Bio Complete 3 is an extremely popular gut health supplement made and sold by Gundry MD. Dr. Gundry is a cardiac surgeon turned supplement manufacturer who now sells a wide range of supplements focused on maximizing gut health and combatting something he calls “leaky gut syndrome”.
Gundry brand supplements are growing in popularity every single day. But right now, one of the most widely used in undoubtedly Bio Complete 3. There are hundreds of Bio Complete reviews on various health blogs, and most of them are positive. Our own Bio Complete 3 review is less positive; we strongly advise reading it before buying Bio Complete 3. We frequently get questions from our readers about what Bio Complete 3 is and how it works. Recently, we have had a number of questions regarding Bio Complete 3 and weight loss.
So, can Gundry Bio Complete 3 help you lose weight? What does Bio Complete 3 do and how does it work? Is it a probiotic or a prebiotic?
Let’s take a closer look at the Bio Complete 3 ingredients list and answer these questions properly.
What is Bio Complete 3?
Bio Complete 3 is described as an “all-in-one prebiotic, probiotic and post-biotic formula”. This makes it pretty much unique among gut health supplements, as no other products focus on both prebiotics and probiotics, and rarely do we even see the term “postbiotic”.
According to Steven Gundry, Bio Complete 3 brings some pretty spectacular benefits. He says users can expect:
- Excess fat becoming easier to lose
- Fatigue replaced with “an ABUNDANCE” of “youthful energy”
- Dramatic improvements in gut issues, with some digestive problems disappearing altogether
- Cravings for unhealthy foods to disappear
This is pretty impressive stuff. For a simple prebiotic and probiotic to deliver all of this within the 30 day money back guarantee window would be nothing short of miraculous.
Of course, probiotics and prebiotics (particularly the latter) can bring about significant improvements in digestive health. The long-term use of prebiotics and probiotics can definitely support healthy energy levels, effective weight management, and better energy levels, among other things. But the benefits of gut health supplements are often subtle, and they take months of consisent use to manifest.
The claimed benefit we’re going to focus on here is “excess fat becoming easier to lose”. Does Bio Complete 3 really make it easier for you to lose weight? Does it specifically target to lose of stubborn body fat as the website claims?
To answer that, we need to look at the Bio Complete 3 ingredients.
Ingredients in Bio Complete 3
What are the ingredients in Bio Complete 3?
Here is the Bio Complete 3 ingredients list as it is displayed on the website:
Do any of these ingredients help with weight loss, fat loss, weight management, or appetite control?
In theory, yes. Some of the ingredients in Bio Complete 3 should help you lose weight. However, this answer comes with a huge caveat. Only one ingredient in Bio Complete 3 isd likely to support weight loss and appetite control. Other probiotics and prebiotics use more effective ingredients in larger doses, and are thus much more conducive to weight loss.
Furthermore, the effective ingredient in Bio Complete 3 can be found in a wide variety of common foods, including yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, and other fermented foods. This is actually true of the unproven, ineffective ingredients in Bio Complete 3 too!
We’ll now go into the Bio Complete 3 ingredients in a little more detail.
CoreBiome (30% Tributyrin) – 1000mg
Tributyrin is a form of butyric acid. This saturated fatty acid is found in foods like butter, cheeses, red meat, vegetable oils, and high fat vegetables. Of these natural butyric acid sources, butter is by far and away the best; about 10% of the fat in butter is butyric acid. So what has this ingredient got to do with weight loss and appetite control? Nothing!
There is no evidence linking butyric acid consumption (and by extension tributyrin consumption) to weight loss, fat loss, or appetite control. There is no reason to believe this Bio Complete 3 ingredient will help with weight management.
Sunfiber – 200mg
Sunfiber is a branded form of a prebiotic fiber taken from the guar plant. Many of you will know guar as a gum used as a coagulant in many foods and recipes. Sunfiber claims that their guar-derived fiber is specially formulated to produce none of the gas or bloating associated with heavy fiber consumption. They also claim that Sunfiber is better than other prebiotic fibers at treatin constipation, diarrhea and loose stool.
We can see no hard evidence to support these claims. The type of prebiotic fiber being used is nowhere near as important as dose. While 2g of guar derived prebiotic fiber might be great for assisting weight loss, 200mg is not going to do a great deal! The best prebiotics for weigth loss on the market today all use more than 1.5g of high quality prebiotic fiber.
Bacillus Coagulans – 16mg
This is the only ingredient in Bio Complete 3 which may help you lose weight. Bacillus coagulans is a strain of probiotic bacteria known to dramatically improve health and performance by supporting a healthy gut microbiome. Studies have shown that the targeted use of Bacillus coagulans can do everything from improve immune system function to preventing respiratory tract infections.
There has been little research done on this ingredients relationship with weight management. But given how much of an effect the gut microbiome has on your body fat levels, it it likely that the intelligent use of this probiotic can indeed facilitate fat loss and better weight management.
Is Bio Complete 3 good for losing weight?
On the whole, Bio Complete 3 is not good for losing weight.
Of course, good probiotics and pebiotics will definitely help with weight loss. Having a healthier, balanced gut microbiome is arguably one of the most sustainable ways to control weight gain and appetite over the long-term.
But Bio Complete 3 is far from a good probiotic, and it is a terrible prebiotic.
The only ingredient in Bio Complete 3 which might help you lose body fat and control your weight more effectively is a probiotic bacteria strain which is very common in fermented foods. We therefore don’t see why anybody would spend so much money on Bio Complete 3 when the active ingredient for losing fat is found in yogurt, and in larger quantities!
What should you use instead?
What is the best supplement you can take to help you lose weight?
While many people will turn to fat burners, appetite suppressants and diet pills when trying to lose body fat, the most effective supplement for staying on top of your weight is undoubtedly a prebiotic.
A high quality prebiotic supplement will make sure that your gut microbiome remains as healthy, as balanced and as robust as it can be. This in turn will lead to better digestion and nutrient partitioning, steady blood sugar control, reduced food cravings, and increased fat burning for energy.
More importantly, prebiotics are suitabl for long-term, daily use. Unlike probiotics, prebiotics help you lose weight without causing any side effects like bloating, gas or nausea.