My Olly Probiotic Gummies Review (2023)
Probiotic products have been the focus of a lot of attention in the beauty and health supplements industry and as a certified nutritionist I am extremely interested in their potential benefits.
However, taking probiotics in natural form is sometimes a hassle – finding the right fermented foods, without added unwanted ingredients, and at an affordable price, makes it close to impossible.
So, after trying and reviewing over 29 Probiotics through several years and being a certified nutritionist, I wanted to give Olly Balanced Belly Probiotic Gummies a try.
I decided to buy the peach flavored Balanced Belly Probiotic + Prebiotic bottle since it was only $13.99 on Amazon (February 2023) for a bottle of 30 gummies. That equates to $0.46 or $0.93 per day.
More Info About Olly
Olly has been featured in Forbes, BuzzFeed, Refinery29, Byrdie, Travel + Leisure, and more.
The reason there is such a buzz about Olly lies with their trendy, attractively packaged list of supplements, with great benefits for several concerns.
They sell lots of ranges, and here is what you can easily buy on Amazon from their Probiotic offering (aside from the Olly Balanced Belly gummies to which we’ll come back to below):
Beyond probiotics, Olly also has a great Sleep suite of products with gummies filled with melatonin, L-theanine, and botanicals, to help potentially relax and boost your sleep hormone in some people (available here for $13.99 for 50 gummies). (1)
Their beauty supplements target a flawless complexion, glowing skin, and hair, skin and nails supplements charged with vitamin C, biotin and keratin.
Ingredients & Strain
Olly Balanced Belly Gummies contain a blend of active probiotics as well as prebiotic fiber. The probiotic strain is Bacillus Coagulans MTCC 5856, the "good" bacteria that contribute to a healthy digestive tract and immune system by working alongside your natural bacteria.
There is a dose of 500 million CFU's of these in each gummy. As for the prebiotic fiber, it nourishes the bacteria so it can work better and more efficiently. Each gummy has 1.5 g of prebiotic fiber. (2)
As studies have shown, using a probiotic strain is a very effective way to support your gut health. Probiotics are even essential for gut health for athletes.
Bacillus Coagulans specifically has been found to have positive effects in the few studies it's been subjected to, although more research is ongoing to determine its benefits fully. (3)
However, some studies have also shown that Bacillus Coagulans could have a negative side effect on sufferers from Irritable Bowel Syndrome, so this is something to keep in mind potentially.
While I didn't notice any negative effects, some reviews do mention this as a concern. (4)
The make-up of the gummies is supplemented just with water, cane sugar, and gelatin and doesn't contain any additives.
My Experience & Side Effects
Olly advises taking one Balanced belly gummy per day, without food or water. I stuck to the recommendation, and took them once a day for a week, after which I decided to give twice daily doses ago (one in the morning and once at night). The gummies are incredibly convenient as they're easy to take, they don't need to be kept in the fridge, and they taste great.
As I mentioned before, these have been found to irritate IBS potentially, but I'm lucky not to have that issue. However, I did notice a difference when taking two gummies a day vs once daily only, thus making the probiotic strain stronger.
I got slightly bloated, and this went away when I stopped taking the gummies. Therefore, while the probiotic strain isn't that strong, it is worth sticking to the manufacturer's recommendation.
Finally, one point worth mentioning is that Olly gummies are gluten-free, which was a concern of mine. They're packaged in an environment where they may come in contact with fish, eggs, or milk, however, so they're not vegan or allergy-friendly. The gelatin used in them is also of animal origin. If you want a vegan probiotic that is allergen-friendly, you should take a look at these capsules from Nature Made which has a higher CFU count as well.
It's worth noting Olly.com have "These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease." written in their footer.
Olly Probiotic Gummies Reviews
Before deciding to try out Olly Balanced Belly, I checked other customers’ reviews on Amazon too. Olly Balanced Belly Gummies received a lot of 5-star reviews.
However, some people complain about the packaging and the state that products have reached them in. This seems to be an issue in especially warm parts of the world, where gummies sometimes are found to melt in transit!
While the main complaint about Olly Balanced Belly Gummies is its IBS side effects. There is a 30-day money back refund guarantee.
I tried to find some reviews over on Reddit but for some reason Olly isn't that popular over there. It's kind of strange considering how mainstream the Olly Brand is. I did find this one Reddit thread from back in 2019 where most of the people said the Olly products were nothing special.
Olly Vs Other Gummies
Both Olly and Belive Probiotic Gummies contain the same strain of probiotic, Bacillus Coagulans, at 5 billion CFU per serving. Both brands claim to improve digestive health, bowel regularity, and reduce abdominal pain and bloating.
One potential difference is that Belive's gummies are 100% vegan and contain natural ingredients, whereas Olly's gummies contain gelatin, which is derived from animal products so Belive is better for vegans.
Additionally, the Belive gummies are slightly less expensive than Olly's, with a price range of under $20, while Olly's is priced around $25.
Both gummy probiotics have positive reviews from users and may provide similar benefits, but I like Belive more based on the lower price.
Olly and Digestive Advantage gummies are both probiotic supplements that aim to improve digestion. However, there are some differences between the two products.
Digestive Advantage gummies are available in a single bottle containing 60 gummies for $14.29, while Olly probiotics are priced at around $20 for a bottle of 60 capsules which can save you some money in these hard times.
In terms of customer reviews, Digestive Advantage gummies have a 4.7 out of 5-star rating from over 17,500 reviews, while Olly probiotics have a 4.6 out of 5-star rating from over 7,000 reviews on Amazon so I would say this is also a better alternative to Olly gummies.
The Bottom Line: Should You Buy It?
Olly Balanced Belly Probiotic Gummies are the most popular gummies out there right now. They have the best reviews online and are perfect for the vast majority of people.
You can click to check what position I decided to put Olly at in my best probiotic gummies guide. You can read the guide to find out how they compare to the other options in the guide.
Probiotic Review Girl's Recommendation
You might think I'm crazy...
Most probiotic supplements suck.
I know this from experience. Since launching Probiotic Review Girl in 2019, I bought and tested over 27 different probiotic brands.
I got burned so many times that I eventually did something "crazy"...
At the end of 2021, I launched my own probiotic supplement.
No more stressing about low cfu counts and wether or not the probiotic capsule will survive my stomach acid. I finally have a probiotic supplement I KNOW will work the way I want it too.
I use it everyday after years of battling Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), I now have my energy and social life back!
The positive news? I have made my probiotic supplement available to Probiotic Review Girl readers and you can experience the gut health benefits yourself.
Alicia Harper is a NASM-CNC Certified nutritionist and the editor of ProbioticReviewGirl.
After suffering from recurrent gut issues she spent years researching Probiotics and the microbiome.
She has tested 29+ different Probiotics and is a probiotics expert. As a probiotic fanatic, she has valuable knowledge to share with the world.
We like the Olly PROBIOTIC gummies HOWEVER – Who in the world put information on the container with WHITE OVER YELLOW – CAN’T BE PROPERLY READ EVEN WITH A MAGNIFYING GLASS.
Hi James, You are right, it is hard to read. Even more so if you are color-blind.