- 3-in-1 – 3-pronged approach to gut health in one capsule.
- Positive customer reviews – helps provide relief for irritable bowel syndrome.
- Health benefits – may improve immunity, reduce food cravings, promote weight loss, and increase energy.
- All-natural ingredients – with few potential side effects.
- High quality – Ingredients quality tested by independent third parties.
- Ideal for users with sensitivities or allergies – no sugar, artificial sweeteners, lectin, dairy, or soy.
- 90-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Relatively expensive – there are cheaper gut-health supplements.
- Not available in retail stores – only online orders, ideally from the Dr. Gundry site, to qualify for discount options.
- Limited good research – some of the ingredients lack research.
- Only one strain of probiotic – without an indication of the number of colony-forming units (CFUs).
Why Consider Bio Complete-3?
Physician Formulated
Dr. Gundry was a top cardiac surgeon and researcher who developed many innovations in this field. Two decades ago, he encountered a patient with heart disease who, almost by chance, turned his condition around by changing his diet.
This led Dr. Gundry to start investigating diet and nutrition, convincing him that the standard American diet did not support optimal health. In 2002 he left his position as a cardiac surgeon and founded his own practice, the Center for Restorative Medicine, at the International Heart and Lung Institute in California.
His aim was to reverse disease through nutrition. He started treating patients with the new dietary approach while continuing his cutting-edge research. Since then, thousands of people’s lives have been improved, including through the books Dr. Gundry has published to share his dietary philosophy.
Dr. Gundry has also developed a range of nutritional supplements, one of which is Bio Complete 3. He acknowledges that everyone is unique and that users experience different results from the supplements. This is why there is a 90-day money-back guarantee (shipping and handling excluded) if customers don’t benefit from the product.
Biogen-3 Supports a Healthy Gut Microbiome
The gut microbiome is a colony of microorganisms in your lower intestine which was discovered as far back as the 1840s. However, its significance in maintaining body functions and health has only become apparent in the last couple of decades. The Human Microbiome Project, a collaborative research body, was established as recently as 2008.
What is already apparent is that the gut microbiome is involved in digestion, brain health, immune response, and controlling cholesterol and glucose levels. It also produces neurotransmitters, hormones, vitamins, and other essential biochemicals.
Thus a healthy, balanced gut microbiome is essential to well-being and to preventing diseases. This is why Bio Complete 3, designed to support the gut-microbiome, might have more benefits than just improving digestive health.
Claimed benefits include:
- Improved digestive symptoms like bloating, pain, and irregular bowel movements
- Weight loss
- Reduced sugar and junk food cravings
- A strong immune system
- Reduced fatigue and more energy
Bio Complete uses a three-pronged approach to improving gut health. It contains a prebiotic that provides nourishment to the microorganisms, a probiotic that supplies further good bacteria to the gut, and a postbiotic that helps to maintain the lining of the gut, reduces inflammation, and influences metabolism.
Bio Complete 3 Ingredients
All the ingredients in Bio Complete 3 are natural and quality tested by a third-party agent to ensure purity.
The active ingredients of Bio Complete 3 are:
- Prebiotic – Sunfiber®
- Probiotic – Bacillis Coagulans (ProDURA®)
- Postbiotic – Tributyrin (as CoreBiome®)
Non-active ingredients are microcrystalline cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, silica, and magnesium stearate. The product does not contain any sugar or artificial sweeteners, dairy, lectin, or soy. This eliminates a number of potential sensitivity or allergic reactions.
Sunfiber®
While humans cannot digest the plant fiber in their diet, it is used as fuel by the microorganisms in the large intestine.
Sunfiber® is extracted from fermented Indian Guar beans. Its benefits for various digestive conditions, including IBS, are supported by considerable clinical research. The product is water-soluble and gluten-free. It is also low-fodmap certified, an important consideration for those suffering from IBS and SIBO.
Sunfiber® is manufactured by Taiyo, a Japanese company that specializes in researching and producing natural nutritional ingredients. Their products are GMO-free and certified as being 100% organic. (1)
Of note, however, is that while studies suggest 5-10 grams of guar fiber daily, the daily recommended 4 capsules of Bio Complete 3 only provide 0.2 grams. (2)
Bacillus Coagulans (ProDURA®)
Probiotics are live microorganisms taken orally to increase the number of good bacteria in the gut. Bio Complete 3 contains only one probiotic, a unique strain of Bacillus Coagulans made available by UAS Laboratories under the trademark ProDURA®.
In contrast with most other probiotics, Bacillus coagulans are spore-forming. This means that it can withstand variations in temperature, as well as the bile and acid in the small intestine. When it reaches the ideal conditions in the large intestine, it reverts to the active form.
A criticism of Bio Complete 3 is that the packaging only indicates the amount of Bacillus coagulans in weight and not in the usual colony forming units (CFUs). It is generally recommended that supplements should contain at least 1 billion CFUs per strain.
Tributyrin
The gut bacteria use undigested vegetable fiber as fuel, and postbiotics are the waste products. Postbiotics consist of hundreds of different biochemicals which the body uses for many essential processes. This explains why a healthy gut microbiome is essential for maintaining optimal health.
Tributyrin is one of the most important postbiotics, and this is why Bio Complete 3 provides the body with an additional supply in the form of 1000g of CoreBiome®. Among other things, tributyrin reduces inflammation, maintains a healthy gut lining, and influences metabolism.
CoreBiome® is specially designed to allow the tributyrin to reach the large intestine, which is normally not the case when tributyrin is taken orally. (3) The patent-pending product is manufactured by Compound Solutions.
Side Effects
Most medicines and supplements have side effects for some users. Generally, however, Bio Complete 3 seems to be well-tolerated and to produce very few side effects. Those most frequently reported side effects with the use of the product are the ones commonly experienced with probiotics – initial digestive discomfort, like gas and bloating, which clears eventually.
What Users Have to Say
On the Dr. Gundry site, the customer rating for Bio Complete 3 is 4.83 stars. On Amazon, there have been 2700 ratings, of which 73% are 4 stars or above. Written reviews mostly report a definite improvement in digestive issues and more regular bowel activity and don’t mention any side effects. Benefits seem to start after a week but with best results after consistent use for 4 weeks or longer. A few users reported that their digestive problems were completely resolved.
A few reviews mention other noticeable effects like reduced sugar cravings, more energy, weight loss, and improved sleep. One user had struggled with a severe autoimmune digestive problem for five years with no relief from prescribed medicines.
She wrote: “Well, I tried it, and within 3 days, I saw no evidence of blood, and essentially the condition has completely disappeared. I am not an advertiser or in any way connected with Dr. Gundry’s business, but I have to say, this product has been a miracle for me!”
However, there are also a number of negative reviews on Amazon, mostly referring to how expensive the product is and the side effects of bloating and increased bowel movements.
A Recommended Product
Bio Complete 3 uses a three-in-one approach to boost the gut microbiome and, thereby, overall health. The product was formulated by a physician who has done years of research into nutritional health.
Furthermore, Bio Complete contains high-quality natural ingredients which appear to be well tolerated by most users. Judging by the number of positive reviews and reports of relief, particularly of digestive issues, it appears to be a supplement worth trying if you suffer from SIBO or IBS.
Written by Frieda Paton
Frieda is a registered nurse and published author with extensive experience throughout her career in research, scientific writing and journalism. She has now turned to writing full time to share her passion for health and wellness, helping readers to prevent and manage chronic conditions. Frieda lives and works in the small museum town of Pilgrim’s Rest in South Africa.
References
- Taiyo GmbH. Sunfiber® – Partially hydrolysed guar gum. A water soluble bean fiber with unique nutritional benefits.
- Rao, T.P. 2018. Role of guar fiber in improving digestive health and function. Nutrition 59:158-169.
- Compound Solutions. (2021) What you need to know about tributyrin and gut health.
