24/7 Digestive Support Probiotic

Align is Procter & Gamble's single-strain probiotic. It's built around Bifidobacterium longum 35624 (formerly called B. infantis 35624), a strain developed with gastroenterologists and studied mainly in irritable bowel syndrome. You take one capsule a day, it doesn't need refrigeration, and Align markets it as the #1 doctor- and gastroenterologist-recommended probiotic brand, based on professional surveys.

The label is unusually candid about potency. Each capsule contains one billion CFU when manufactured and is guaranteed to provide 10 million CFU (1 × 10^7) through the "best by" date, a 100-fold difference. That gap matters. In the pivotal 2006 trial of 362 women with IBS, the dose that beat placebo was 100 million CFU; a lower dose did not. A later multicenter trial of 302 people who had abdominal discomfort and bloating but weren't IBS patients found no significant difference in symptom severity versus placebo, only more bloating-free days. A 2017 meta-analysis concluded that the single strain's benefit in IBS had not been confirmed.

At about $27 for 28 capsules (roughly 96 cents a day), Align costs more than Culturelle for a much lower guaranteed dose. Older packaging listed sodium caseinate, a milk protein. The current label on Align's website lists only microcrystalline cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, magnesium stearate and titanium dioxide, so check your box if you avoid dairy.

Buyer feedback is generally positive, with many people crediting Align for calmer digestion and less gas. A noticeable share say it didn't work for them or was overpriced, and a few report nausea.